If this is the first you’ve heard of them, I advise you to get this album. The only slight disappontment of the album is Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing which (despite - or perhaps because - of its big-band arrangement by Don Sebesky) cannot quite match the classic Sergio Mendes version of this Stevie Wonder song – although that is judging by the very highest standards.ĭespite having won two Grammy awards during their 20-year career, New York Voices may still be unknown to many music devotees. The four vocalists also contribute four original songs, of which my favourite is As We Live and Breathe, co-written by Lauren Kinhan and Eve Nelson, with Lauren singing the lead vocal radiantly against a lovely background. Variety is increased by the use of different vocal styles: mingling solos, choruses, unaccompanied passages, vocalese and scat to fine effect. Stream more from New York Voices and connect with fans to. Peter Eldridge imparts sensitive piano to such tracks as For All We Know, while Darmon Meader’s tenor sax enhances several tracks. Listen to On a Clear Day by New York Voices with YouTube, Spotify, Deezer, Vimeo & SoundCloud. The two male members of the group display their instrumental talents on some songs. It is not only the guests who supply suitable accompaniments. This new album gets plenty of variety by using a number of guest musicians – notably Bob Mintzer on bass clarinet in Darn That Dream vibist Dave Samuels adding a touch of the George Shearing Quintet to Love You Madly Mike Tomaro’s muscular baritone sax on No Moon At All Paquito D’Rivera’s shimmering clarinet in the Latin-flavoured Chamego and Chuck Loeb playing Wes Montgomery-style guitar on Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing. The vocal quartet called New York Voices has learned from many of these groups but they have their own distinctive style – often using one voice to carry the melody while the others provide support, and also employing a variety of instrumentalists to help in accompanying them. The Mills Brothers supplied their own backings for their quartet vocals, often imitating instruments Lambert, Hendricks & Ross sang new lyrics to old jazz tunes the Four Freshmen perfected warm harmonies which influenced such groups as the Beach Boys Sounds of Blackness added soul and gospel influences to their rich harmonising Take Six developed a cappella singing to new heights and the Swingle Singers do all sorts of amazing things with their voices. Steve Hawk, Joe Herndon, Steve McKnight, Ralph Guzzi – Trumpets (tracks 8, 11, 14)īob Matchett, Clayton DeWalt – Trombones (tracks 8, 11, 14)Ĭhris Carson – Bass trombone (tracks 8, 11, 14)Ĭhoral groups are fairly numerous in jazz – and most of them have their own take on things. Jim Germann - Baritone sax (tracks 8, 11, 14) Mike Tomaro – Alto sax, baritone sax (tracks 4, 8, 10, 11, 14)įrank Greene – Trumpet, flugelhorn (tracks 4, 10)Įric DeFade - Tenor sax (tracks 8, 11, 14) Jay Ashby – Percussion, trombone (tracks 2, 4, 7-11, 13, 14) Marcello Pellitteri – Drums (tracks 1-4, 6-11, 13, 14) New York Voices: Kim Nazarian, Lauren Kinhan – Vocals Darmon Meader - Vocals, tenor sax Peter Eldridge – Vocals, pianoĪndy Ezrin – Piano (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11,13, 14) Reviewers: Don Mather, Tony Augarde, Dick Stafford, John Eyles, Robert Gibson, Ian Lace, Colin Clarke, Jack Ashbyġ0. Recommended.NEW YORK VOICES A Day Like This MCG Jazz MCGJ 1031 : Jazz CD Reviews- 2007 MusicWeb International CD Reviews Apart from a couple of saccharine moments on "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," A Day Like This is a pleasure from start to finish. Not everyone will agree that the world needed a vocal jazz version of Laura Nyro's "Stoned Soul Picnic," but the New York Voices' version is really lots of fun and is sure to bring a nostalgic tear to more than one baby-boomer eye. Their take on "Darn That Dream" is startlingly new (and features a fine bass clarinet solo by Bob Mintzer), and the lyrics that group members added to John Coltrane's "Moment's Notice" work very nicely. The vocal/instrumental quartet New York Voices don't avoid that trap entirely on their latest album (and their first as an ensemble in seven years), but they continue to demonstrate their mastery of the genre with a solid program of new and old songs and innovative arrangements. With ensemble vocal jazz, the danger is always that tight and complex harmony writing will come across as too smooth and too sweet - for some reason, chords that sound sharp and bracing when distributed among reed instruments can sound cloying and overly slick when sung by human voices.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |