But throughout their recording career there are gems, no fewer than in the Czarina’s private dressing table. Their albums contain a lot of pale original compositions and traditionally-based material in Swedish that I find difficult to fully grasp or appreciate, although their new CD (“The Real Album”, all-original) is pretty darn fine. Their material does not always match their technical abilities. I like to think that I can call them my friends, and I can attest that they’re fine, warm human beings. They’re pretty well known in Scandinavia, and for some bizarre reason they’re superstars in South Korea, which suffices them commercially.įrom left: Peder Karlsson, Katarina Henryson, Anders Jalkéus, Emma Nilsdotter, Anders Edenrothīeyond that, they pursue their musical and personal interests, and take very seriously their role as acknowledged leaders of this cult-maintaining a very fine academy website about their many pedagogical activities, organizing festivals, and exploring new venues such as on-line workshops. So that precludes making any kind of a serious impact in the US. They’re family people, and they made a decision long ago not to travel for more than a week at a time, and that only a few times a year. When the soprano (the contrabass’s ex-wife) left them a couple of years ago, the alto switched to soprano (I still can’t figure out how that’s possible) and they brought in a young former studio singer. They’re a contrabass, baritone, counter-tenor, alto and soprano. It’s mind-bogglingly intricate, sophisticated, exacting, fine and fun. They record and perform without any kind of embellishment. I know–I’ve sung their music, and that’s the only way to really get to know it inside out. If Mr McFerrin’s album is a virtuoso showcase, TRG’s music is the Rolls Royce of vocal ensembles. TRG convinced their school to allow them to pursue a custom-made program, two years of working together, forging a unit of precision and quality that is unmatched anywhere. They met in music school in Stockholm, and were inspired by Bobby McFerrin’s then-new release, ‘The Voice’, a groundbreaking experiment, an entire solo a cappella album. TRG is a Swedish quintet, working together for 25 years with only two (recent) changes in personnel. So it is my distinct honor to introduce you to The Real Group, the acknowledged masters of a cappella jazz. And I’ve had the good fortune to be exposed to the vocal jazz scene in Scandinavia, and the myriad of wonderful groups making amazing music there. With all due credit to the good old Stars and Stripes, there are other scenes out there, and this is one genre where the action is elsewhere. But that’s because our musical vocabulary is too often narrowly American. That’s because a cappella jazz most commonly connotes rosy-cheeked college kids tooting away at geeky renditions of hackneyed pop hits. Or, in this case, The Music.Ī cappella (unaccompanied vocal) jazz has been pretty much the fulcrum of my thoughts for the past three or four years.
Joyspring careers full#
Joy Spring, Walking Down the Street, There Will Never Be Another YouĪ proud, card-carrying, dues-paying proselyte, full of missionary zeal, collaring unsuspecting wedding guests, subjecting them to my fanatic preaching of The Word.
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