Accompanied on stage with only a chair, a bottle of water, microphone and a love for God and fellow man, vocalist Bobby McFerrin invited the Broad Stage audience into his intimate and kaleidoscopic world that celebrates the human voice, as well as the human heart.
Using his hands, chest and throat for accompanying rhythm, McFerrin made his clear and dynamic range make you at one moment feel like you were in an East African village, on tour with Ladysmith Black Mambazo or in a 50’s R&B band as he’d make sounds like an acappella choir or walking bass. His voice could rumble like a Chevy V8 on “Get In My Car” and before you knew it, you were back in Sunday School as the meister lead the crowd through “Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” in a falsetto voice, and it all made sense.At one moment, he’d take you to the Andes and sang “Blackbird” like a pan pipe before going to the delta and growling through a blues like “I Want You So Bad.”
And yet it wasn’t all about him, either. Audience participation was a must as the people became the Kansas City rhythm section for him to improvise like Lester Young. Further trusting his fellow attendees, he invited any aspiring dancer to podiatrically improvise to his own scatting and singing, and the three volunteers were up to the task. The line of aspiring singers took the next altar call, and his encouragement, patience and acceptance of each partner for the series of inspired duets reflected his faith in people being able to rise to the musical occasion.
After a rousing chorus of “America the Beautiful,” he once again invited all people to join on stage to create an African vocal rhythm for him to sing over, the glowing look of joy among the participants was a thrilling expose’ of what grace can do for people, as each vocalist gave their best, not wanting to disappoint their choral director. One audience member even jumped on stage with a harmonica to jam with McFerrin over some down home Chicago blues, just before Bobby M closed the show with a maniacal Reader’s Digest musical recitation of “The Wizard of Oz,” complete with tornado!
…and who these days closes a show with a Q and A? McFerrin further connected with the audience by sharing about his major influences (“Jesus Christ, then my dad”) as well as his secret for preserving his voice (“Get rid of stress…I do that by praying”). How could you not walk out of the theatre not only encouraged, but inspired. McFerrin is one of the greats of music, but he doesn’t use singing as an end of itself, it’s the means to a greater End, or Omega.
Upcoming shows include Mark Turner Sept 28 and Son Mayor Oct 26