The Real Group -a capella vocalese from Sweeden

[JSngry]

I've been hearing this Sweedish quintet on KNTU the last few weeks and have been pretty impressed. At first I though it was a Bobby McFerrin project w/lots of overdubbinhg, but then there was applause...

Anyways, yeah, it's a capella ensemble vocalese, very much influenced by McFerrin. Not gonna be evryboy's cuppa tea, I know, but if you're the type who likes Bobby McFerrin when he doesn't go overboard with the cute (which is far too often, imo) and/or enjoys harmony singing in general, then this group might be for you. They are kind of "clean", but not in a disgusting way. And their skills are pretty damn amazing. No real "grit", but plenty of everything else. I'd put them in the same league as Take 6 for sheer skill, and a notch below for overall feel, although I don't know that Take 6 would ever cover "Good Bait".

Further info, recommendations, etc. would be appreciated, and, as always, thanks in advance!

[birdanddizzy]

I've never heard of them, but surfing on the Internet there are great things !

LISTEN (similar to the "Blue Stars" and "Double Six")

A few links, doing a Gxxxxx search :

Official website = http://www.realgroup.se/

http://www.singers.com/jazz/realgroup.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Real_Group

[Daniel A]

They are indeed great singers and have over ten albums behind them by now. However, they seemed to largely move away from jazz material after a couple of years (the group formed in the late 80s), and have lapsed into some kind of soul/pop-ish style, which is nevertheless somewhat soul-less. Still popular, and still very skilled of course, but I think their best efforts with jazz content are behind them.

But I do enjoy the earlier albums. They have also done things completely outside jazz/pop, more out of the Nordic choral bag, some of that is very beautiful. If you want to hear them do jazz, I think that the live albums with mostly standard tunes are the best.

Edited March 18, 2006 by Daniel A

[Daniel A]

Jazz: Live from 1997 would probably be the best point to start.

http://www.actmusic.com/act9258.htm#track

Alas, no sound samples from taht album on the ACT website.

[Alexander Hawkins]

They're stupendously talented, vocally. I worked with a guy a while back who knew/knows them well. I believe they went through a music college jazz course together as a group, via some special dispensation or other, and spent their whole time getting this stuff together. Absolutely nothing, as far as I know, is digitised/synthesised/whatever: it's all untreated vocal noises (one of them has a really dirty hammond-through-leslie sound down which is incredible). I'm told their live shows are something else.

Great arrangements (from a technical point of view) as well. The music I've heard is kind of fun, I guess, but not much more than that. I for one enjoyed them far more as a novelty act than anything else (don't get me wrong, a mighty mighty impressive one!).

[JSngry]

Great arrangements (from a technical point of view) as well. The music I've heard is kind of fun, I guess, but not much more than that. I for one enjoyed them far more as a novelty act than anything else (don't get me wrong, a mighty mighty impressive one!).

That's basically my POV as well, although "novelty act" might be a little stronger than I'd put it. "Entertainment" would be my word of choice, I suppose. And yeah, technically, most impressive. As somebody who would love to sing like a pro but can't, I have an abiding fascination for people who can really use their voices as an instrument, be it to deliver lyrics, interpret melodies, simulate instruments, or anything. I can't even begin to do it myself, and I am jealous!

Thanks for all the other info. I had no idea that they had been around for so long, or that they had such a stylistically diverse career path. Once again, the gurus of the O-Board come through!

Now - do they have any sexy album covers?

[Daniel A]

[JSngry]

That's just NASTY!

[Alexander Hawkins]

That's just NASTY!

Yeah, too right - that's those liberal Scandinavians for you

[JSngry]

But the fact that there's women in the group kinda gives it a kink factor that's waay cool.

[neveronfriday]

But the fact that there's women in the group kinda gives it a kink factor that's waay cool.

OFFICIAL:

Come on! Who threw that? Who threw that stone? Come on.

CROWD:

She did! She did! He did! He! He. He. Him. Him. Him. Him. He did.

Edited March 18, 2006 by neveronfriday