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_P__‰______MUSIC/INTERVIEW/5.06 hed: Variations on a theme dek: The musical range of Bobby McFerrin continues to expand facts: WHO: Bobby McFerrin and the Knoxville Symphony Pops Orchestra WHEN: Sat., March 25, 8 p.m. WHERE: Civic Coliseum HOW MUCH: Phone 523-1178 for ticket info by Chris Barrett Bobby McFerrinÕs pop success in the Õ80s was something of an oddity. In order to sell pop records, itÕs all but essential that new music have something in common with an act that came before it. Listeners have a hard time with music that doesnÕt remind them of something else that they like already. And certainly music writers need connections, so that the new music can be described with adjectives like ÒBeatles-esqueÓ and Òright out of Sondheim.Ó McFerrin sounded like no one else. Somewhere between tone poetry and scat, McFerrinÕs voice had a wild and unlimited range. He sang original songs and gave fresh and interesting treatment to covers. On top of that, he accompanied himself by playing his body as an instrument. Inexplicably, he sold millions of records and won nine Grammys. After cultivating an audience that probably would have bought record after record, McFerrin is venturing bravely into a new kind of music. He now conducts, composes and sings classical music. Yet another oddity: instead of losing fans, the way Dylan did when he went electric, McFerrin has managed to maintain his stalwart pop audience, and adds to the faithful with each classical performance. ÒMost people are not aware that my background is really in classical music,Ó says McFerrin. ÒThe first music that I was emotionally moved by was classical. Returning to classical is a way for me to honor my past.Ó Other performers have made successful connections between classical music and other forms. Keith JarrettÕs passionate piano playing suits both Bach and jazz improvisation. Gil Evans drew directly from Rodrigo while arranging the Miles Davis album Sketches of Spain. But the music industry tends to categorize artists, separating classical from everything else. And fans attracted to an artist by one style often hold a grudge when that artist ventures beyond it. McFerrin runs barefoot all through the musical neighborhood. If he knows where one ÒfamilyÕsÓ property stops and another starts, he certainly doesnÕt show it. In 1992, he collaborated with renowned classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma. The result, Hush, was a crossover hit and hung on the charts for over two years. Now, humbly but with no apologies, heÕs moving further into the realm of classical. For the last five years, heÕs been conducting symphonies across the country, garnering standing ovations and rave reviews from musically conservative media. From the same stages, he singsÑstill in his inimitable styleÑwith full symphonic accompaniment, or a capella. In auditoriums where people are accustomed to holding their coughs till intermission, McFerrin solicits spontaneous applause and audience participation. He has made of himself a one-man bridge between popular music fans and classical music. And in spite of the stuffed shirts with which theyÕre purported to be filled, heÕs loosening up classical audiences. ÒThereÕs always been this sort of ÔsnobberyÕ in classical. Which I donÕt understand at all,Ó McFerrin says, Òbecause thereÕs not in other music. There are people who only listen to one kind of music, like rock or jazz, but nothing like the Ivory Tower you find in classical. ÒWhen you go to any music school, the focus is always on classical. You might find a jazz ÔdepartmentÕ or something, but not even that in the conservatories. They certainly donÕt have many classes on improvisationÑwhich is a shame when you think about Bach or Mozart, two of the greatest improvisers who ever lived.Ó McFerrin knows first-hand what happens in music schools. His major was composition. His primary instrument was piano, and he also played flute. HeÕd grown up in a rich musical atmosphere. Both parents were successful classical singers. His father was the first full-time black singer with the Metropolitan Opera. But before college, heÕd never been around jazz musicians. Jazz, and the discovery of the amazing instrument he owned in his own voice, diverted McFerrin from the standard classical track. At this point, McFerrin and his music seem to have traveled full circle. The uninhibited freedom he found in jazz adds new life to certain pieces from the classical repertoireÑwhen he sings the part of a Vivaldi mandolin or scats Rachmaninoff, for example. And the classical format, whether heÕs singing or conducting, has extended the range of his voice. ÒConducting is like singing with your body,Ó McFerrin says gleefully. ÒItÕs very difficult to improvise while conducting, but there is freedom to interpret the music. The structure and form are composed into the music when itÕs written. But all classical music is about is emotionsÑlove, hate, despair, passion. ThatÕs what it is. ÒThatÕs what music is.Ó u( 8¨•½¯¨°¾mJ
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