I know it’s been a while but hopefully this pick will make up for the absence. In discussing music choices with a Tap Dance Music Newsletter subscriber I remembered this great collection of music called the “Unwrapped” series.
These are extra special because they are Jazz remixes of popular Rap songs. If you like the groove of Rap, but don’t like some of the messages in the music, these CD’s may be perfect for you!
Here is the box set of the first 4 volumes!
I came across this tune while listening to one of my new favorite Internet Radio websites! It’s called Musicovery.com & allows you to listen to music based on your mood! Anyway, I will definitely be laying some choreography on this wonderful collaboration between Santana and John lee Hooker over the coming school year.
It’s called “Chill Out”.
The rough edge of John Lee Hooker’s voice against the gentle smoothness of Santana’s playing is mesmerizing!
In general, whenever you hear that producer Timbaland was involved in a song, you can assume that it will include a good beat for tap dancers. He gives us a lot of rhythms to work with. That being said, in this post I highlight great tap dance music from album releases involving Timbaland.
The first is by Aaliyah who died tragically several years ago. Her final release is self-titled and includes good music for tap solos & group dances.
Though most of the CD is upbeat, the standout tap song for me is a ballad. It’s called “I Care 4 U” and is perfect for expressing more subtle emotions through dance.
This song is great for tap dancers because of its groove and it’s lyrics. I would love to see choreography set to this one. In fact, if you set a piece to this, share what you did with it in the comments section below.
It’s entitled “I Come Alive” & is included on Incognito’s most recent release.
A fellow user of Tap Dance Songs recently left a comment on the main page seeking song recommendations for a girl’s talent show.
If you have any, please post them to comments in the following format:
Artist Name: Cyndi Lauper
Song Title: Girl’s Just Wanna Have Fun
Album: She’s So Unusual: Cyndi Lauper
And follow that with any comments you have about why you think it’s a good choice!
In this case, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” is such a light and fun song. It could lend itself to some really great tap choreography. I can’t wait to see your recommendations!
Tap Dance Songs can be found everywhere! Thanks to Taylor for recommending this selection from the That’s So Raven CD. In sampling it, I heard several songs that could make for cool tap dance music, especially for kids!
Taylor’s favorite is “Beautiful Soul” by Jess McCarthy. It has a nice laid back beat and is open enough for a tap dancer to have plenty of “room” to dance.
My latest session of adult tap classes has just begun so I have decided to feature the tap dance music that we are using in those classes here!
You can click the image to purchase from Amazon.com or use one of these great tap dance music sources!
In the beginner’s class our warm up is set to “It Had To Be You” by Steve Tyrell. The arrangement is very open and the bass walk’s on the downbeat, making it easier to dance on when you are just starting out. This CD also features many other great jazz standards for tap dancing!
In the intermediate class, we are developing a piece around Herb Alpert’s title track, Rise. It’s a very groovy, funky piece of music for tap dancing!
In the Wednesday night intermediate class we spent some time last night working on my Paddle warmup to the song “Come on Closer” on Jem’s “Finally Woken” album. This Cd has lots of good music for tap dancers.
Finally, in my advanced adult class, we are developing a piece of choreography to an arrangement of “La Petite Mambo” on Kenny Burrell’s, ‘Soulero’ album.
For my students, I definitely recommend picking these up for practice! For those who are not students, I still recommend experimenting with these pieces some!
