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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZMcFERRIN, Bobby(b 11 March 1950, NYC) Jazz singer. The term is used advisedly: his voice is beautiful, from bass lines to falsetto; he is steeped in the whole history of music and never fails to swing. From a family of singers (his father sang on the soundtrack of Porgy And Bess '59 for Sidney Poitier; both parents sang at the Metropolitan Opera). He played piano professionally until '77, when he heard a voice telling him to sing in public as he had sung to himself: he toured '80 with scat master Jon Hendricks, made debut with his solo act '82; he improvised entirely solo, playing all the parts: he can sound like an entire doo-wop group, tapping his body percussively and using even the sound of his breathing as music. His first album was Bobby McFerrin '82; then The Voice '84 recorded at live German concerts, both on Elektra Musician; he copes with surprise guests on stage, such as Wayne Shorter and comic Robin Williams on Spontaneous Improvisation '86 on Blue Note (also on video), made live in Los Angeles except for 'Turtle Shoes' with Herbie Hancock and 'Another Night In Tunisia' with Hendricks and Manhattan Transfer: the latter won a Grammy and was also available on MT's Atlantic album. He sessioned on albums by Weather Report (Sportin' Life) and Chico Freeman (Tangents) '84, Joe Zawinul (Dialects) '86, Dexter Gordon (A Night In Copenhagen) and in film Round Midnight '86 starring Gordon, where he sounds uncannily like a muted trumpet; out-takes from film include a lovely straight version of 'What Is This Thing Called Love?' (on album The Other Side Of Round Midnight). He also sang the Bill Cosby Show theme and a Levi's advert. He had a delightful live act, making up songs on people's names etc, involved in mutual affection with audience: 'I go out with a blank slate, and whatever happens, happens.' 'Don't Worry Be Happy' (from film Cocktail) was no. 1 USA '88; he also did a one-man parody of Wizard Of Oz on stage. Further albums were Medicine Music (with more layers, including world music influences and ten-voice Voicestra ensemble) and Play '90 with Chick Corea, on EMI labels. He scored an Oscar-winning documentary film Common Threads, Stories From The Quilt '90; then his restless musicial curiosity and eclectic background led to Hush '92 (bite-size duets with cellist Yo-Yo Ma), classical gigs and an appointment to the St Paul Chamber Orchestra, then Paper Music '95 (as a conductor as well as with transcriptions for his voice), The Mozart Sessions '96 with Corea, all on Sony Masterworks. At least one classical critic (Norman Lebrecht in the Daily Telegraph) was surprised to be bowled over by the latter, McFerrin and Corea bringing the right spirit to the piano concerti nos. 20 and 23: Mozart himself improvised at the keyboard, after all. A new McFerrin solo album Circlesongs '97 had eight original songs by twelve voices a cappella, described by Gramophone as 'undemanding background music' using some studio trickery. |