Music from The Sing-Off

Review: One of America's elite Collegiate Vocal Jazz ensembles, 9-strong, mixed-voice Afro Blue, under the direction of Connaitre Miller, has collected six DownBeat Magazine Student Music Awards in their seven years of existence. These included 'Best College Vocal Jazz Ensemble in' in 2003 and 2009. Director Miller has arranged four of the 15 tunes here, which are almost all a cappella. Several favorites are a striking arrangement of 'The Star Spangled Banner,' Marvin Hamlisch & Alan & Marilyn Bergman's 'The Music of Being Free,' Luis Bonfa's lovely 'Gentle Rain,' Henry Warren & Mack Gordon's 'There Will Never Be Another You,' sublimely arranged by The Real Group's Anders Endenroth, a jazzy arrangement of Rodgers & Hammerstein's 'The Surrey with the Fringe on Top,' Billy Taylor's title tune and James & John Johnson's 'Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing' (The Black National Anthem). Afro Blue is a poised, polished ensemble, with a clean, professional sound, cutting-edge arrangements and excellent song selection. Treat yourself to 'It's a Matter of Pride,' by one of the best Collegiate Vocal Jazz ensembles America has to offer, and enjoy!

Songlist: The Star Spangled Banner (The National Anthem) , Whisper Not, The Music of Being Free (Introduction), The Music of Being Free, Sometimes I'm Happy, Blue In Green, Gentle Rain, There Will Never Be Another You, Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen, Autumn Leaves, The Surrey With The Fringe On Top, Lost At Sea, If You Really Are Concerned Then Show It, It's A Matter Of Pride, Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing (The Black National Anthem)

Backbeats : Backbeats

Review: The Sing-Off season two finalists, The Backbeats, release their self-titled, debut album. The record, 'The Backbeats From The Sing-Off,' features a mix of hand-selected cover hits, including the group's rendition of BeyoncŽ's 'If I Were A Boy,' which helped seal their top three position on season two of the show. The album also includes a track featuring the Grammy-nominated and season three judge from 'The Sing-Off,' Sara Bareilles, who guests on the group's version of Sara's hit 'Uncharted.'

Songlist: Thinking 'Bout Somethin', Born This Way, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, Turning Tables, Till The World Ends, Firework, Cry Me A River, Need You Now, Who Are You?, If I Were A Boy, Monster, Uncharted

Review: The talented and creative singer-songwriter Ben Folds became enamored of collegiate a cappella after hearing some of the groups on YouTube. On this release he recorded some of his favorite campus a cappella groups as they each perform one of his songs and the result is a delight. The Spartones open the disc with a stella arrangement of 'Not the Same' with the Leading Tones of Ohio University giving a solid rendition of 'Brick'. Ben Folds himself sings a cappella (with multi tracking) on 'Boxing' and the fun 'Effington'. Mosaic Whispers sings 'Still Fighting It' with conviction while the more jazz arrangement of 'Selfless, Cold and Composed' helps show why Ben Folds songs are so much fun to arrange and perform unaccompanied. The University of Chicago's Voices in Your Head perform a very interesting arrangement of 'Magic' and the Newtones soothing treatment of 'Evaporate' surprises. Fifth Element is remarkable performing 'Fair' and the closing 'The Luckiest' wraps up the recording perfectly. This release certainly shows how talented today's collegiate a cappella groups have become and although a few individual voices may not always be pitch perfect the arrangements are almost all top notch and impressive. Recommended.

Songlist: Not the Same, Jesusland, Brick, You Don't Know Me, Still Fighting It, Boxing, Selfless, Cold and Composed, Magic, Landed, Time, Effington, Evaporated, Fred Jones Part 2, Army, Fair, The Luckiest

Review: Alabama's own all male sextet Committed, winners of the second year of NBC's hit show 'The Sing-Off,' based on Primarily A Cappella's own Harmony Sweepstakes; are lovers of a cappella who happen to be Christians. Their self-titled debut album is a savory, 13 song mix of sacred and secular music that includes covers of Michael Jackson, Al Green, Maxwell, Earth, Wind & Fire and Lynyrd Skynyrd; as well as several nice spiritual tunes, including an original by group member Therry Thomas, the beautiful 'Break Free.' Jackson's 'Hold My Hand' is a live cut of their Sing-Off performance, Maxwell's 'Pretty Wings,' EWF's 'September,' and Green's 'Let's Stay Together' are very fine; and a 'new spin' on the iconic rocker 'Sweet Home Alabama' pays homage to Huntsville, the group's home base. A member of one of our favorite Contemporary Christian groups, Take 6's Cedric Dent arranged this version of the traditional 'Soon Ah Will Be Done' with a guest vocal by T6's Joey Kibble. Take 6's Dave Thomas wrote the lovely 'Do Anything' and former group member Mervyn Warren composed 'That's When I'll Get Over You.' If you watched season 2 of 'The Sing-Off,' you know how good Committed is, with their powerful, sweet, soulful sound. If not, treat yourself to this wonderful debut collection by this fast-rising, very special a cappella sextet

Songlist: Forever, Unstoppable, Break Free, Nothing Without You, Pretty Wings, Let's Stay Together, Soon Ah Will Be Done, Do Anything, Sweet Home Alabama, That's When I'll Get Over You, It Is Well, As, Break Free (radio mix)

Review: The opening number from Episode 1 in NBC's The Sing-Off, each group presented their best soloist with David Bowie's 'Under Pressure'. Singing totally a cappella, this selection gives you the opportunity to showcase an amazing spectrum of vocal talent! The Sing-Off kicked off Episode 3 with a bright and vibrant rendition of the '70s classic 'Mr. Blue Sky' by the Electric Light Orchestra performed by all the remaining groups. A fun and appealing choice for all types of a cappella groups! The opening number from the final night of NBC's The Sing-Off, here is the #1 pop hit from 1987 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' by U2 in an awesome a cappella setting. Uplifting and powerful!

Songlist: Mr. Blue Sky, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Under Pressure

Review: 'Use Somebody' was the opening number of Season 2 of NBC's The Sing-Off, this 2009 #1 hit by Kings of Leon arranged for the combined vocal groups creates a mesmerizing texture of sound, with a world-beat vocal groove, compelling lyrics and riveting modulations that will absolutely astonish your audience. 'I've Got the Music in Me' - This 1970s tune originally recorded by Kiki Dee reaches a new level in this a cappella rendition! Guaranteed to get both the choir and the audience moving! 'With A Little Help From My Friends' - This soulful 'vocals only' setting of the Lennon & McCartney classic in a style reminiscent of Joe Cocker's famous rendition offers a powerful, uplifting message to today's choirs and audiences.

Songlist: I've Got the Music in Me, With A Little Help From My Friends, Use Somebody

Review: Longtime Harmony Sweepstakes fans like us experienced a curious sense of deja vu while watching the Finals of NBC's 'The Sing-Off.' This was not surprising, of course, because the show was directly inspired by the Harmony Sweeps, but watching the first Champions, Nota, some of the singers looked very familiar. Searching the Sweeps website, we had to go back to the 2004 Finals, where a 7-man group from Puerto Rico named 'Alpha', winners of the L.A. Regional, failed to place but impressed a lot of us in the audience. Since that evening 'Alpha' members Edgar Rios, Johnny Figueroa and Ludwig Henderson joined with friends Jose Angel Rodriguez, Juan Eli Diaz and David Pinto to form the beautifully-named Nota, and the reaction of the tv audience, studio audience and judges underlined what everyone could tell from the first few notes-Nota ranks among the best, most entertaining a cappella groups in the world! There are 11 cuts on 'Nota,' covers of Lil' Wayne's 'I Gotta Feeling,' Jay Sean's 'Down' (which has a marvelous salsa segueway), William 'Smoky' Robinson's 'Track of My Tears' and 'My Girl;' Marc Anthony's 'I Need to Know' and Maroon 5's 'This Love;' and originals such as 'You Own My All,' by group member David, 'Con mi nota en do' and 'Solo sin ti' by Edgar, Ludwig, David and Eduardo Reyes, 'Que tengo que hacer' and 'Todo cambio.' We're going to list the first cut, 'I Gotta Feeling' as our favorite because listening to it we knew how good Nota is, and, as we expected, the other 11 cuts are all joyous, bilingual musical treats. Listen to the faux harmonica on cut #7, 'My Girl,' the faux electric guitar solo on cut #6, 'This Love' or the faux horn section on 'I Need to Know.' Look and the amazing performance photos of the group in the liner notes, or go to YouTube and check out a couple live Nota performances. Then, like us, you'll be a huge Nota fan, turning on your friends to this sweet-singing, big fun group of a cappella champions!

Songlist: I Gotta Feeling, Down, Can Mi Nota En Do, You Are My All, Tracks of my Tears, This Love, My Girl, Todo Cambio, Que Tengo Que Hacer, Solo Sin Ti, I Need To Know

Review: Since Moira Smiley and VOCO's surprise win at the 2007 Harmony Sweeps Finals, NBC's launch of their new hit 'The Sing-Off,' based on the Sweeps, and the runaway hit 'Glee,' Los Angeles seems to have become a musical hotbed, an a cappella Mecca if you will. In the thick of this vocal revolution, rising like sweet harmonic cream out of UCLA's crazed a cappella scene in 2008, 3-man, three-woman Sonos performed their debut concert at a hotel cafe, and released their debut CD, 'SonoSings.' Group member Jessica Freedman: 'We do our best to defy stereotypes.' Ben McLain: 'The whole approach has been to distance ourselves from kitsch.' Rachel Bearer: 'And we don't go 'dow.'' Freedman explains: 'That's one of the words vocal groups use to emulate an instrument, like a guitar, with a made-up syllable.' Sonos' sound is clean and rich, resonating with technically augmented vocal percussion, perfect leads and a surprising blend of intricately arranged harmonies. The result is a powerful, moving experience that invites comparison with such artists as the Real Group, Vox One and The Idea of North. There are 10 cuts here, and we had to listen two or three times to the album to fully appreciate songs like Priscilla Bearer's original 'Ave Maria,' Bates & Alfred Burt's 'All on a Christmas Morning,' Jessica's original 'Come December,' the traditional tunes 'O Holy Night,' 'Greensleeves,' 'I Saw Three Ships,' 'Come Thou Font of Every Blessing' and 'Janette Isabella,' all very non-traditionally arranged; another stunning Priscilla Bearer original, 'For Samuel,' and Ben McClain's haunting (possibly synthesizer accompanied) 'Home.' Amazing. One of the best we've heard this year (or ever). 'December Songs' is what the LA a cappella revolution sounds like!

Songlist: Ave Maria, All on a Christmas Morning, Come December, O Holy Night, Greensleeves, I Saw Three Ships, Come thou Fount of every Blessing, Janette Isabella, For Samuel, Home

Review: Recreate the performances of your favorite a cappella groups from the show with these complete keyboard arrangements. Chord symbols, lead vocal lines, and full vocal harmonies provide pianists and vocalists with everything they need!

Songlist: Apologize, Baby, Cooler Than Me, Creep, Final Countdown, Good Girls Go Bad, Grace Kelly, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, I've Got The Music In Me, Landslide, Mercy, Mr. Blue Sky, Put A Little Love In Your Heart, Take A Bow, 21 Guns, Under Pressure, Use Somebody, With A Little Help From My Friends

Style: Pop

Review: 'The Sing-Off,' based on our beloved Harmony Sweepstakes, is putting a cappella on America's Prime Time Doorstep, and drawing huge viewing audience numbers for NBC. Some very bright person from the show in Hollywood got the very good idea of recording a Christmas CD featuring the 10 groups still in the running for the Sing-Off 2010 championship. Thus we have in our hands a unique Christmas album, a 'best of the Sing-Off best,' if you will! Beginning with Pitch Slapped's upbeat, spirited cover of 'Joy To The World,' On The Rocks' sweet, harmonious 'White Christmas' and The Backbeats' powerful 'O Holy Night,' we continue with Eleventh Hour's classic Pop cover of 'Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town,' Men Of Note's ringing 'The First Noel,' Yale's Whiffenpoofs' intricately arranged and harmonized 'God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen,' Committed's surprising bluenote arrangement of 'Angels We Have Heard On High,' Jerry Lawson & Talk of The Town's Motown-flavored 'Silent Night,' Harmony Sweeps champs Groove For Thought's wonderful 'We Three Kings/O Come, O Come, Emmanuel' medley and Street Corner Symphony's driving vocal percussion gem 'Auld Lang Syne.' As we saw so many times at the Sweeps National Finals, each of these groups is marvelous in their own way, and we could only be sure as we heard their sets that we didn't envy the judges. But for now, let us take home and treasure this unique Christmas album from ten of the best a cappella groups in the country, and bless The Sing-Off, a beautifully-wrapped gift to a cappella music!

Songlist: Joy to the World, White Christmas, O Holy Night, Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, The First Noel, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen , Angels We Have Heard On High, Silent Night, We Three Kings/O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, Auld Lang Syne

Review: Now in its third year, The Sing-Off, NBC's smash series based on our own annual Harmony Sweepstakes, just keeps getting better and better. The show went weekly on primetime in 2011, and set out to find the country's best a cappella groups by holding auditions in four major cities, and this shows in both the quantity and quality of this year's contestants. 'Songs of the Season is a very Contemporary Christmas album of 13 cuts, some of our favorites are old favorites that sound completely new, such as Dartmouth Aires' big fun take on Doo-Wop take on 'Up on the Housetop,' Pentatonix' 'We Three Kings,' and U of Rochester Yellowjackets' 'Carol of the Bells.' Sonos' 'Coventry Carol' has a wonderful harmonic blend that sounds accompanied, giving it an urban sound while respecting its original haunting lyrics; Vocal Point's 'Infant Lowly, Infant Holy' is stunningly pure and lovely; 'Winter Wonderland' is another chestnut taken in a bright, new Doo-Wop direction by North Shore. 'In the Bleak Midwinter,' is given a beautiful, subtle arrangement by Kinfolk, building to a powerful, complex harmonic blend; and we would have to give Urban Method the award for 'most innovative' with their Hip-Hop take on 'I Saw Three Ships.' 'Jingle Bells,' the bonus track by last year's winners Committed, is given a sweet, urban edge, and serves as icing on the cake to this delightful, envelope-pushing collection! The quest, if you will, of the Harmony Sweepstakes since its founding 27 years ago has been to showcase the ultimate instrument, the human voice, and the Sing-Off has carried on this quest to a huge, admiring audience, which can only grow with great CDs like 'Songs of the Season.' And what can we say, but 'Bravo!'

Songlist: All I Want For Christmas is You, Santa Baby, We Three Kings, Infant Holy, Infant Lowly, Christmas Time is Here, Coventry Carol, Carol of the Bells, Up On The Housetop, Winter Wonderland, It Came Across the Midnight Clear, In The Bleak Midwinter, I Saw Three Ships, Jingle Bells

Review: Since the couple of months in the Spring of 2008 that producers from NBC followed Primarily A Cappella's John Neal around and their camera crews filmed the Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Finals in San Rafael, CA, the a cappella world has gone through some big changes. The Sing-Off showed off the Sweeps' brand of exciting, unique mixed-genre a cappella competition to new studio audiences and millions of new Primetime tv viewers. Harmony Sweeps Finals veterans like Face and MAXX Factor were showing off their stuff, and the first year's champion was Nota, whose three core members performed as Alpha at the '04 Sweeps Finals. 'The sing-off, The Best of Season 2' features 2005 Sweeps champs Groove for Thought, and these 11 songs, like 'Beautiful Day' by all the sing-off contestants, 'Apologize' by 1st place winners Committed, Radiohead's 'Creep' by Street Corner Symphony, Stevie Nicks' 'Landslide' by The Backbeats, Jerry Lawson & Talk of the Town's 'Mercy,' Eleventh Hour's 'Baby,' Groove for Thought's 'Cooler Than Me,' The Yale Whiffenpoofs' 'Grace Kelly,' Pitch Slapped's 'Good Girls Go Bad,' Men of Note's 'Take a Bow' and On The Rocks' 'The Final Countdown' simply underscores how much vocal talent has been assembled here for all to see and hear. Buy 'The Best of Season 2' and listen to a cappella take off like a harmonious, vocal percussioning rocket on national TV!

Songlist: Beautiful Day, Apologize, Creep, Landslide, Mercy, Baby, Cooler Than Me, Grace Kelly, Good Girls Go Bad, Take A Bow, The Final Countdown