New York Voices provide relaxed performance

Bloomington residents bogged down by the recent rainy weather had a chance to mellow down Wednesday night.\nThe Buskirk-Chumley Theater played host to the Grammy Award-winning jazz ensemble New York Voices. The ensemble was formed in 1987 by graduates of Ithaca College in New York. They went on to release four CDs on the GRP label between 1989 and 1994, in which year one of the members left the group, permanently fixing it as a quartet. Since then, the ensemble has performed with such groups as the Count Basie Orchestra (whose recording won them a Grammy in 1996), as well as several renowned solo artists, inlcuding Ray Brown, Bobby McFerrin, Nancy Wilson and George Benson.\nThe quartet that viewers saw Wednesday consisted of Kim Nazarian, Peter Eldridge, Darmon Meader (who also plays saxophone for the group) and Lauren Kinhan. They were joined by a pianist, bassist and drummer performing several works from their CD Sing Sing Sing (2001) as well as others.\nThe New York Voices performed a wide range of works from their repertoire, which includes works by Paul Simon, Duke Ellington, Stevie Wonder and several Brazilian artists. The styles in which they sang ranged from very slow, soft ballads to lively Stevie Wonder pieces. One song ("Ritrato em Branco e Prêto") was performed in the original Portuguese.\nAll of their pieces, however, fell under the more contemporary, "poppy" form of jazz, which owes much influence to rock, pop and even contemporary classical styles. Those expecting to see "old school" jazz in the vein of Preservation Hall and the likes would have been disappointed.\nStylistic specificities notwithstanding, the overall feel of the New York Voices' performance was very smooth and mellow. The concert atmosphere was very relaxed, with the quartet members even cracking jokes and exchanging banter with the audience between pieces. The music definitely contributed to the relaxed air, making the concert a good nighttime venture.\nThe New York Voices' reputation is deserved: their vocal talent was quite praiseworthy. The speed and accuracy with which their voices hit the notes of passages marked them as both knowledgeable and talented musicians. What they snag, however, was not all in the form of lyrics -- many of the songs consisted only of syllables articulated on notes with no word pattern. Though this type of singing displayed the group's skilled ears and accurate voices, the lack of words did grow tiresome after a period.\nBut the concert was not one meant to be taken too seriously. It was meant to be enjoyed by a relaxed audience -- and it was indeed enjoyable.