Bobby McFerrin's voice scours the vast horizon of sound. Though he's only one man, he routinely transforms himself into a five-piece band, a skilled soprano, or a trio of tribal-sounding chanters singing in harmony. His voice can replicate the sound of...
[more]Bobby McFerrin's voice scours the vast horizon of sound. Though he's only one man, he routinely transforms himself into a five-piece band, a skilled soprano, or a trio of tribal-sounding chanters singing in harmony. His voice can replicate the sound of almost any instrument, from the delicate whistle of the flute to the lively rustle of the maracas. He moves chameleon-like through every genre, from sultry, hushed jazz to catchy cabaret. McFerrin plays a vocal version of the don't-pick-the-pen-up-from-the-page game; from one plentiful source comes a beautiful tangle of thumping, gurgling, sighing, and screeching.
In an interview McFerrin said, 'I decided that I wanted to sing and I spent about two or three years exploring the kinds of singing I wanted to do. Then I came up with this crazy idea just to walk out on the stage with no band at all and just start singing whatever came to mind. I actually fought the idea for a while because it seemed almost too radical, but it became obvious what I was supposed to be doing.' Confident that with the right amount of experience, technical training, and passion for singing he could put on a great show, McFerrin launched into the free world of improvisation in 1983. Since then, he's won more than ten Grammy Awards.
Bill Cosby discovered McFerrin in San Francisco. Through Cosby, McFerrin collaborated with Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis, Garrison Keilor, and Robin Williams, in addition to creating the theme music for Cosby's popular sitcom. Though his jazz collaborations were certainly sophisticated, McFerrin reached mainstream audiences with a glossy pop single, 'Don't Worry Be Happy.' 1980s MTV fans ate up a goofy image that had little to do with the depth or seriousness of much of his other work.
After his short time in the pop spotlight, McFerrin established the a cappella group Voicestra, an heterogeneous crew of 12 jazz, gospel, pop, and R&B singers. With no prepared material he took the group on a concert tour and released 'Circlesongs' (1997), a collection of eight untitled, spontaneous improvisations drawn from African and Middle Eastern traditions. The Voicestra project has won huge praise from McFerrin fans, who believe he has finally abandoned the commercial pathway and is creating music worthy of his talents. Indeed, 'Circlesongs' unabashedly experiments with the voice, and, as always, McFerrin delivers pure auditory pleasure.
[show less]
