Ice White Blues – Jeanfrançois Prins & Judy Niemack

This contemporary blues with a bridge features a saucy Latin groove with a double-time feel, making it a nice set-ender. The unusual melodic movement in the accompaniment, a suspended fourth moving to the third, provides a unique flavor on the "A" sections which build up to an energetic Funk groove on the bridge.

The notation reflects Judy's performance; feel free to interpret it your way.

Lyric Description: One day, a close friend of Judy's told her that they'd have to put their friendship "on ice" for a while, with no explanation of why or when the friendship might resume. Judy was hurt, and the phrase kept coming back to her, so she decided to turn it into a blues. She wrote the lyrics and melody, Jeanfrançois Prins re-harmonized a 12-measure blues, added a bridge, and the Ice White Blues was born. The lyric tells the story of a betrayal by a lover who then thinks they can return to the relationship later as if nothing has happened. The singer's heart is running hot and cold; she's "burning with the ice white blues."

No-Vocal Version: This song works well performed in duo, with a guitar trio, or with a guitar trio plus piano, as we have done in the recorded version available here, featuring pianist Jim McNeely. Soloists can improvise over the 12-bar blues section ("A"), and a vocal repetition of the bridge can be used as an interlude between solos. After the instrumental solos, the vocalist can return with the bridge, the final "A" section, and tag. The song can also be performed without any improvised solos, simply singing one chorus, returning to the bridge, and singing through to the tag ending for a more compact version like the recorded version here.

If another key would be better for you, send the key you'd like to Don and we'll post the transposition on the website for purchase. If you're not sure which key is best, send us your range and we'll work with you to figure out the best key.

"The JazzLeadSheets Songbook" was recorded at the legendary Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs.

Judy included this song in her folio "Hear It and Sing It: Exploring the Blues" as an example of a blues with a bridge. The book is an effective tool for learning to sing and improvise on blues. Designed for people who love to sing, as well as for students and teachers in vocal jazz programs, it includes a step-by-step approach to learning blues lyrics, forms, harmony, scales and improvisation, with a brand new repertoire of songs. Vocal examples followed by accompaniment-only tracks make learning easy and enjoyable. New songs include lyrics added to compositions by jazz greats Dexter Gordon (plus lyrics to his solo), Johnny Griffin (Dancin' Like We Did Before), Gigi Gryce, Julian Priester (Eros) and Norman Simmons (A Shot Of Blues Juice) as well as compositions by Judy Niemack and Sheila Jordan. The book includes: blues forms, scales and harmony; transcriptions of exercises and improvised solos; accurate lead sheets for 14 contemporary blues songs; examples of 12 different blues forms; scat syllables; blues riffs; “Voices in Blues” history chapter; Listening and repertoire suggestions; and two CDs. The CDs include: 14 songs and exercises sung by Judy Niemack, Sheila Jordan, Mark Murphy and Darmon Meader; “Hear It and Sing It” blues warm-ups, riffs, scales and harmony; recordings of each song featuring vocal plus accompaniment-only; exciting accompaniment tracks by top New York City jazz musicians; and more.