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From a profile of violinist Geoffrey Applegate on Naxos:
"... and has been featured repeatedly as soloist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, with such conductors as Neeme Järvi, Paavo Berglund, Christopher Hogwood, Nicholas McGegan, Robert King, and entertainer Bobby McFerrin. Chamber music performances have included collaborations with the legendary violinist Isaac Stern..."
It sounds to me like the writer couldn't bring him/herself to admit that McFerrin is a legitimate musician. Regardless of what one might think of his conducting and composing/arranging skills (I think he is very good) McFerrin is, at the very least, a virtuoso on his instrument (voice) and I wouldn't object to adding the word "legendary" to the description.
Am I reading too much into it?
Follow Ups:
Big J
"... only a very few individuals understand as yet that personal salvation is a contradiction in terms."
There's too much of that around already, IMO.
Big J
"... only a very few individuals understand as yet that personal salvation is a contradiction in terms."
If that paragraph had been published in a newspaper or magazine one might question the editorial process at said publication.
NAXOS?
I doubt their catalog includes a lot of Bobby McFerrin, so perhaps they consider him an entertainer?
Perhaps the writer, cognizant that his audience would consist mainly of classical-music fans, felt the need to explain who Bobby is.
-Bob
the accomplished conductors he mentioned, and that's more than likely true. OTOH I'd bet McFerrin's better at conducting than the "classical" players/singers I've heard attempting to play/sing jazz oriented music.
Gotta wonder if that same writer would describe Renée Fleming attempting to sing jazz tunes as an "entertainer", even though she sucks at it by comparison to so many actual jazz singers. I can't imagine any jazz musician I know demeaning someone like Peters by referring to her as an "entertainer". They'd probably just say she should stick to opera :-)
Something's just a little bit amiss:
. . . although, the three reviews on Amazon seem to indicate that Elly is pretty swingin'. ;-)
I assisted a couple tracking sessions with him, both times acapella. He is a true genius, and a lovely warm person. His instrument is his whole body - the range of sounds he makes with his voice, plus all sorts of slapping/rubbing/stomping is endless. His composing and arranging skills are great; I've never heard him conduct.
He is a treasure.
WW
"A man need merely light the filaments of his receiving set and the world's greatest artists will perform for him." Alfred N. Goldsmith, RCA, 1922
We once heard McFerrin conduct the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in one of the Brandenburg Concertos (6, maybe? Memory fades). Granted, that's not the same as conducting, say, Mahler's Eighth, but I remember thinking it was a credible performance.
Happy listening,
Jim
"The passage of my life is measured out in shirts."
- Brian Eno
aa
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" -Michael McClure
The writer probably didn't even realize he was slighting Bobby McFerrin. I agree, an ignorant comment.
. . . I'd still say he probably belongs in a different category from Paavo Berglund. Thinking of it from the other direction however, I don't think it would be entirely wrong to classify Berglund, McGegan, et al as entertainers themselves. ;-)
Bobby has few pieces he has choreographed the beat patterns and cues,
very lightweight careful beat.
His Composing is very dense and many parts are almost unplayable.
There was quite an uproar at the SFS for the Concert I played.
I wasn't on Bobby's pieces, but I heard there was shouting and bad feeling all around.
His piece was cancelled and he just sang a longer set for the second half.
Bobby was the Piano Player on the Ice Follies one year that I did it.
He was Bobby Mac back then.
Amazing vocal flexibility and dexterity.
Bobby McFerrin is often referred to as a jazz vocalist (and composer), and in recent years, a conductor. Of course, all musicians are entertainers in a sense. But to single him out as an entertainer in a list of classical conductors strikes me as insulting and demeaning in a number of ways. It belittles his accomplishments as a performer. It demeans his music and jazz in general by implying it is not as serious or important an artistic endeavor as classical music. And, however unintentionally, it borders on racism, in my opinion, echoing the "entertainer" characters of the minstrel shows.
I mean, do you ever read about the entertainer Herbert von Karajan?
Precisely my point.One can carp and cavil regarding his repertoire as a conductor (not much beyond some Bach and Gershwin?) but surely among vocalists he is at least as distinguished as Mr Applegate is among violinists. His sophisticated vocal style is uniquely his own and goes beyond mere dexterity and flash.
Also his characterization as an entertainer may be construed as a compliment but I do sense a backhand top spin element to it -- a faint or not so faint hint that his music is mere merchandise.
Edits: 07/21/16
It's more of a novelty.
Let's face it, he's more famous than the rest of the people on that list.
(You know where I'm going, right?) ;-)
In that particular context, using the qualifier "entertainer" appears demeaning, as if to draw a distinction between serious artists and a mere light entertainer, however unintentional that may have been. That's all.
Naxos needs better copy editors.
Bobby is just branching out.
A big part of the problem with his Composition was that he couldn't conduct it in a way that the Orch could play it, plus it was awkwardly written.
So, Conductors Do make a difference, for good and for bad.
Sure, I have no dispute with that. Like I said, my point is not about how good he is as a composer or a conductor.
I am okay with calling him a singer, or if you think he is unworthy of that (not that great shakes as an operatic baritone?), a jazz singer, or maybe dropping a descriptor altogether.
He's one of the those guys that easily qualifies for slashes.
He's also a hell of a percussionist.
I agree he was dissed in the description.
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" -Michael McClure
It's about respect for a highly creative and talented artist, not whether he should be categorized as a conductor.
BMc -certainly has a talented voice and is a musician in my mind.
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