Rockapella with Boston Pops Orchestra (Live Audio Recording) 2005

THE BOSTON POPS ORCHESTRA
KEITH LOCKHART, Conductor
Thursday evening, May 12, 2005, at 8
Symphony Hall
Boston, MA, U.S.A.
Presenting
ROCKAPELLA
Scott Leonard, Kevin Wright, George Baldi, John Brown, and Jeff Thacher
1 Tonight (a capella) 00:00
2 Here Comes the Sun 04:19
3 Shambala 07:14
4 People Change 10:38
5 Papa Was a Rollin' Stone (a capella) 15:50
6 Dance With Me 20:32
7 The Beat Goes On 24:02
8 I'll Hear Your Voice 29:12
9 Rock the Boat 33:24
10 Up on the Roof (a capella) 41:01
Rockapella’s story is like no other, and they create a sound and impression like no one else! Finding them on television over the years has become a frequent and pleasant surprise for millions, whether it be on numerous national commercials and talk shows, or as regulars for five seasons on the award-winning PBS program Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego ? The current membership includes George Baldi, John K. Brown, Scott Leonard, Jeff Thacher, and Kevin Wright. Founding member Elliott Kerman recalls how the original quartet, a group of young Brown University alumni, was formed for the sheer love of performing; singing on New York City street corners with a hat out at their feet. As the ’90s began, they caught the eye of a producer putting together a television special about the growing genre of “contemporary” a cappella music. After filmmaker Spike Lee and entertainer Debbie Allen signed on to host this program, it became Spike & Co.: Do It A Cappella , and aired for several years on PBS, producing a soundtrack and video as well. Rockapella’s unique appearance on the show led the creators of a zany new daily geography games how to give Rockapella a call. Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego ? was born, together with a companion soundtrack CD containing original music by the group. Soon live appearances and collaborations with major recording artists began to appear on their resume while millions of households across America were enthusiastically receiving daily doses of Rockapella. Lead singer Scott Leonard, a veteran of the recording scene in Tokyo prior to his joining Rockapella, suggested the quartet seek a record deal in Japan. Rockapella journeyed to Tokyo and made the deal, and as Carmen Sandiego and regular concert appearances around the United States continued, their Japanese activities began to provide a yearly outlet for their growing creativity. The now enormous pop a cappella music scene in Japan has Rockapella largely to blame for its existence. In late 1992, Rockapella tried something that almost no singing group had ever considered before: they held auditions for a full-time mouth drummer, or “vocal percussionist,” to begin performing, fully amplified, alongside them just like a real drummer. Jeff Thacher joined the group in this role shortly afterward. The group soon laid the groundwork for their future U.S. recordings by creating two CDs for their fans, 1995’s Primer and 1996’s Lucky Seven. A substantial resume of national commercials grew as well, including a hugely successful 1998 Folgers coffee advertising campaign. Their next U.S. album, Don’t Tell Me You Do , was soon distributed nationally on J-Bird Records. By mid-2000 Rockapella had released the follow-up album, 2, and, in winter of 2000, the holiday album Christmas became their first release to chart on Billboard. At the close of 2000, In Concert appeared on video and CD and aired on PBS television stations nationwide. The following two years saw the release in Japan of the U.S. albums, and the group signed with a new U.S label, Amerigo Records, creating the album Smilin’ , released in August 2002. Smilin’ marked the retirement of bass singer Barry Carl and the introduction of George Baldi as his successor. The impressive talents of newest member John Brown, who joined the group following the release of 2004’s Live In Japan , bring an exciting new edge to the trademark Rockapella sound and open the group’s next chapter of fantastic music-making.
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