After a long-running, career-spanning, 11 band albums and four a cappella albums, Glad released their first mainstream project, A Cappella Gershwin, late last year. It's a personal album for them, combining the virtuoso vocal technique and unpredictable arranging abilities of their previous a cappella work to pay homage to music they love: the classic songs of Ira and George Gershwin. A Cappella Gershwin is being released to Christian bookstores this spring, concurrently with Glad's latest recording, The A Cappella Project III.
Ira and George Gershwin were brothers who composed a variety of popular songs through the '20's and '30's. Ira wrote the lyrics and George, one of America's most respected composers, wrote the catchy melodies. Their music was popularized in classic Hollywood musicals like Shall We Dance? starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The songs captured the vulnerability and reckless romanticism of sophisticated lovers in the modern world.
Glad has delivered an album rich in dreamy romanticism and sophisticated jazz style. Overall, it is slower and more reflective than their usual sound, focusing on smooth choral waves and flowing melodies. A large part of their musical approach is based on the involvement of Gene Puerling, the highly respected writer and singer of the a cappella groups The Hi Lo's and The Singers Unlimited, who arranged the Grammy-winning "A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square" for Manhattan Transfer. Puerling's arrangements, like "Embraceable You" and "But Not For Me," are start-stop melodies that lazily crawl their way through layered harmonies of repeated words and phrases in various tonal shifts as Glad extends their longtime fascination with complex harmonies and bring the material to life.
Glad's penchant for peppy melodies and exciting arrangements also finds its way into the album through classics like "I Got Rhythm" and "They Can't Take That Away From Me." Staccato rhythms and changing tempos make these songs as challenging and enjoyable to listen to as Glad must have found them to sing.
One of the album's highlights is a Gershwin medley that begins with a tour de force vocal interpretation of the classic "Rhapsody In Blue," with Glad's scatting voices taking the place of a full orchestra. The effect is grandiose and exhilarating. Another highlight is "Little Jazz Bird," a fast-paced song riddled with playful touches and lead singer Ed Nalle's breezy verve. The cut recently received a nomination for Best Jazz Song of the Year by the Contemporary A Cappella Society of America.
Ira Gershwin's lyrics are noted for their witty metaphors and innocent idealism that breach romantic naiveté. "They All Laughed" compares the misguided ridicule heaped on explorers and inventors with someone hoping to fall in love. Ira's touching take on romantic memories, "They Can't Take That Away From Me" illustrates his timeless charm:
Our romance won't end On a sorrowful note, Though by tomorrow you're gone; The song is ended, but As the songwriter wrote, "The melody lingers on." They may take you from me, I'll miss your fond caress. But though they take you from me, I'll still possess: The way you wear your hat, The way you sip your tea, The mem'ry of all that - No, no! They can't take That away from me!
There will no doubt be Christian detractors of this album who will claim Glad is "selling out" by releasing a mainstream project, but the Gershwins' music is a celebration of love and innocence that will likely attract non-Christian listeners to Glad's extensive Christian discography.
A Cappella Gershwin is a labor of love from a highly talented recording group. Glad's affinity for their material permeates every note, and their own musical personality lends an exciting new twist to these time-honored songs.
Similar sounding releases
1995First CallBeyond December
20004HimHymns: A Place of Worship
1991Michael CardThe Promise
2005Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin BrothersFamily Gospel Favorites
2005John Michael TalbotCity of God
2001Michael W. SmithWorship
