Sul sito del quotidiano The Globe and Mail è stata pubblicata una intervista al cantante Bobby McFerrin in occasione dell'uscita del suo nuovo album intitolato VOCAbuLarieS.
Nato dopo sette anni di gestazione, VOCAbuLarieS è una ricca caleidoscopia di influenze che hanno via via formato lo stile innovativo di McFerrin — dalla musica classica alla World Music, dal R’n’B al gospel, e così via — per una nuova cornice in cui si colloca il grande e universalmente famoso cantante: ricco il dettaglio compositivo, tessitura complessa, arrangiamenti elaborati. VOCAbuLarieS parte dalle escursioni vocali, dal senso per l’avventura del McFerrin fin qui noto, verso nuovi territori da esplorare.
To describe Bobby McFerrin as a singer is a little like saying Pablo Picasso drew pictures – it conveys no sense of the virtuosity or daring involved in his work. Although best known for the 1988 smash Don’t Worry, Be Happy, McFerrin’s output defies categorization. Not only is he equally comfortable trading licks with jazz pianist Chick Corea or riffing off comedian Robin Williams, he also established a secondary career as a conductor, leading such ensembles as the New York Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony. He’ll be doing a solo show at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto on Friday.
Given the breadth of territory you cover, do you feel weird being described as a jazz musician?
I used to, but not so much any more. I don’t pay much attention to all the different labels: Bobby McFerrin’s a jazz singer; Bobby McFerrin’s the Don’t Worry, Be Happy guy. Whatever. People have to call me something, I guess.
You have a new album out this week, VOCAbuLarieS, which is an astonishing piece of choral writing, yet you’re doing a solo show when you come to Toronto.
I’m doing some concerts that feature choirs and VOCAbuLarieS, but apparently I’m not doing that in Toronto. It’s funny – I do so many things, sometimes I’m not sure what I’m doing until I do an interview and they say, ‘Oh, you’re coming here solo.’
But I think over time, as the album gains more momentum, you’ll be seeing a lot more performances of VOCAbuLarieS. And I’m excited about that, because I love being surrounded by good singing voices. When I was conducting orchestras, I didn’t get to work with the choral works that I like, because they save those for the music directors.
Do you plan to do more conducting?
My conducting career wasn’t something that I actively pursued; it just kind of happened because I conducted on my 40th birthday, and the word got out. Next thing I knew, I started getting invitations from orchestras. But I never got to the point where I felt like I was a conductor. It just didn’t seem to fit. So let me devote my time and my talent to hanging out with singers.
L'intervista integrale si trova a questo link.
Nato dopo sette anni di gestazione, VOCAbuLarieS è una ricca caleidoscopia di influenze che hanno via via formato lo stile innovativo di McFerrin — dalla musica classica alla World Music, dal R’n’B al gospel, e così via — per una nuova cornice in cui si colloca il grande e universalmente famoso cantante: ricco il dettaglio compositivo, tessitura complessa, arrangiamenti elaborati. VOCAbuLarieS parte dalle escursioni vocali, dal senso per l’avventura del McFerrin fin qui noto, verso nuovi territori da esplorare.
To describe Bobby McFerrin as a singer is a little like saying Pablo Picasso drew pictures – it conveys no sense of the virtuosity or daring involved in his work. Although best known for the 1988 smash Don’t Worry, Be Happy, McFerrin’s output defies categorization. Not only is he equally comfortable trading licks with jazz pianist Chick Corea or riffing off comedian Robin Williams, he also established a secondary career as a conductor, leading such ensembles as the New York Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony. He’ll be doing a solo show at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto on Friday.
Given the breadth of territory you cover, do you feel weird being described as a jazz musician?
I used to, but not so much any more. I don’t pay much attention to all the different labels: Bobby McFerrin’s a jazz singer; Bobby McFerrin’s the Don’t Worry, Be Happy guy. Whatever. People have to call me something, I guess.
You have a new album out this week, VOCAbuLarieS, which is an astonishing piece of choral writing, yet you’re doing a solo show when you come to Toronto.
I’m doing some concerts that feature choirs and VOCAbuLarieS, but apparently I’m not doing that in Toronto. It’s funny – I do so many things, sometimes I’m not sure what I’m doing until I do an interview and they say, ‘Oh, you’re coming here solo.’
But I think over time, as the album gains more momentum, you’ll be seeing a lot more performances of VOCAbuLarieS. And I’m excited about that, because I love being surrounded by good singing voices. When I was conducting orchestras, I didn’t get to work with the choral works that I like, because they save those for the music directors.
Do you plan to do more conducting?
My conducting career wasn’t something that I actively pursued; it just kind of happened because I conducted on my 40th birthday, and the word got out. Next thing I knew, I started getting invitations from orchestras. But I never got to the point where I felt like I was a conductor. It just didn’t seem to fit. So let me devote my time and my talent to hanging out with singers.
L'intervista integrale si trova a questo link.
ho cercato apposta questa pagina scrivendo "intervista bobby mcferrin" e non "bobby mcferrin interview" perchè volevo la traduzione italiana!!! :(
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