 If
the vocal craze of a cappella music hasn't struck your neck of the
woods yet, use Jeff Fairbanks' A Cappella Spotlight CD as your introduction.
Want
to know why a cappella music is so much fun? Here are 13 reasons.
A baker's dozen of delectable songs show off the passion and energy
that comes when 4, 5, 6, and even 7 singers blend together without
any instrumentation. This is arguably the cream of the crop. The
six groups in this collection stretch your musical prowess by proving
what can be done with strictly voices. This CD has been spectacularly
produced and mastered so you can hear every nuance and inflection.
The
LDS a cappella scene has expanded since the late 90s thanks to a
handful of groups, most of whom can be heard here. Between the five
veteran groups and one newcomer, these guys have done everything
that can be done in a cappella. Listen to the CD, and you'll see
why they have won the top national contests and wooed record executives
across the country. There's the raw entertainment of 259; the perfectionism
and depth of Eclipse; the slick soul sounds of The Standards; the
passion of The Knudsen Brothers; the classy barbershop of Reprise;
and the warmth of the up-and-coming group Shine.
This
CD has a certain charm in its ability to slide back and forth between
contemporary and inspirational tracks without breaking up the flow.
Hymns are intermingled with rock 'n' roll favorites and sparkling
originals. The collection begins with a tight cover of the Van Morrison
classic Brown Eyed Girl and never turns back. Once you realize the
beats are from vocal percussionists instead of actual drums, you
start to catch a glimpse of what makes a cappella music so unique
and popular.
The
only perceivable weakness of the album is that it has to end. If
you're familiar with any of these groups, you'll realize that a
mere 2 or 3 songs don't do justice to their catalogs. Luckily the
liner notes include group biographies and URLs for their Web sites
so you can learn (and hear) more.
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Jared Johnson
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