Bobby McFerrin - 'Round Midnight
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82rNj...elated&search=

This one is specifically for aberkok, who has on previously expressed to me a dislike of scat on the basis that a singer who doesn't verbalize is ignoring one of the most powerful aspects of vocals. Here we have one of the (if not the one and only) world's top jazz vocalists recreating the sound of one of jazz's most influential musicians without uttering a word.

The first time I ever heard Bobby McFerrin was him performing this song, I think it was the Grammys a couple of years earlier than 1987. He's fantastic live.

First time I heard Bobby McFerrin was in '82 or '83 on an NPR station. I remember being completely floored by what I was hearing. Un-fricken-believable.

I'm clearly a fan of McFerrin, although I couldn't tell you when the first time I heard him was. What gets me is that when he speaks he's a baritone, yet he can sing something like four octaves. His range is both higher and lower than mine. I only wish I could make the sort of sounds he does. Also, he is not stupid by any stretch of the imagination and I admire his intelligence and depth of knowledge.

Since I now know there's a few fans, here's an example of Bobby doing a bit of audience participation. This is why seeing him live is on my list of things to do, although I unfortunately have not had the pleasure yet.

I did. There was an absolutely insane moment of audience participation. The concert was at the Berkelee College of Music in Boston (1986 or 1987), which is known for jazz and rock. Somehow, from the stage, he spotted somebody with a fake book on her lap, so he left the stage, made his way down her row, and picked it up, saying "Pick a number". They turned to that page, and he said "OK, you sing lead." She was too shy, but somebody else a row behind her took up the challenge, and he set the bass & drums behind it, then a third person harmonized the melody.

Plus, there was the full audience participation for The Itsy Bitsy Spider. :thumbsup:

Killing. Bobby's the shit. But that band, how could it not be amazing?

While I respect that many people find him talented, and he does have voice control, I personally found that annoying. I also checked out his ave maria with audience participation just to confirm that he is annoying (to me). I still cannot stand his little anthem "don't worry be happy". My happiness will be greatly enhanced by never hearing that again.

Of course, now I probably just pissed in someone's coffee.

Meh. I don't like pears. You don't like Bobby Mcferrin. If there weren't so many different tastes in music there wouldn't be so many genres.

I will never take issue with someone for expressing their opinion in a mature and respectful fashion.

DWBH? Yeah, I didn't like that one either. I can also understand not digging the Ave Maria. But, what did you think of the Round Midnight?

If you didn't like that, well,
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...hirt_black.gif

;)

Was that his rendition of the entire Wizard of Oz? They trot that one out from time to time. It's amazing.

This one's good too ;)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_1vD...elated&search=

That's right! I said it.

So my old stance, which seems logically sound, is that scat singing is musical inbreeding. The inflections (i.e. smears, scoops, bends) of early jazz and beyond, were ways of evoking human vocal sounds from mechanical instruments. Now why would the object of such imitation, the singer, turn around and now imitate the instruments which were imitating the voice (via scat singing)!?

Although I stand by that reasoning, I also don't believe that a logical checklist of "what is right and just" belongs anywhere near music. Now I just try and listen to the sound. I've always enjoyed Bobby McFerrin. I think he could do a lot more serious work if he wanted to, but what do I know. I've gotten hours of pleasure out of Play - that album he did with Chick Corea.