© -Steven
Cerra , copyright protected; all rights reserved.
“These Voices are a Whitman's
Sampler of various flavors and tastes, richer than a chocolate bon bon."
- All About Jazz
Mike’s arrangements really
give the New York Voices a workout using them as another section along with the
WDR ’s
brass, reeds and rhythm. There’s no sing-the-melody-and-get-out-of-the-way on
this album, the voices are “in” the arrangements; they sing as part of the
band. In addition to singing with the band, the New
York
This is music for grown-ups;
only experienced professionals need apply.
- the editorial staff at JazzProfiles
Over the years,
there have been many excellent combinations of vocal groups teaming with big
bands such as Lambert Hendricks and Ross with Count Basie’s Band, The Singers
Unlimited and Rob McConnell’s Boss Brass and The Four Freshman with the Stan
Kenton Orchestra.
Of course, there
was a time during the Swing Era when almost every big band featured a vocal
group: the Modernaires, the Pied Pipers, The Mills Brothers, Mel Tormé and the
Meltones, the Andrews Sisters, the Boswell Sisters, to name only a few.
It doesn’t always
work, but when it does, the tandem of “big” voices with big bands is full of
energy and excitement.
The New York
Voices with Mike Abene conducting of the WDR , Cologne-based Big Band is one pairing
that comes together, magnificently.
Mike’s
arrangements really give the New York Voices a workout using them as another
section along with the WDR ’s brass, reeds and rhythm. There’s no
sing-the-melody-and-get-out-of-the-way on this album, the voices are “in” the
arrangements; they sing as part of the band.
In addition to
singing with the band, the New York
Voices vamp, riff, participate in shout choruses, as well as, soloing and doing
a cappella vocals.
The NYV’s first full
“live” album and first release from Palmetto Records is due out March
5, 2013 and you
won’t want to miss it. This in performance album presents fresh arrangements of
new and vintage favorites, helping to mark the 25th anniversary year of the
vocal group.
Ann Braithwaite,
Jon Muchin and the fine team at Braithwaite & Katz are handling the
marketing and media relations for the CD and here’s their press release for the
recording at the conclusion of which you’ll find two audio-only tracks that
which offer sampling of the music on this album.
© -Braithwaite and Katz, copyright
protected; all rights reserved.
“The live album resulted from a 2008 concert in
New York Voices Live with the
Highlights of the album include that gorgeous take on Oliver Nelson's early-'60s instrumental classic "Stolen Moments," with the lyrics of Mark Murphy. There is a virtuoso rendition of "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" and a hard-swinging "Darn That Dream," as well as two numbers reprised from the group's 1998 RCA studio set New York Voices Sing the Songs of Paul Simon: "Baby Driver" and "I Do It for Your Love." Then there are two originals: the moody, mellifluous "The World Keeps You Waiting" by Eldridge and Laura Kinhan; and the Chick Corea-influenced showpiece "The Sultan Fainted" by Eldridge and Meader.
New York Voices Live with the
"Michael
has a certain expressive angularity to his writing, but his arrangements swing
so hard - there's a real earthiness to the sounds he gets," explains
New York Voices member Darmon Meader, co-producer of the album. "Mike is
an old-school cat who has really lived this idiom and really knows his
band, stimulating the players with the intricacies and blends in his charts,
the challenging lines. For what's ostensibly a vocal album, the big band is
featured extensively - which is very exciting. And we function in the
arrangements almost like another section of the band, with our four-part
harmony similar to what a sax section would do. This album really reinforces
the idea of New York Voices being connected to the lineage of instrumental
jazz."
Celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2013, New York Voices is the Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble renowned for their excellence in jazz and the art of group singing. Like the great jazz vocal groups that have come before, such as Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, Singers Unlimited and Manhattan Transfer, the foursome of Kim Nazarian, Lauren Kinhan, Darmon Meader and Peter Eldridge have learned from the best and taken the art form to new levels. Time OutChicago
From 1989 to 1994, New York Voices released four albums on theGRP label: New York Concord
Celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2013, New York Voices is the Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble renowned for their excellence in jazz and the art of group singing. Like the great jazz vocal groups that have come before, such as Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, Singers Unlimited and Manhattan Transfer, the foursome of Kim Nazarian, Lauren Kinhan, Darmon Meader and Peter Eldridge have learned from the best and taken the art form to new levels. Time Out
From 1989 to 1994, New York Voices released four albums on the
The interests of New York Voices are rooted in jazz, but the members often incorporate Brazilian, R&B, classical and pop influences. In recent years, the group has been called upon by the Boston Pops to bring a new edge to the pops orchestra circuit across the
Press photos, sound samples and more available are at:
www.newyorkvoices.com
www.newyorkvoices.com
