The New York Voices, one of the finest quartets of jazz vocalists in the world, will be performing Sounds of the 60s & 70s at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall this weekend. The Oregon Symphony, conducted by Jeff Tyzik, will accompany them.
Their selection will feature songs the group members heard on the radio when they were kids. These include a Carol King medley, a Chicago medley, the Bee Gees song “How Deep is Your Love,” songs by Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon and a rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The quartet will mix these classic Rock ‘n’ Roll songs with their own unique style of big band swing and jazz.
The quartet—comprised of tenor Darmon Meader, bass Peter Eldridge, alto Kim Nazarian and soprano Lauren Kinhan—combines the harmony of their voices with the rhythm of an instrument section, producing an effect that is warm, gentle and inviting. Nazarian calls the forthcoming show “The New York Voices’ Baby-Boomer Show.”
Meader, the leader of the quartet, is both a versatile vocalist and an accomplished saxophone player. He started out playing the sax while taking singing lessons on the side. Eldridge plays the piano in addition to being a vocalist.
The group was founded by Darmon, Eldridge, Nazarian and others as an invitational alumni group at Ithaca College in New York in 1987. The next year, they traveled to numerous jazz festivals in Europe where Darmon and Nazarian said they were so well received that they decided to form a professional ensemble. They sold their first record, New York Voices, at GRP Records, and it was a smashing hit.
Two of the original members dropped out between 1992 and ’94, with Kinhan, a Beaverton native, taking their place. Since then, they have capitalized on their terrific camaraderie and have stuck together like family. The quartet members each have their own record labels outside of the group and teach jazz classes in New York when they’re not on tour.
Nazarian recommends that if any new music students from Portland State choose to attend the concert they should listen carefully for harmonies that they have never heard before. She said that the future of jazz is never certain; it is continually being redefined as time passes and new generations of listeners hear it for the first time. Nazarian called jazz “a liberal umbrella with a foundation of rules.”
These two concerts, to be held on Oct. 22 and 23, are going to be very entertaining and enjoyable events. Tickets are available on the Oregon Symphony website. Available seats will run out quickly, so it’s best to buy tickets as soon as possible.
Each show will last approximately two hours but will be well worth your time. Bring friends and family along and have a good time.
Saturday, Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 23, 3 p.m.