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CARNEGIE HALL PRESENTS
Bobby McFerrin
Edgar Meyer
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
Thursday, February 21st, 2008 at 8:00 PM
Bobby McFerrin, Vocalist
Alison Krauss, Violin/Vocals
Edgar Meyer, Bass
Perspectives: Bobby McFerrin
Crossing genres and redefining the possibilities of the human voice, Bobby McFerrin teams up with the unparalleled master of the double bass, Edgar Meyer.
The Bobby McFerrin Perspectives concerts are supported, in part, by The Rockefeller Foundation's New York City Cultural Innovation Fund.
Perspectives concerts are made possible, in part, by a generous grant from The Alice Tully Foundation.
Program Notes:
Jeff Tamarkin on
BOBBY MCFERRIN, ALISON KRAUSS, and EDGAR MEYER
Change and challenge are what motivate Bobby McFerrin, and nothing gives this maestro of vocal calisthenics greater satisfaction than jumping headfirst into the vast unknown. That’s why he is so excited about teaming up with Alison Krauss and Edgar Meyer for a Perspectives concert at Carnegie Hall, one of seven differently themed programs featuring McFerrin this season.
At first thought the trio may seem a most unlikely mix, but versatility guides all three. Consider: although known for her stunning bluegrass singing and violin work, Krauss is still riding high from the success of Rising Sand, last year’s collaboration with—talk about unlikely pairings!—Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant. And double-bass legend Meyer is equally at home, whether playing classical music, bluegrass, or jazz.
Bobby has worked only one brief time each with Alison and Edgar. He joined Krauss onstage in 2005 at Colorado’s Telluride Bluegrass Festival, where they performed an impromptu rendition of the old Foundations hit “Baby, Now That I’ve Found You.” Says Bobby, “My daughter and I always used to sing it on our drives to school. It’s one of our favorite songs together. I proposed the song to Alison and said, ‘You just start singing and don’t worry about anything. You’ll hear the changes.’ And so I sang and it was very cool. She’s got the voice of an angel.”
About Meyer, Bobby says, “What a virtuoso he is. The only time we ever did anything together was part of a PBS thing about Mozart. I conducted the Orchestra of St. Luke’s with Chick Corea as the soloist, and then there was another piece with Yo-Yo Ma, Mark O’Connor, Edgar, and myself.”
It’s anyone’s guess where the collective talents of Bobby McFerrin, Alison Krauss, and Edgar Meyer will take them on this special night. As Bobby concludes with a sly grin, “We’ll just have a day of rehearsals and see what happens.”
Veteran music journalist Jeff Tamarkin is the Associate Editor of JazzTimes magazine.
More Information:
Due to illness, Alison Krauss has, with great regret, canceled her appearance this evening. Sierra Hull and Ron Block, who were scheduled to appear with Ms. Krauss, will still be performing.
For ticketing questions, please call CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800.
Meet the Artists
Bobby McFerrin, Vocalist
Bobby McFerrin is one of the natural wonders of the music world. A ten-time Grammy Award winner, he is one of the world’s best-known vocal innovators and improvisers, a world-renowned classical conductor, the creator of “Don't Worry Be Happy” (one of the most popular songs of the late 20th century), and a passionate spokesman for music education. His recordings have sold over 20 million copies, and his collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma, Chick Corea, the Vienna Philharmonic, and Herbie Hancock have established him as an ambassador of both the classical and jazz worlds.
With a four-octave range and a vast array of vocal techniques, McFerrin is music’s last true Renaissance man, a vocal explorer who has combined jazz, folk, and a multitude of world music influences—choral, a cappella, and classical music—with his own ingredients. As a conductor, Bobby is able to convey his innate musicality in an entirely different context. He has worked with such orchestras as the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Vienna Philharmonic.
Bobby McFerrin’s career can be well described as “unconventional.” Those familiar with McFerrin’s shows, whether as a conductor or a vocalist, know that each one is a unique event that resonates with the unexpected. He is that rare artist who has the ability to reach beyond musical genres and stereotypes for a sound that is entirely his own. As one of the foremost guardians of music’s rich heritage, McFerrin remains at the vanguard with his natural, beautiful and timeless music that transcends all borders and embraces all cultures.
Visit bobbymcferrin.com for more information, interactive games, sheet music, and merchandise.
Alison Krauss, Violin/Vocals
Edgar Meyer, Bass
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