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The Four Freshmen

The Four Freshmen were one of the top vocal groups of the 1950s, and formed the bridge between '40s ensembles like Mel-Tones and harmony-based rock & roll bands such as the Beach Boys as well as groups like Spanky & Our Gang and the Manhattan Transfer. The group's roots go back to the end of the 1940s and a barbershop quartet-influenced outfit called Hal's Harmonizers, organized at the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Butler University in Indiana by two brothers, Ross and Don Barbour. Their repertoire centered on standards such as "Moonglow" and "The Christmas Song," and they began to show an unusually free, improvisational approach to their harmony singing. A couple of membership changes brought Bob Flanigan, a cousin, into the fold alongside Hal Kratzsch, and suddenly the Four Freshmen were assembled in all but name, and that fell into place a little later.

The group struggled for a long time, living hand-to-mouth while building a repertoire and a sound — many people who've heard the group's records or are familiar with their sound are unaware that they were also completely self-contained instrumentally, each member playing more than one instrument and allowing the others to switch off to different roles. They came to attention of various jazz figures of the era, including Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, and Stan Kenton, and it was Kenton who took matters into his own hands, bringing the group to the attention of Capitol Records, where the bandleader had a longstanding relationship. Thus began a long and fruitful relationship with the label, initially under the guidance of arranger Pete Rugolo — gigs followed on The Steve Allen Show (then one of the top-rated entertainment showcases on television) and with Ray Anthony's band; they also managed to make an appearance in the MGM movie Rich, Young and Pretty.

Their first hit single was "It's a Blue World," released in 1952, and they enjoyed further success with "Mood Indigo" (1954), "Day By Day" (1955), and "Graduation Day" (1956). They released their first LP, Voices in Modern, in 1955 (and some dozen more 12" discs over the next five years); that album was as impressive a jazz document as it was a vocal pop effort, showcasing the group members' playing as well as their singing and showing that these guys had lots of complex musical strings in their bow. It was on these albums that the quartet also showed itself to be a very smart outfit, not just in musical terms but logistically as well. Rather than simply doing any 12 songs that might have been working well in its stage act, the group made these releases into conceptual works, either musically (built around the sounds achieved by combinations of the group's sound and specific accompaniments, such as Four Freshmen and 5 Trombones, Four Freshmen and Five Guitars, etc.) or as thematic arrays of songs (such as Voices in Love and Voices in Latin).

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Catching Up With

The Four Freshmen: Tradition and Innovation in a New Century

Read "The Four  Freshmen: Tradition and Innovation in a New Century" reviewed by Richard J Salvucci


The year was 1963. The President of the United States was John F Kennedy. It was late Summer. I was riding back from the Jersey shore, returning from vacation. I was twelve years old. My Dad always had music on, always and everywhere, but especially, in the car, a two-tone 1955 Buick Special. I'm pretty sure the tuner had push buttons. I was, as usual, in the back seat. One reason the scene from fifty years ...

468
Album Review

The Four Freshmen: The Four Freshmen and Live Trombones

Read "The Four Freshmen and Live Trombones" reviewed by Robert J. Robbins


Over six decades ago, four undergraduates at Indiana's Butler University first joined their voices in song as The Four Freshmen and, in 1950, the quartet was heard by Stan Kenton, on whose trombone section the “Frosh" had modeled their sound. Kenton immediately demanded that the group be signed by his label, Capitol, and began an association which lasted over fifteen years. During that time, the Four Freshmen blossomed into a vocal group whose influence ranged from the Beach Boys to ...

141
Album Review

The Four Freshmen: Celebrating 50 Years

Read "Celebrating 50 Years" reviewed by Dave Nathan


The Four Freshmen were extraordinarily popular during the 1950's and 60's when they worked with Woody Herman and were part of those elaborate Stan Kenton road shows. Not only did they feature extra close harmony, but they were unique in that they were also pretty good instrumentalists as well.

The occasion for this performance was a massive jazz concert in Clearwater, FL in 1971 which had Stan Kenton and Woody Herman, as well as other jazz artists on the bill. ...

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Festival

OceanFirst Bank Jazz @ the Point 2018 Festival brings the best of jazz to South Jersey: Thursday, October 11 through Sunday, October 14. Get your all access pass!

OceanFirst Bank Jazz @ the Point 2018 Festival brings the best of jazz to South Jersey: Thursday, October 11 through Sunday, October 14. Get your all access pass!

Source: All About Jazz

The South Jersey Jazz Society has once again put together a lineup of incredible Jazz artists to perform at this year’s OceanFirst Bank Jazz @ the Point Festival Thursday, October 11 through Sunday, October 14. Shows will be presented throughout various venues in Somers Point, New Jersey for fans of this great American art form to enjoy. Featured Jazz artists performing at this year’s festival include Javon Jackson; The Four Freshmen; 3 of A Kind featuring Michael Pedicin, Larry McKenna ...

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Performance / Tour

The Four Freshmen experience

The Four Freshmen experience

Source: Ken Franckling's Jazz Notes

The Four Freshmen have been straddling the jazz and pop genres for 66 years nonstop, though the quartet hasn't had an original member in its ranks since 1992. But everywhere they go, they still pack in full houses. Sunday's matinee concert at Sarasota's was a case in point.Glenridge Performing Arts Center, sponsored by the South County Jazz Club,  The gig was sold out more than a week in advance, with more than 200 turning out to hear classic tunes performed ...

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Celebrating 50 Years

Hitchcock Media Records
2001

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