Mansound a cappella vocal ensemble

ManSound, an a cappella sextet from Kiev, Ukraine, got its start in 1994 as an idea of composer and arranger Vladimir Mikhnovetsky. The group consists of experienced professionals and it is a permanent participant of international jazz festivals and concerts. From the very first performances of ManSound at concert venues in Ukraine, the interest towards the group has been increasing, as well as its popularity. The group got a hearty welcome at jazz festivals and concerts throughout the country. Since 1997, ManSound has been a sought-after guest at jazz festivals like, „Jazz Voices¾ (Moscow) and „Jazz Province¾(in more than 10 Russian cities), and have been rewarded with well-deserved popularity in Russia. They began touring in 1996, when the group traveled to the United States for six weeks, performing with great success in universities and evangelical churches. They gave several dozen concerts in four states on the West Coast. In December of 1998, ManSound held a series of Christmas concerts in Holland and Switzerland. And in April 1999, ManSound performed with great success at the 7th International Jazz Festival „Jazz en Artois¾ (France).

In February of 2000, they performed at one of the biggest jazz events in the USA, the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, following the invitation of Lionel Hampton himself. They also performed in 2002 and 2003, delighting the participants of their daily workshops and crowds of 5000 at the nightly performances. After their first appearance, Dr. Lynn Skinner, director of The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, said that ManSound was the hit of the jazz event. During the summer of 2001, The group performed in Branson Missouri as part of the Zhivago Show. They were nominated for Best Vocal Group by Branson's All-American Entertainment Awards. "This performance is one of the best kept secrets in Branson. On a scale from one to ten, I would rate this at twelve. This has to be one of the freshest talents to perform in the Ozarks in many years. Their ability and talent speak for itself and take a back seat to no one". Charles Lobodzinski (Crown Point, Indiana)

In July of 2002, Mansound participated in the International A Cappella Competition for Jazz and Pop Ensembles "Vokal.Total" in Graz, Austria. They won first place in the Jazz Category winning over participants from eight European countries, and the USA, and taking home the coveted „Ward Swingle Award¾. Ward Swingle, founder of the Swingle Singers, the first A Cappella group, and the jury chairman said of ManSound, „The variety of their repertoire is very impressive. I think that the group has a fine future¾. The sextet¼s repertoire consists of Slavic folk songs, Gospel, and the jazz standards, including songs by George Gershwin, Stevie Wonder and George Benson, which they perform with original arrangements by the group¼s leader Vladimir Mikhnovetsky. For the last ten years of the group¼s life, ManSound has toured and performed in Germany, France, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Estonia, Lithuania and the USA. They have had the pleasure of performing on the same stage with great musicians such as Marcus Miller, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Clayton, Russell Malone, Freddy Cole, Lewis Nash and many others.

Discography

If It's Magic

"Magic" has only 7 songs, but 3 are marvelous medleys, two of them of George Benson's songs and one of Stevie Wonder tunes. Besides these favorites, "They Can't Take That Away From Me," "Nature Boy," "Lullaby of Birdland and "Angel Eyes" are standouts‹which includes everything on the CD. Tremendous voice control, incredible arrangements, butter-smooth blue-note harmonies, surprising tempo changes and scat breaks‹it adds up to a stunning first CD by a huge, fast-rising talent in the jazz/a cappella world!

Slavic Roots

Formed five years ago in Kiev, the six men who make up the Ukrainian group Man Sound have recorded three compact discs and toured extensively in Europe. In their early years, the group gave dozens of gospel concerts in six western U.S. states. Most recently they were invited to the U of Idaho Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival by Hampton himself. The group's repertoire includes famous jazz compositions and Ukraine folk songs as well as traditional and modern gospel music. "Slavic Roots" are Ukrainian folk songs, all a cappella except for some light guitar on "Under the Cloud." Included are two medleys, "Triptych" and "Diptych," "Polechko-Pole," "Under the Cloud," "Hey, Let's Hoot," "There You, Wide Steppe" and "White Swallow." The group's powerful, fine-tuned ensemble sound derives from their individual talents as soloists. Adding scat jazz riffs to a "Volga Boatmen" base is the kind of fresh vocal surprise Man Sound is becoming well known for. Excellent and recommended!

9819 CD $15.98

To find a specific song on any recording (or to find recordings by group name or CD title),
pick the search method and type the item you are searching for here:

Mansound

Discography

If It's Magic

Slavic Roots

For More of The Primarily A Cappella On-Line Catalog

RSS - New Releases