Bobby McFerrin is known to commercial audiences by virtue of the monster radio friendly hit, "Don't Worry, Be Happy." However, to judge him by that one song is like evaluating all automobiles by the Edsel. In actuality, his brilliance as an innovative vocalist and writer far exceeds his mainstream appeal, and with collaborators such as Chick Corea on piano, this recording is is overwhelmingly good. Listen to "Blue Bossa," where Bobby's gutteral growls menace and alarm; or the heat-infused "Friends," which is a sultry Al Jarreau type contemporary jazz tune; "Spain" is a tour-de-force, where the singer alternates between providing the percussion and bass accompaniment to the piano with a panoply of vocal sounds. McFerrin can entreat sweetly in one breath and then leap into a frenzy of notes, each cascading into the other with a fierce intensity that is practically animalistic. A unique talent. |
