Jazz tunes for Church suggestions

Our (Methodist) church music director has approached me about doing a jazz styled song with him at one of our Sunday services. He is a very talented singer and pianist. I am a lower intermediate guitarist. I haven't played much jazz though I do listen to it alot. I'm looking for a song or two that we could do together him singing and maybe or maybe not playing piano and me playing clean guitar neck pickup mostly chords. And ideas?

There is always When The Saints Go Marching In. Thats a great one to do when you have a good singer and good pianist. My praise band did a version featuring several singers and various jazz instruments like saxophones, trumpets, and a trombone and we just wailed improve solos the whole nine yards. That was the first time I ever saw the congregation at my church actually look intersted in our music. Never really been to a Methodist Church so I don't no how jazzy is to jazzy but I am sure you can use it to fit your needs. That is the only jazzy styled worship song I know of(isn't that weird I play the saxophone, I guess I need to get out more), me and my dad, brothers and grandpa are doing I'll Fly Away that is pretty jazzy too. Just my two cents

You may want to give an ear to the Brentwood Jazz Quartet. They've done a bunch of jazz covers of long-beloved hymns and contemporary worship songs.

I'll have to check out Brentwood.

I guess what I am thinkig is something in the Mel Torme/Nat King Cole/Sinatra vein in terms of style. Clean simple vocals with soe jazzy rhythm guitar.

Maybe I need to do my own arrangement of some hymns?

Keep the ideas coming please!

...Maybe I need to do my own arrangement of some hymns?

Keep the ideas coming please!


Late to this party but I'll throw in $0.02:

"Song For My Father" (Horace Silver), is a jazz standard and very nice tune to play instrumentally. It can be found in most Fake (or "real") books.

"Shall We Gather (By the River)," is an old traditional hymn that swings pretty good in 3/4 jazz waltz time, as does "Jesus Loves Me (This I Know)," and even "Amazing Grace" (but that one may draw some fire from well meaning dragon church ladies who don't think it should be messed with).

There are also some that lend themselves well to a Chet Atkins or Merle Travis treatment including "I've Got A River Of Life (Flowing out of Me)," and the aforementioned 3/4 jazz waltz tunes.

I play "I've Got a River of Life" in first position C major. It's not too hard to scrabble together with alternating bass thumb pattern, Chet style.

I just did this for fun today. I took the hymn "Holy, Holy, Holy" and made a jazzy arrangement out of it.


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God Bless the Child
A Child is Born
My Favorite Things
On the Sunny side of the Street
Pennies From Heaven
Nature Boy
Blue Skies
Come sunday
If I were a Bell
Smile

*There are SO many that talk discreetly about love - usually about a woman or man - but that could easily infer the love of god.

I just did this for fun today. I took the hymn "Holy, Holy, Holy" and made a jazzy arrangement out of it.


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Wow! I just checked out the "worship service players" forum for the first time tonight and came upon this video. Nice arrangement, playing, and tone.

Well I thought I had (Song for my Father) but I don't.

There are many pieces of Jazz that are Gospell songs, it's the history and members of Jazz. With many variations, but that is Jazz.

Bruce

I have often "jazzed up" some of the old blues based Spirituals. "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" comes to mind.

The lyrics to Jerome Kern's "All The Things You Are" can have a very deep spiritual connotation, particularly done in a slower style. Remember who you are singing to, and proceed accordingly.

Time and again Ive longed for adventure
Something to make my heart beat much faster
What did I long for, I never really knew.
Finding your love, I found my adventure,
Touching your hand my heart beat much faster
All that I want in all of this world is you.

You are the promised kiss of springtime
That makes the lonely winter seem long
You are the breathless hush of evening
That trembles on the brink of a lovely song.
You are the angel glow that lights the star,
The dearest things I know are what you are.
Someday my happy arms will hold you,
And someday Ill know that moment divine
When all the things you are, are mine.

By Lambert Hendrics and Ross. Heard it on College of Dupage's all things jazz this morning and thought of this thread immediately. Change the trumpet line to a guitar line and I think it is very much what you are looking for.

Some traditional gospel songs will work also like Down by the riverside or Just a Closer walk with thee, standing on the promises, love lifted me, leaning on the everlasting arms.

I just did this for fun today. I took the hymn "Holy, Holy, Holy" and made a jazzy arrangement out of it.


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Nice playing Matt. What pickups are on your Epiphone. I have exactly the same except the pickups. Mine's got Vintage Vibe H90s (hum size.)

Nice playing Matt. What pickups are on your Epiphone. I have exactly the same except the pickups. Mine's got Vintage Vibe H90s (hum size.)

Thank you, the pickups are Seymour Duncan 59's.

Try the group Selah. One in particular is "There's Power In the Blood"...uptempo jazz feel. Also Bart Mallard (last name may not be right). Bart has a couple of eclectic albums out on hymns. Some of those arrangements are jazzy.

Telechaser -- How about sharing those nice lush chords you're playing on the vid? Thank you and nice to hear good tone. Thanks.

Telechaser -- How about sharing those nice lush chords you're playing on the vid? Thank you and nice to hear good tone. Thanks.

It's not me Bro, that's elmatt. It does sound like Holy, Holy, Holy with chord/melody with inversions.

There's an Australian band called Prayerworks that plays some jazzy tunes. I'm praying that one of these days I'll be able to write/arrange Christian tunes. :wink:

andrae crouch is where it's at for jazzy gospel.

but as othes have posted, you can arrange anything "jazzy," just extend those chords beyond the triad.

elmatt- super playing. Thanks for sharing.

And thanks everyone for your suggestions. I plan to check all of them out.