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| The Manhattan Transfer on stage at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami |
If vocal jazz is your thing and if you have been looking for an opportunity to enjoy some "real music" then you might want to hop over to downtown Miami's Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade this Friday, January 15, when Larry Rosen's Jazz Roots Series will present an evening of some of the greatest vocalese artists to ever step to a microphone.
The concert promises to tickle the cockles of jazz aficionados when the Grammy-award winning quartet The Manhattan Transfer are joined by New York Voices and the 88-year-old master of vocalese performance, Jon Hendricks, as they each make their way to the stage - the first time that all three have ever been featured together.
"We are thrilled to present this rare opportunity to see Jon Hendricks, a living legend and the definitive king of vocalese, in concert with some of the greatest jazz luminaries of our day," said M. John Richard, President and CEO of the Arsht Center.
"It is an honor for us to welcome these all-stars of the jazz vocal world, as they ascend on South Florida for this historic joint engagement."
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Rosen, who is the co-presenter and creative force behind the Jazz Roots Series, said he was clearly excited about this latest addition to a venture that has been well-received by audiences in South Florida.
"We have created this show for our Jazz Roots audience to honor the great legacy of National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Jon Hendricks," he said. "The Manhattan Transfer and New York Voices will perform separately and collectively, and will ultimately be joined by Jon Hendricks for an historic evening not to be forgotten."
The first time this writer experienced the beauty of vocalese was while attending a concert on the University of Michigan's Ann Arbor campus when Janis Siegel, lead singer for The Manhattan Transfer, led the group in the classic "boogie-woogie-bop" tune entitled "Birdland." It was an unforgettable event.
Technically speaking, vocalese is the practice of setting lyrics to previously recorded jazz instrumental standards and famous jazz solos and then arranging voices to sing the parts of the instruments, reproducing the sound and feel of the original instrumentation.
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| The New York Voices, above at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami |
"We do what librettists do for opera - we lyricize all the action that's going on," Hendricks said.
Many readers may be unaware of the fact that it was Hendricks who actually wrote a lyric to the instrumental hit "Birdland," by the popular jazz fusion group Weather Report which would become the signature piece and a multi-Platinum hit when recorded by The Manhattan Transfer. Besides his obvious influence on The Manhattan Transfer, Hendricks also had a keen effect on the development and careers of two other Grammy-award winning performers - Al Jarreau and Bobby McFerrin. |
And while The Manhattan Transfer has been doing their thing for 40 years, New York Voices is no amateur.
The ensemble just marked its 20th year in the business and is known in the jazz world for incorporating Brazilian, R&B, classical and pop influences in its unique sound.
Jazz Roots also features an in-depth educational partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools that allows more than 900 students to participate in a host of experiences as well as the development of practical skills essential for the establishment of a career in the arts.
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| Reflections AFTER the Show |
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I can remember the concerts that I have attended in my life that simply blew me away: Stevie Wonder in the round in an intimate Cincinnati nightclub; Prince with the Time and Vanity 6 at Detroit's Masonic Temple; the Jackson 5 on their first tour ever at the Michigan State Fair; and the "Battle of the Balladeers" which featured Teddy Pendergrass, Peabo Bryson and a then unknown singer named Luther Vandross.
But after witnessing vocalese performance at its best in the form of New York Voices, Manhattan Transfer and Jon Hendricks, the "father of vocalese," at the Arsht Center, I have another performance to add to my list of special musical moments.
And if you missed it, you owe it to yourself to search for a venue where these talented singers will be performing and then - get your tickets. This show was that good.
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| Jon Hendricks, above at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami |
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| New York Voices varied their selections, including a hot a cappella piece by a Cuban composer that was clearly vocally challenging, then segueing into Duke Ellington's "Love You Madly."
They even did a short tribute to the music of the 1970s with the Fifth Dimension's "Stoned Soul Picnic," Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing," and the always beautiful ballad, "For All We Know."
But vocalese is their bread and butter and they did not disappoint us, particularly with their final selection, Ellington's 1940s showstopper, "Cotton Tail," which they performed with Hendricks who many years ago wrote the lyrics.
Could the older quartet, The Manhattan Trio, stand up to their top billing after such a brilliant performance by the mesmerizing, vocal showmanship of New York Voices? You bet they could and did!
Opening with a piece that made Al Jarreau a star, "Spain," the group next jumped into Count Basie's popular "Corner Pocket" and
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later another hit from back in the day - Ella Fitzgerald's "A Tisket, A Tasket" in which female lead singer Janis Siegel in the guise of a trumpet was truly outstanding.
Her colleague, Cheryl Bentyne, would have her own moment to shine with the hilarious "Doodlin.'" The quartet continued with several selections from their latest CD, "The Chick Corea Songbook, then invited Hendricks back to the stage where he would have his own solo and his opportunity to display his "scatting" excellence during their performance of a Sonny Rollins tune.
But the piece de resistance was Manhattan Transfer's always requested "Birdland." Cheryl Bentyne was in her element by this time and seemed to have the time of her life. But more than - she hit her notes seemingly without effort and gave the kind of passion that few singers can pull off - particularly after over an hour onstage.
Hendricks and New York Voices joined in on the final song adding even more harmony to an already beautifully arranged song. It was indeed a night to remember!
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