Bobby McFerrin

Sep 19 - Sep 22, 2019

Miner Auditorium

PLEASE NOTE:
This page is an archive of a past production

Please visit our calendar for all upcoming SFJAZZ shows.

Original show description below.

“Bobby McFerrin’s greatest gift to his audience may be changing them from spectators into celebrants and transforming a concert hall into a playground, a village center, a joyous space” (The Los Angeles Times). The iconic vocalist and composer returns to SFJAZZ for the first time in almost a decade with his signature magic, combining staggering musicality with irrepressible humor and boundless fun.

Far more than a singer, McFerrin is a revolutionary musical force whose work blurs the definitions of jazz, a capella, and classical music, while dispelling preconceptions regarding the limits of the human voice. Inspired by pianist Keith Jarrett to perform completely improvised solo concerts, McFerrin has established a reputation as one of the most iconic and influential vocalists alive, effortlessly jumping between octaves and seemingly singing multiple parts at once, in concerts that leave audiences slack-jawed in disbelief. He has collaborated with jazz and classical musicians including Chick Corea, Esperanza Spalding, and Yo Yo Ma, conducted the world’s major symphony orchestras, worked tirelessly as an educator and arts evangelist, scored an era-defining pop hit with “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” and has received ten GRAMMY Awards.
For this exclusive week, McFerrin performs in collaboration with Gimme5, a masterful improvising vocal ensemble made up of former members of McFerrin’s groundbreaking large group project Voicestra. Members Rhiannon, David Worm, Judi Vinar and Joey Blake have each spent more than 20 years performing with McFerrin and have developed a level of musical telepathy that is truly breathtaking.

For this exclusive week of performances, McFerrin performs with Gimme5, a masterful improvising vocal ensemble made up of former members of McFerrin’s groundbreaking large group project Voicestra