Five By Design vocal jazz group

The Minneapolis-based Five by Design is the first vocal group to successfully form its own production company to create and star in their own original, musical retrospectives for symphony orchestras and big bands. Since their 1994 debut of RADIO DAYS with the Milwaukee Symphony, Five by Design has performed with 110 of the leading symphony orchestras throughout the U.S. and Canada. In 1999, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra commissioned Five by Design to create its second musical production, CLUB SWING. A portion of the sales from the show's soundtrack recording, released in the spring 2002, will benefit the educational activities of the American Symphony Orchestra League. Featuring the vocal artistry of Lorie Carpenter-Niska, Catherine Farr-Scott, Kurt Niska, Michael Swedberg, and Terrence Niska, their productions of Club Swing and Radio Days have logged more than 500 performances from coast to coast.

Discography

Stay Tuned

Pride of Minneapolis, MN, mixed-voice quintet Five By Design is famous for being the first vocal group to create and star in their own original musical retrospectives for symphony orchestras and big bands! "Stay Tuned," in fact, features 17 tunes from just such a collaboration, with Willis Delony & The Robert Baca Jazz Orchestra. Every song here is a Swing Era classic: "I Feel A Song Comin' On," "Sh' Boom," "Hey There," "Papa Loves Mambo," "New York, New York," "Istanbul," "'S Wonderful," "The Girl From Ipanema," "More" and "Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White." Five By Design clearly loves their music, they have a fresh, clean sound, the Robert Baca Jazz Orchestra is smokin,' and the song selection couldn't be more entertaining—so get "Stay Tuned" and enjoy!

Club Swing

Five by Design evolved from the vocal group Hot Jazz, formed on the campus of the U of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 1982. Developing the musical theatre vehicle "Radio Days" in 1988, which gave the fivesome a chance to sing the music they loved best. In 1999 the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra commissioned the group to create a new show that would become "Club Swing," which has since been performed with more than 100 of the leading symphony orchestras throughout the US and Canada. The setting is the fictional Club Swing, a soon-to-be-demolished nightclub built during the heyday of swing, which Joe Sullivan visits one last time. The club is transformed into the once-fabled nightspot, and backed by the Club Swing orchestra, the talented, dressed-to-the-nines quintet recreates some of America's best loved songs. 20 authentic swing tunes, some of our favorites being from WWII, "Traffic Jam/Bugle Call Rag," "Dig Down Deep" (which urges us to buy bonds to support the boys at the front), "Five Minutes More," "Begin the Beguine," the Rockabilly classics "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" and "Pistol-Packin' Momma," the very funny "Open the Door, Richard" and "Cocktails for Two," which becomes a hilarious drunken sound-effects party, but there's not a weak track. Although accompanied throughout, this is the most fun swing CD we have heard, and we would hope the show provides a dance floor, because the music puts people "In the Mood!"

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