The Voice (Bobby McFerrin album)

The Voice is an album by vocalist Bobby McFerrin that was released in 1984. This was the first album by a jazz singer to be recorded without accompaniment or overdubbing.[1]

The Voice
Studio album by
Bobby McFerrin
Released1984
RecordedMarch 17, 1984 - March 26, 1984
StudioLeiderhalle, Stuttgart; Musikhalle, Hamburg; Rosengarten, Mannheim, The Bahnhof, Köln; Ton Studio Bayer, Ludwigsburg, Germany
GenreJazz, acappella
Length43:12
LabelElektra/Musician
Bobby McFerrin chronology
Bobby McFerrin
(1982)		 The Voice
(1984)		 Spontaneous Inventions
(1986)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[2]
The Village VoiceB–[3]

Background

When McFerrin's album was released in 1984, it was exceptional for several reasons. The use of computers, synthesizers, and electronics in music was on the rise while McFerrin relied solely on his voice. One of the songs on the album is called "I'm My Own Walkman". He fit in the tradition of bebop vocalists for whom sound dominated lyrics and who imitated the sounds of saxophones and trumpets. But like Al Jarreau, he went beyond them by imitating all the instruments: drums, bass, flute, horns, guitar. He thumped his chest with his hands for percussive effects. He was the first jazz singer to sing while inhaling in addition to exhaling. He gave concerts as a soloist without instrumental accompaniment.[4] His vocal styles varied, too, sometimes within one song in which he sang improvised lines with quick changes in register, falsetto, pops, grunts, while maintaining melody, harmony, and rhythm. One should also note his range. He is the son of an opera singer. He was voted Best Male Vocalist in DownBeat magazine in 1984 and 1985.[5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Bobby McFerrin except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Blackbird"
3:07
2."The Jump" 4:48
3."El Brujo" 4:11
4."I Feel Good"James Brown3:19
5."I'm My Own Walkman" 4:02
6."Music Box" 3:56
7."Medley: Donna Lee/Big Top/We're in the Money"
7:22
8."I'm Alone" 4:41
9."T.J." 3:48
10."Take the "A" Train"Billy Strayhorn3:58

Personnel
  • Bobby McFerrin – vocals

Production
  • Linda Goldstein – producer
  • Steve Addabbo – engineer
  • Carlos Albrecht – engineer
  • Stephen Innocenzi – editing
  • Gene Paul – digital editing
  • Jack Skinner – mastering

References
  1. Yanow, Scott. "The Voice - Bobby McFerrin". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  2. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. US: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 134. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  3. Christgau, Robert (November 27, 1984). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  4. Berendt, Joachim-Ernst; Huesmann, Gunther (2009). The Jazz Book: From Ragtime to the 21st Century (7 ed.). Chicago, Illinois: Lawrence Hill Books. p. 558. ISBN 978-1-55652820-0.
  5. Hatch, Marty; Kernfeld, Barry (2002). Kernfeld, Barry (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. 2 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries. pp. 654–655. ISBN 1-56159-284-6.
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