You don't have to be a fan of jazz to appreciate the veteran vocal group New York Voices. As VOA's Doug Levine tells us, the quartet's new CD is a "must-have" for pop fans as well.
When you hear New York Voices sing their own lyrics set to John Coltrane's "Moment's Notice," it's pure jazz.
But, when the group's Darmon Meader, Peter Eldridge, Kim Nazarian and Lauren Kinhan takes on a Stevie Wonder tune, they give it the full pop treatment.
For more than 20 years, New York Voices has been putting a contemporary spin on pop and jazz classics.
Darmon, Peter and Kim formed the group with former members Caprice Fox and Sara Krieger at Ithaca College in New York, with Lauren coming aboard five years later. World renowned for its tight harmonies, innovative arrangements and fresh interpretations of pop standards, New York Voices has made a career out of pushing boundaries.
They've participated in tributes to singer-songwriter Paul Simon, jazz greats Jim Hall and Bill Evans, and Brazilian composers Ivan Lins and Antonio Carlos Jobim; appeared on a contemporary classical album; and won raves for their collection of swing era hits, "Sing, Sing, Sing." In 1997, they shared a Grammy Award with the Count Basie Orchestra for the album Live At Manchester Craftsmen's Guild.
In addition to four originals, including the Latin-influenced "Chamego (Betty's Bossa)," New York Voices' latest release, A Day Like This, features songs by Duke Ellington, Jimmy Van Heusen, Alan Lerner and Laura Nyro.
