Some of the most famous and enduring standards from the Great American Songbook have been selected and edited especially for singers, with songs from George and Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and many others. The music in this landmark series dates from the 1920s to the early 1960s. This edition includes relevant historical notes about each song, often citing recording artists who became associated with specific songs. The majority of the songs appear in all four volumes, though each edition does have a unique song list. Keys have been carefully chosen for each voice type. Additionally, this edition utilizes the original accompaniments rather than doubling the melody in the right hand of the piano accompaniment, which gives the singer more vocal freedom and creates a more authentic setting.