An Octave Above a cappella jazz vocal ensemble

An Octave Above is a group of eight professional vocalists who blend years of experience and a love of a cappella harmony to every style of music they sing. From doo-wop to jazz, standards to madrigals, Bacharach to The Beatles, An Octave Above creates a new standard for excellence on the Chicago music scene. The Chicago Symphony Chorus claims four of the members and the St. Charles Singers claims two; they've earned degrees in music and vocal performance from Elmhurst College, Northwestern University, Northern Illinois University, Bradley University, and the State University of New York (SUNY).

For a vocal group that has only been together a few years, An Octave Above has quickly established themselves as one of the hottest new a cappella vocal groups in Chicago. They were recently named 1st Runner Up at the 21st Annual Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival Chicago Regional. In 2003 and 2004, they were the featured performers with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra for their annual "Holiday Spectacular" concert. They opened for award winning jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater at the Elmhurst Jazz Festival, sang the National Anthem for a Chicago White Sox game at U.S. Cellular Field and a Chicago Bulls game at the United Center. They have been featured at performance venues including Fitzgerald's, the Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts, Townhouse Books in St. Charles, and have also held private performances at Molly Malone's Irish Pub and Skelly & Skelly's in Forest Park, The Galleria Marchetti in Chicago, and Orchestra Hall.

Discography

An Octave Above

The 4 men and 4 women of An Octave Above, (named 1st runner-up at the 2005 Harmony Sweeps Chicago Regional) are a group of professional vocalists, together for only 3 years, whose repertoire includes doo-wop, jazz, standards and madrigals. This is the group's impressive debut CD of 13 songs, beginning with a jazzy, light "Chile Con Carne," a sweet Ward Swingle-arranged "All the Things You Are," and a ringingly harmonic cover of James Taylor's "That Lonesome Road." Doo-Wop classics "Come Go With Me" and "In the Still of the Night" segue nicely into Billy Joel's anthem "And So It Goes," a bluenote "There Will Never Be Another You" grows upbeat and scattish, "Tico Tico" puts a margarita in our hand and pulls us onto the dance floor, and finally we have Ward Swingle's sparkling arrangement of "Country Dances." Excellent stuff from this fast-rising Chicago octet, who we will be expecting to see at the '06 Sweeps Finals!

Come on and Take a Sleigh Ride!

"Sleigh Ride" is the second release from talented mixed-voice (4 men, 4 women) a cappella octet An Octave Above, who were 1st runner-up at the 2005 Chicago Harmony Sweeps Regionals. The group has been gaining fans with live performances at many Chicago venues, and this Christmas album shows off some of their cutting-edge arrangements and tight, jazzy harmonies. 12 songs, some of our favorites are the opening cut "Sleigh Ride," a moody, jazzy "What Child is This" (with a fine solo by Debra), a richly harmonized "Away in a Manger," a bluesy, funky "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen," "Mary Did You Know" (with Melinda's sweet lead), a surreal, '30s-retro "Toyland," a richly Italianesque "Gesu Bambino," a nicely-arranged "O Holy Night," a classic "Silent Night," and an upbeat "We Three Kings" with tight vocal percussion by Scott. Good fun stuff from Chicago sure to brighten your holidays!

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An Octave Above

Discography

An Octave Above

Come on and Take a Sleigh Ride!

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