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 Click HERE to read Wayne Corey's terrific review of the "In Session" CD!
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September 8-10, 2011 FFS Convention & Reunion, Toledo OH By:
It's a Blue Word: Getting Nostalgic at the Four Freshmen ConventionHere's a link to an article about the Toledo Convention: Click HERE.
March 27, 2011 Venue: Trinity Presbyterian Church, Palm Coast FL By:
The Four Freshmen's final concert in Florida until next winterThe World's Greatest Jazz Vocal Recording Artists visited Palm Coast on Sunday, March 27th and thrilled yet another audience.Pamela and I drove from Leesburg to our former home town early Sunday afternoon. My habit is to always attempt to get seating as close to the front row as possible and we were again fortunate to be "up close and personal" again with this fabulous foursome of awesome entertainers. We only drove about 100 miles to attend, but the folks who traveled the farthest came all the way from Liverpool, England. This concert was held in the beautiful Trinity Presbyterian Church. Imagine our surprise to come in an hour early and see none other than Chaz and Gael Cone and Jim Whitmire working the table for CD sales and Four Freshmen Society information. The Reverend Dr. Ron Watson, pastor of Trinity Presbyterian, introduced the Four Freshmen to the waiting audience. Bob Ferreira and Curtis Calderon were in rare form with humorous commentary between songs. Curtis, glancing upwards, related the fact that five of their last six shows had been done in churches so that probably had something to do with a outstanding quality of their performances. Check out this wonderful play list of songs the capacity crowd enjoyed through two sets of music: The first set included Something's Got To Give; You Stepped Out Of A Dream; Graduation Day; Young and Foolish; You've Got Me Crying Again; Rain; Angel Eyes; Somebody Loves Me; Polka Dots and Moonbeams; Easy Street; Guilty; You Made Me Love You; and After You've Gone. Bob then told the audience that while they took a brief intermission they could enjoy some cool water just outside...but not from the fountain. During the intermission, we chatted with a lot of folks who have been fans for many, many years but were unaware of the Four Freshmen Society. We made sure that FFS applications were put in their hands so they could join. CD sales were very brisk and dozens lined up later to have the covers autographed by the fellows in Group #22. The second set included such wonderful selections as Route 66; In This Whole Wide World; That Old Feeling; Poinciana; If I Had You; Little Girl Blue and There Will Never Be Another You. Part of all Freshmen concerts has the four fellows gathered around one microphone and sing several selections. Curtis noted that there were a lot of "question marks" in the air when they broke from their normal playlist and sang Surfer Girl...a popular hit from another group who copied the early Freshmen Sound - The Beach Boys. Returning to their playbook, they finished by singing Give Me The Simple Life, Blue World, Day By Day and Day In, Day Out. A rousing round of applause brought them back for one encore - the ever haunting Ross Barbour composition - And So It's Over. As always, within a couple of minutes of leaving the stage, all four were out in the foyer, greeting and chatting with their legions of fans. Many attendees had purchased CD's to have them autograph. Bob, Brian, Curtis and Vince are always so very gracious to the people who attend Freshmen concerts. It was also very, very nice to once again see and chat with Barbara Mezzatesta. She is now recovering from a lengthy illness and was beaming from ear to ear as she chatted with our favorite singers/musicians/entertainers. So the four fellows have flown out of Orlando and are on their way home for a short break before continuing their hectic schedule. You can always check www.fourfreshmensociety.com and www.fourfreshmen.com for their current schedule and to find out more about the group and how to join the wonderful Four Freshmen society. Your grateful reporter for this event and Forever a Four Freshmen fanatic.. Ray Gardner
December 1, 2009 Venue: Oklahoma City Community College By:
FF Show in Oklahoma CityAt the Four Freshmen's concert at Oklahoma City Community College on December 1, Curtis jokingly introduced 'Route 66' under the pseudo-title of 'Oklahoma City's Mighty Pretty." That -- along with a hundred other things during the evening -- evoked laughter and applause.As always, the crowd truly enjoyed the evening with the Four Freshmen. It was a repeat performance at OCCC; they appeared on the same stage in December a year ago. The house was sold out (about 250 seats), but everybody who showed up got to see the show -- including a couple of FFS members from Missouri who made the drive to OKC hoping they could get tix at the door and were able to do so. I also had encountered the sold out problem in advance, but a good Samaritan read about my plight on this site and solved that problem. At least three FFS members from Texas also made the trek to OKC, including FFS Texas rep Ann Smith. Taking notes during a performance distracts from my purposes for being there, so this is being written from memory. Please forgive any gaffes. They guys gave a solid and entertaining show with a lot of lively banter and those great FF sounds. I'd never heard 'Easy Street' performed live, so I was glad that old smoothie was added to the evening's routine. Of course they worked in several seasonal songs from their 'Snowfall' CD, including, 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus', 'Christmastime is Here', 'Frosty the Snowman', 'It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas' and 'Let it Snow.' I don't remember hearing this particular bit before, but on one of their 'out front' numbers with Curtis on the horn, Vince on bass and Brian's guitar, they delivered a very smooth little jazz riff that almost came across as chamber music. Throughout the show Curtis's brass work along with Vince's whistling and scatsounds brought a lot of added pleasure for the crowd... as did all the songs due to that fantastic Freshman harmony. Of course all four guys were in great voice and each added bits of wisdom (or humor) during the evening. They sang several longtime FF standards plus assorted numbers from 'Live in Holland', 'In Session' and the upcoming 'Live Trombones' collections. Along with the other tunes already mentioned, I also remember hearing 'Poinciana', "Mam'selle', "There Will Never Be Another You,' 'In This Whole Wide World', 'Blue World', 'Day by Day', 'Day In, Day Out', and 'Angel Eyes.' I don't recall having heard Group 22 do 'It Could Happen to You' before, so I was glad to hear it. They closed the evening with the lovely 'And So It's Over.' I don't remember which song it was but, once when Curtis really got going with his horn, I thought for a moment I heard something similar to 'Blue Moon' and half-expected Bob to join in with the lyrics. Guess maybe I was just having a senior moment. Another bonus of the evening: There were two coeds in front of us that seemed to enjoy the show. Seated right behind us was another college-age girl with her grandmother. That girl knew the music and spoke knowledgeably about the Freshmen, said she had some of their arrangements. Great to see such a devoted young fan. Hopefully, we're gonna see more and more young faces at FF concerts.
August 21, 2009 Venue: FFS Convention/Reunion in Atlanta By: FRIDAY'S BIG NOISE FROM RAVINIAIt was a blast from the past!It was a flight to the future! It was Friday night at the "Blue Moon" convention in Atlanta when the Four Freshmen returned to those thrilling Kenton band Road Show days and then moved us forward with only a hint of nostalgia as they reintroduced the Four Freshmen and Five Trombones. The Freshmen used the Road Show opener, Day In - Day Out, backed by the excellent 17 piece GPC Jazz Ensemble. The Freshmen did it with the Kenton band nearly 50 years ago and that recording still produces a thrill, swinging harder than any other live track by any Freshmen group. Group 22's vocal harmonies were impeccable this night. They took the song at a slightly slower pace than the original recording and the GPC band isn't as crisp as the Kenton band but, then, neither is anyone else. Michael Beisner once told me Day in - Day Out is one of the toughest of all FF charts. Group 22 made it look easy. Poinciana had a somewhat quicker tempo than either the original recording or other live recordings of the song by FF groups, including Group 22, through the years. From the opening attack, it was obvious that the guys and the band were going to absolutely nail the chart. A superb sound mix added to the pleasure. And then came a surprise. If I Had You was an obscure ballad, best known by Frank Sinatra's 1947 recording, when the Freshmen put it on their In Session CD. On the CD the chart became an absolute cooker. In concert, however, the guys have taken it back to its ballad days. It's OK but a disappointment to fans who love the uptempo Bourbon Street meets Beale Street version on In Session. But that Friday night we were introduced to yet a third FF incarnation of If I Had You. The new Big Band chart from Patrick Murray proves "it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!" A super walking bass line propelled the music forward from the start. The chart has hot brass and swinging saxes. Brian Eichenberger's vocal solo put back some of that Memphis grit. Bob Ferrera said it was only the second time the guys have done the new chart live. It showed in a couple of somewhat sloppy vocal attacks but again the harmonies were great. Patrick Murray, a musician from Los Angeles by way of Austin, Texas and the Manhattan School of Music, is a most welcome addition to the Four Freshmen family of great arrangers! Bob summed it up best: "Great chart!" Speaking of great arrangers and arrangements, Greg's Stegeman's Walking My Baby Back Home came next. Wikipedia lists 75 artists who have recorded this song since 1930, with Nat Cole and Johnnie Ray having notable hit versions in 1952. The Freshmen are the ONLY vocal group to record it. That distinction may be permanent because it would be tough to top this chart. The intricate vocal harmonies of Fools Rush In amaze as much today as they did almost 50 years ago when Ken Albers wrote the chart. The song sounded marvelous on The Freshmen Year in 1960 and sounds super when Group 22 does it self-contained today. The Big Band accompaniment adds a special touch, perhaps because the song started as a Big Band hit for both Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey. Miller had Ray Eberle's vocal. Dorsey featured a skinny guy from Hoboken named Sinatra. The GPC Jazz Ensemble made the song shine. Repeated listening suggests Fools wasn't Group 22's best performance of the evening, but saying that is akin to complaining when Babe Ruth only hit a triple.
FIVE TROMBONES REVISITEDThe Freshmen had been working on Four Freshmen and Five Trombone charts for recording at September's West Coast Jazz Party. Those performances may comprise the new FF Group 22 CD. Lucky convention attendees got to hear them first. Voices and Brass, recorded by Group 3 with arranger/conductor Pete Rugolo in 1959, could have been called The Four Freshmen and a Gang of Trombones. As many as nine 'bones played on some tracks. Five played on the classic track Candy and that chart kicked off the exciting Five Trombones segment. The GPC trombone section, augmented by a fifth player, sounded a tad tentative at the start but that didn't last long.Our Love Is Here to Stay made 400 people remember just how thrilling the Four Freshmen sound can be. Here were the four voices across five notes in the chord. Here were the second and third voices moving through the chord, the first and fourth voices anchoring at each end and the trombone choir providing rock solid backing. It was an absolutely stunning take on a chart that sounded utterly, well, fresh, even though we'd all heard it hundreds of times in our lives. Whew! The Freshmen and trombones swung through Somebody Loves Me and You Made Me Love You with a great sound mix allowing us to hear bass and piano driving the rhythm section. By the time the guys got to the famous break before the bridge, "Doo Wah, Doo Wah, Pete Rugolo" it was obvious to every listener that these arrangements sound as contemporary today as they did when we fell in love with Four Freshmen and Five Trombones. You Stepped Out of a Dream is a long time personal favorite and the gently swinging piano and trombone choir complemented an outstanding Freshmen vocal. The entire band came back for Route 66, the classic Freshmen favorite that also first showed up on Voices and Brass. The Freshmen were cookin', the band was smokin' and the whole gang rocked down that familiar highway. Bobby Troup was smiling somewhere. From the start of the show it was apparent the Freshmen were pumped. It was also obvious that an undeclared cutting contest was going on among the trumpet players on stage. Band leader Greg McLean was good as were members of his trumpet section but the knowing smiles from Bob, Vince and Brian left no doubt that they knew what was happening. Building contractors should have been standing by because Curtis Calderon blew the roof off the ballroom of the Crowne Plaza at Ravinia that night. Veteran sound mix master Erich Bucholtz again had the music going great. Legendary retired FF member and arranger Greg Stegeman painstakingly transcribed the original Five Trombones charts and the convention audience came prepared to love every minute of it. When the night was over a lot of fans who have heard a lot of Four Freshmen concerts over a lot of years were of like mind: this night just might have been the greatest FF concert any of us had ever heard.
December 9, 2007 Venue: Holiday Pops, Reading Pops Orchestra, Reading PA By:
POPS go the Freshmen!The Four Freshmen wowed an extremely appreciative sold out crowd at the Miller Center for the Arts in Reading, PA on Sunday (12/9) afternoon. They performed with the Reading Pops Orchestra while also being self-contained. They sang several songs from their new Xmas album and resurrected several old gems from the Freshmen Songbook. When was the last time you have heard "How Can I tell Her", "Laura", "My One and Only Love", "The Day Isn't Long Enough", and my personal favorite "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" performed in concert by this amazing quartet of musicians. I have attended many concerts by the FF over the years, but this had to be one of the most enjoyable for me. The strings from the orchestra embellished the ballads in a way that was simply put "pure heaven". If you have not been to a Freshmen concert in a while, you must put that experience on your New Year's resolution's list. Bob, Curtis, Vince, and Brian are superb. Great to see all of you again!!!December 9, 2007 Venue: Holiday Pops, Reading Pops Orchestra, Reading PA By: Like Bob Rossi, I was one of the fortunate 500 to attend The Four Freshmen Holiday Pops Concert yesterday afternoon in Reading, PA, backed by the 49 piece Reading Pops Orchestra. I have probably seen The Four Freshmen in performance at least ten or eleven times over the past five or six years. But I have never heard them sound as great, or appear to be in better spirits than yesterday! I'm sure the full orchestral backing (49 musicians, 23 strings) had to be a real high for the guys. And hearing them perform most of the titles from their new Christmas CD "Snowfall" with full orchestral backing was nothing short of sensational! Needless to say, it was a wonderful afternoon. Some personal observations... Hearing the orchestra bring the group off and on with a full string sound on "It's A Blue World" was simply gorgeous. Vince's whistling on "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" was haunting and you could hear a pin drop. Curtis joking about how many younger people today don't even know the names of some of the instruments contained in a large orchestra... then proceeding to introduce the cello as a ... trombone! For those of you who might be interested, the program was as follows:
PROGRAMREADING POPS ORCHESTRA
"The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" THE FOUR FRESHMEN
"Poinciana" INTERMISSION READING POPS ORCHESTRA "Jingle Bells" THE FOUR FRESHMEN
"White Christmas" Let me simply say this Holiday Pops Concert had to be a real early Christmas present for all who were there!
May 18-19, 2007 Venue: Southern Theater, Columbus, OH By:
Road Show!In the historic Southern Theater in Columbus,OH, The Four Freshmen along with The Columbus Jazz Orchestra and Kelly Delaveris gave a FANTASTIC proformance to a sellout crowd for the second night in a row! The theater seats 990 and this concert was part of their Great American Songbook Series. The sixteen piece band certainly did the Kenton tradition proud. They initially started the show and after Kelly did three numbers our guys came on and under their own accompanyment started out with "If I Had You" and "Little Girl Blue" then with the full power of the band behind them they did "Day In, Day Out", "Poinciana" and "Day By Day".At intermission I helped to sell the CD's and DVD's and hand out Four Freshmen Society membership applications and copies of the Fresh News that were brought in by none other than Corporate Board of Directors President Tom Purvis. The second half were more Kenton Road Show numbers and then the guys by themselves did "Blue World", "Another You" and "Goodbye". Finishing up the evening with the band they did "Something's Gotta Give", "Wide World" and "Route 66". What a night!!! After the show, Becky and I had a chance to talk to the guys and found out that after their two shows in Indianapolis they will be heading home for a much needed rest since they have been on the road for over six weeks. Another interesting thing about this venue is that this is the place where, fifteen years ago, Bob Ferreira did his first show as a member of The Four Freshmen. Like I said: What a night!!!
April 23, 2007 Venue: Greenwood-Lander Performing Arts Center, Greenwood, SC By:
The Four Freshmen Serenade South CarolinaI've heard the Freshmen in many small-town venues; the Greenwood-Lander Performing Arts Center in Greenwood, SC experience was one of the nicest. The venue is on the campus of Lander University. Greenwood is a "short" three-hour drive from Atlanta and it was a nice run for Gael and me in our Corvette!The 1000+ seat hall was filled with many patrons unfamiliar with Group #22 -- until now. The guys opened with "Something's Gotta Give" (Brian has a new guitar; I forgot to ask him about it). Next was "You Stepped Out Of A Dream" followed by "Invitation". The harmonies and musicanship were on the nose (as usual; we're so jaded!) Then came "Young And Foolish", "You've Got Me Cryin' Again", and then Brian's always crowd-pleasing "If I Only Had A Brain". Next was "Angel Eyes" from the "Live From Las Vegas" DVD and currently playing on YouTube.com. (By the way, the two videos from the DVD have been up on YouTube only since April 21st and they've been viewed more than 5,000 times so far!) Tempo rose for "Somebody Loves Me" followed by the mellow "Mamselle" and back up-tempo for "It's All Right With Me". Next were "Skylark", "Rain" and the set closed with their rousing arrangement of "After You've Gone". The audience showed their appreciation with enthusiastic applause. I ran the CD/DVD table in the lobby during intermission; apparently most patrons kept their seats and I saw few folks in the lobby at all. Fifteen minutes later, the house lights signaled the start of the second set while I scrambled back to my front-row seat. The second set opened with "Route 66" followed by the traditional FF hit "In This Whole Wide World". Then came "That Old Feeling". Then, my favorite part of the show, the guys gathered on the stage apron around a single mike and sang "Poinciana", "If I Had You" and my new favorite Freshmen tune (after the release of the "In Session" CD), "You've Changed". I particularly enjoy Vince's bass work and Curtis' vocal solo in this arrangement. Next they acknowledged the recent passing of Ken Albers and dedicated "Another You" to him. This was followed by "After You" and "Day By Day" (also available on YouTube.com). Next were "Goodbye" and "Every Time We Say Goodbye". If anyone doubts that the FF are a jazz group, listen to the solos on the lead break on that tune! They closed the set (and the show) with "Blue World" and "Day In, Day Out". Of course the guys came out into the lobby to shake hands and autograph CDs and DVDs. Every time I see them I'm struck by three things: Their near-perfect vocals, their musicianship -- and the fact that they are four genuinely nice young men. Can't wait until Portland!
March 17, 2007 Venue: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota, FL By:
The Four Freshmen take Sarasota!The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is a spectacular venue for the Four Freshmen seating 1,730 & it was almost a full house (1450 seats sold). This afternoon show at the huge Purple Cow (as it is affectionately known by all the locals) as part of the Sarasota Jazz Festival started promptly at 2pm. Although I've lived here for so many years I don't get around so this was my first visit with front row seat orchestra pit under Curtis' horn.The guys started with "It's Allright" and "You Stepped Out of a Dream" both arranged by Brian; "Where Have You Gone" & "Come Into My Heart" followed by one of my favs "Young & Foolish". They all wore dark grey suits & matching grey shirts but no green ties for St. Paddy & Vince had his usual red hankie. The horn solo "You Got Me Crying Again" was lush; then Brian did his solo "If I Only Had a Brain" with more of Curtis on horn and Vince whistling. This time Curtis did all the maestro accolades pointing out Brian's multifaceted instrumental skills as well as group CPA; Vince's trombone & clarinet (didn't know) and joked about Bob's celebrity lookalikes; Howie Mandel, Telly Savalas, Vin Diesel and Shaquille O'Neill. And, maybe they were all wearing green underwear! Then onward into "Angel Eyes" (sooo beautiful), "Somebody Loves Me" and "Mamselle" trading off several solos. The new arrangements by Brian of "Something's Gotta Give" & Hoagy Carmichael's "Skylark" were super. Being a bird nut must be relevant as I love Skylark. Curtis again hit the high timbre notes on "Rain" and "I Remember You" then they finished the first session with "Everytime We Say Goodbye" at 3pm. What better way to start with a bang after intermission than with "Route 66", "In This Whole Wide World" & "That Old Feeling" then with one MIC for the special tunes so perfectly performed "Poinciana", "If I Had You", and one of my very favorites since they invited it into their repetoire three years ago "You've Changed" with Curtis doing two solo bars with soft verve and ending this tune with Vince's unique strategy on bow. Nice if he could use that more often. Also he has another Bass Fiddle, this one red mahogany smaller than that odd shaped heretofore special designed one. The contrast with the red and Brian's semi-bright yellow maple guitar is noticeable. Again another brilliant arrangement by Brian. Bob did some slapstick comedy with a brilliant idea about a new album for Thanksgiving instead of Christmas & went on a tangent about lambs and turkeys & it ended up we were the turkeys falling for such nonsense as they lunged into "There Will Never Be Another You" & the signature song "Blue World " where the audience swooned. Then "The Day Isn't Long Enough" ended the one mic session with absolute no drumming from Bob. Another awesome arrangement from Brian on "After You've Gone" showed Vince's tricky fingers walkin' the bass solo and rip-roaring drum and horn work. This tune brought tons of claps and whistles from the audience (no, we weren't going to sleep but knew the end was near). Bob then sang his well known beautiful rendition of "How Do You Keep the Music Playing" to perfection as usual. They closed, seemingly much too soon, with the proverbial Stan Kenton/Julie Christy play on words "Day In Day Out" & THEN WE ALL requested an encore so they jumped right into "We'll Be Together Again". I attended this concert with Ray & Pam Gardner who chauffered me from home & back. We met up with Sheila & Bob Fitzgerald & Jack & Mary Morrison & we all joined together for dinner with great comaraderie talking about all the past concerts, past Conventions and the future Four Freshmen Convention in Portland, Oregon August '07. A great ending to a beautiful day as I told myself I better stop thinking "I Don't Get Around Much Anymore" LOL. Here are some photos to share:
 Barbara and Bob
Barbara Mezzatesta
October 10, 2006 Venue: Beaver Valley Community Concert Association, Beaver Falls, PA By:
Four Freshmen Evening in Beaver Falls, PAOn Tuesday evening, October 10, 2006, the Beaver Valley Community Concert Association kicked off its new season with the absolute best talent available anywhere in this whole wide world---Brian, Curtis, Vince and Bob..s The Beaver Falls Middle School Auditorium was sold out to the tune of more than 1400 extremely well pleased patrons, who got to enjoy something new in a great Four Freshmen concert. On several occasions Curtis used a mute, which intensified the warm, melting personal sounds of many Freshmen favorites.It was very gratifying to watch eager buyers line up to snap up In Session, Live In Holland, the new Live From Las Vegas DVD, et cetera, both at intermission as well as after the concert when all four Four Freshmen made themselves accessible for signing and chatting. Each one of them overflows with charm and charisma. Love them, love their music. Love their music, love them. Wonder if there is any way to get audiences to hold their applause on "It's A Blue World" until after the Eb major seventh chord on the first occurrence of the words 'blue' and 'world'. Applause always starts about the end of the word 'It's' and continues for the rest of the first line. This drowns out what for any discerning ear is the only real auditory definition of the color blue. It certainly is better than a dictionary definition of the concept of blue. Even someone blind from birth feels he knows what 'blue' is after hearing the Four Freshmen sing that first major seventh chord. It may actually be the best representation of 'blue' for sighted persons as well.
July 7, 2006 Venue: The Stoneham Theater, Stoneham, MA By:
Concert at Stoneham TheaterIf you had been lucky enough to be seated front row, center tonight at the Stoneham Theater, your opinion (of the Four Freshmen) would have gone up maybe ur, five or more notches. The show was just awesome. We hadn't seen them since October, so their beautiful "Laura" and "Nancy With the Laughing Face" were new to m e and just gorgeous. I had never heard my favorite from the In Session CD, "If I Had You", done live. <Different arrangement than on the CD but so beautiful. They just keep sounding better and better. I know the front row may not be the best seats acoustically speaking, but when they come forward to the front of the stage and sing with just the bass and guitar, it's the only place to be. For one thing, it makes you appreciate what a really good guitarist Brian is. They had a sold-out house and a really enthusiastic audience so they were really "on". They even agreed to a request for Graduation Day as their encore. Not really a favorite of mine, and I suspect it's not a favorite of theirs either, but they were gracious enough to sing it, since quite a few of their audience were asking for it. And of course they were their usual charming selves after the show, meeting and greeting their fans and signing CDs. OK; so now I can't wait for the convention! I asked Brian and Curtis if they thought the DVD would be ready in time for the convention and they said they hoped so. They said there were just a few legalities to be settled. So here's hoping. Pittsburgh here we come! Just seven more weeks..
August 4-6, 2005 Venue: Amsterdam, The Netherlands By:
2005 FFS Amsterdam ConventionHats off to Henny Grote (Chairman), Palle Christensen, Rob van Alberda, Jan Smeding, Rein de Graff, Pascal Aartman and their entire committee for making this year's Four Freshmen Society Convention such a great success.Music is an important focal point of having a convention. First, to hear that special Four Freshmen harmony, and then to enjoy the sound of "GOOD" music in general. This year's convention was filled with all of the above and in spades. There were more hours of music provided then at any previous convention. Thursday night's headliner was an 80-year-old songstress named Rita Rey. She is often referred as the first lady of jazz in (Netherlands) Europe. She was indeed very entertaining. Rein de Graff (the musical director of the convention) followed with his own trio along with a young, very talented lady singer named Francien van Tuinen. Many of you may remember Rein who has preformed at past FFS Conventions. This was followed by Rein leading a jam session with Yaz Ichiura on trombone (Japan) and Barry Aldrous (UK) on clarinet. This went on past one in the morning. Friday night we experienced the pleasure of hearing Frank Sinatra (or I should say a Frank Sinatra sound-alike - Pascal Maertens) backed by a young nine piece band called the Young Sinatra's Big Band. It was great hearing that Sinatra sound and all those great big band arrangements that were part of the Sinatra mystique. Closing your eyes, you could imagine Frank being with us! It was now 10:30 and we were all ready to hear "OUR GUYS"! It gets repetitious to say how good they are, so I only say the next hour and ten minutes flew by in milliseconds. No new arrangements, just a nice mix of old and newer arrangements. Newlywed Brian does such a nice job moving the Freshmen forward with his arrangements and lead vocals. Next, more jamming again till after 1 AM. Saturday night was a special treat, as we were bussed to the Concertgebouw, a 19th century concert hall with great acoustics. After hearing the New Millenium Jazz Orchestra perform, the audience of over 1500 people were treated to a great performance by the Freshmen. Bob's "More Love" solo was a big hit with the crowd. I felt Vince sounded better on the trombone than I ever recall. And when the orchestra returned to play with the Freshmen for the last five numbers, Curtis seemed pumped up and really let loose with his trumpet (perhaps he wasn't going to let the trumpet section of the Orchestra show him up). I asked Curtis after the show about this and he said that at so many smaller venues he feels he has to hold the sound down a bit but said in this Big Hall he could let it all hang out. Vince ran out of breath on one of his whistling solo's - must be the first time for this. His bass was damaged when unloading at the Concert Hall but Vince did a beautiful job on the one he borrowed from the Orchestra. This convention provided all the favorite things we all seem to enjoy, such as the sing -along of the wannabies led by Yas; the group seemed to grow with each session finally with over forty of us harmonizing along with Ross, Sue and Vince on Saturday afternoon. The "Fresh Talk" session was popular too. This included frank answers by some of the Freshmen when asked "When did you first fall in love with the Freshmen sound and when did you first hear of the Freshmen?" "I did not hear of the Freshmen until I was called for an audition" or " It took me many months after becoming a Freshmen before I really loved the sound". Wow- those were frank answers. THEY ALL SAID THEY DO LOVE THE FRESHMEN HARMONIES NOW VERY MUCH! General Comments-
- Ross was giving his usual hug and warm greeting to everybody who walked into the hotel. - Bob Flanigan looked better and more relaxed then anytime I have seen him in past few years. Also he wore his hair a little shorter. - Too many Europeans smoke - smoke-filled rooms are not fun. - Europe and the U.S. both have many excellent jazz musicians. - The Holiday Inn - Amsterdam was a very nice hotel - The Committee put together a booklet with a history, pictures and facts about the Freshmen. They also made a large color poster with all the CD covers of Freshmen recordings. I hope these will be avaliable from the Music Mart. If so, be sure to get a copy as you will really enjoy having it.
May 28, 2005 Venue: Edmonds Center for the Arts -- Edmonds, WA By:
The Four Freshmen in Edmonds - 2005Well, it's all over now. The Four Freshmen concert in Edmonds, Washington is history but this concert will remain in the minds of those who saw and heard it forever. The 900 seat auditorium was within a few seats of being full and the fifty seats that our group had reserved held forty-eight fans of the guys.Let me back up a bit to say that this is the second time that the Four Freshmen have been the headliners at the "Edmonds Jazz Connection's" festival. Edmonds is about twenty miles North of Seattle and each year the Rotary Club of Edmonds "Daybreakers" sponsor a jazz festival. The proceeds from this event benefit the "Burned Children Recovery Fund" a nationwide organization based here in Edmonds. The jazz goes on in venues all over town and ends with a concert that features some nationally known jazz musicians. Our guys were selected for the first year (five years ago) and were so well received that they were chosen again for this year's concert. The concert began with some vocal and instrumental groups from high schools and colleges around the state. The performances of these students was really very good and it was hard to believe that most of them had not played and sung together except for one or two rehearsals. After a short intermission it was time to dim the lights and welcome the Four Freshmen to the stage. There is really no need to say very much about how good these four are as we already know that. We have come to expect them to be at their best at all times and we were not disappointed this time. They opened with an old favorite, Day In, Day Out, and that got everyone on the edge of their seats. They have very good stage presence as they interact with the audience and incorporate local humor between songs. Bob Ferreira is a native of this part of the State and they made a lot of jokes about that at Bob's expense. I can always tell a lot about how well a performance is going by the expression on the faces in the audience. It was easy to tell that this one was going very well. A couple of us, Keith Rydman (the Washington State FFS Rep) and I had offered to sell CDs in the lobby and that went very well as we sold almost everything except the box they came in. So many folks converged on our sales table when it was over, waving money in the air and clamoring to get a CD, that we could hardly keep track of what we were doing. We were rather proud of our selling success until we realized that it was the Four freshmen who sold the CDs and we were simply the clerks at the sales table. The four of them sat at an adjoining table signing autographs and talking with fans as fast as they could but answering all the questions as if that was all they had to do. These guys really make a hit with their audience and each one feels like they know them personally after talking with them for only a very short time. Now, for those who really want to know every song they sang, here is the list. I have to thank Carmen Merritt for keeping track of them for me, without her help I would not have the list:
I can tell you for certain that this will not be the last time we get to see and hear The Four Freshmen in this part of the country and it will not be another five years before that happens. I would be committing a great oversite if I did not mention that we, Keith and I, were treated so well by the Rotary Daybreakers that we almost felt like members of their fantastic club. Whatever we asked for, tables, chairs, tablecloths, etc., was provided without question. These people are great to work with and for and we would do it again anytime. Here are some terrific performance pix taken by Ramiro Silva of Split Second Images; thanks for letting us put them on the FF website!:
March 7, 2005 Venue: The Players Center -- Sarasota, FL By: Well, they did it again! A sold out crowd of 500 all eagerly enjoyed another outstanding evening of songs that only our Four Freshmen can accomplish to perfection. The acoustics were flawless both from my front row seat to the very back row. The first set smoothly moved from "Young & Foolish", "You have me Crying Again", "Angel Eyes", the beautiful "Indian Summer", "Skylark", "Everytime We say Goodbye", "Mam'selle", "Rain", Brian's solo "If I Only Had A Brain" among others. After intermission they opened with "Poinciana", "Route 66", "In This Whole Wide World", "Somethin's Gotta Give", "I Could Have Told You", "That Old Feeling", "September Song". Then, using only one mic, three gorgeous arrangements of "How Can I Tell Her", "There Will Never Be Another You" & "You've Changed" (which is a new song in the repetoire with Curtis singing a solo). "Day By Day" with Vince's Trombone & Curtis on Guitar, "It's A Blue World", Bob's hauntingly beautiful solo "How Do You Keep the Music Playing". They then rocked the hall with "After You've Gone" by Curtis's soaring trumpet riffs & Vince's unique bass.
October 2, 2004 Venue: North Kingstown High School -- North Kingstown, RI By: The Four Freshmen "Live"!If and when the Four Freshmen show themselves within driving distance, go to their performance.....they are truly "fresh," they are blending beautifully, and their musicianship is A-1. Old tunes, new tunes, the "old" sound, a sound that's new, but still old! They interchanged instruments (Ferreira and Calderon did not), they sang out front of the microphones (almost a capella), and they humorously interacted with each other.As Barbara (dear wife) and I walked into the performance center at North Kingstown (Rhode Island) last evening, the music emanating from the speakers was Kenton....not only as we walked in, but at the intermission and after we walked out at the end, Stan Kenton's band was played for all of us.....John Patterson, a long-time Kentonian (I mailed him 'The Network' over the years all over the world wherever he was on assignment), who produced the Frosh saw to that. Don Boland, long-loving Four Frosh fan, promoted the event.....he and long-time friend of the Frosh, George Messier sold the CDs and other Frosh paraphanelia.....Don's grandson, Patrick, was also selling the CDs.....their newest CD was available "'Live' in Holland," with a big band.....other luminaries were present: Steve Bianchi (program manager for our only Newport based, but Block Island-antennaed, 24 hour jazz and blues station), Bill Pandozzi (jazz DJ for WRIU-FM at the University of Rhode Island and WICE in North Providence), and various other Kentonians and friends, with whom I got to talk with at the intermission and afterwards. A nicely peopled event, a great new group of Freshmen (relatively new), and great Kenton-inspired sounds. The Frosh are: Bob Ferreira, who is in his twelfth year as a fourth-part singer and drummer; Vince Johnson sings baritone, plays bass, guitar and trombone; Brian Eichenberger is only the third lead singer in Frosh history, he plays guitar and bass; and, Curtis Calderon joined the group in 2001, sings the second part and plays trumpet and flugelhorn for the Frosh. Lots of whistles and screams from the mostly older crowd with a sprinkling of younger folk and teens......after all, it was in the high school "auditorium." [Friend, fellow musician (I worked with Joe during the late 1940s and1950s when we were in high school) and trumpet player, Joe Pelosi, brother of saxophonist, Art Pelosi, was head of the music program for years at the high school.] Many long-time subscribers to "The Network," and various friends came up to me at intermission and we had a marvelous discussion about Kenton, the Frosh, and with one new convert, about music in general.
The program: Intermission
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-- They had 70 top selling singles -- They are six-time Grammy nominees -- JAZZ TIMES voted the Four Freshmen vocal group of the year in 2003 -- DOWNBEAT voted the Four Freshmen vocal group of the year in 2000 & 2001 -- Their website is: www.fourfreshmen.com
September 4,2004 Venue: Fred Kavli Theatre for the Performing Arts -- Thousand Oaks, CA By: Absolutely phenominal performanceAbout 2800 of 3000 seats filled with enthusiastic fans of NPR KCLU for 10th anniversary of same. Started out with a "warm-up" from a trio headed by 13 year old virtuoso pianist Austin Peralta. It's a plus to have a good opener and this kid is already as good as Oscar Peterson in mid-career.The Freshmen came on with 45 minutes of their best stuff including a lot of things I hadn't seen in the year-plus I hadn't seen them, including a wonderful Brian arrangement of "You've Changed" that featured Vince playing bow on his bass, a FF "first" we were told. It sounded almost like the Mills Brothers and I mean that positively. The Herman Herd came on after intermission and they were a really talented group of musicians. We are lucky to have so many great artists in the Los Angeles area. Just an example: Bobby Shew was playing what amounted to fifth trumpet in a five trumpet section. The other four were Ron Stout (no relation to Kevin?), Carl Saunders, Mark Lewis and Kye Palmer. Trombones included John Fedchock and the saxes that did "Four Brothers" were Frank Tiberi, Rob Lockart, Jerry Pinter and Mike Brignola on baritone. The highlight of their set was the Bill Holman arrangement of "After You've Gone." After 45 minutes of the Herd, the FF came back on stage and did five more numbers with the big band backup, the first of which (of course) was "Day In Day Out." And it was the Kenton "Road Show" arrangement all the way. With the big band backing they also did "Poinciana" and "Day by Day" and finished with a really arousing "Route 66." It never fails to amaze me how well great musicians go together. Brian was coordinating with the big band and he was superb. These guys have taken it to the "next level" for sure. When they want to sound like the Four Freshmen they sound better than the best group. When they do something new like "You've Changed" they put their own signature on top of the FF signature AND IT WORKS! Plus, they seem to be appealing to a younger audience with their very obvious enthusiasm for what they do. What a great night! Don't miss these guys!
May 21, 2004 Venue: Grand Opera House - Oshkosh, WI By: A Grand Love Affair!He turned his eyes toward his companion as Bob Ferreira sang about being "the best of lovers and the best of friends." It was a brief moment during How Do You Keep the Music Playing? Earlier in the show she had affectionately reached out her hand to the man. Another brief moment. Were they a middle-aged couple reliving their youth? Or perhaps new love discovering itself? Whichever, they were just two of over 600 people who filled the Grand Opera House in Oshkosh, Wisconsin to carry on a love affair with the Four Freshmen.The Freshmen and Oshkosh go back a lot of years, a lot of audiences and, yes, a lot of Freshmen. On this May evening an audience was falling in love again with the Freshmen as they discovered Group #22. This audience departed only after a standing ovation, shaking hands with, buying CDs from and raving about Brian Eichenberger, Curtis Calderon, Vince Johnson and Bob Ferreira. And make no mistake, to that audience and every audience who hears them, these guys are the Four Freshmen. Here. Today. Now. Hip. Contemporary. And easy to love! When Brian sings, "If I Only Had a Brain" we aren't in Kansas anymore, Toto. Well, we aren't in 1958 anymore, either. We are in the 21st Century and so are today's thoroughly modern Freshmen! The set list this night hadn't changed much in the four months since your reviewer had last heard the group. In fact, the guys were five songs into the first set before surprising hard core fans with a song recently returned to the book, a stunning rendition of "You've Got Me Crying Again" from Four Freshmen & 5 Saxes. The arrangement offers breathtaking harmonies and the Freshmen nailed it. The second set brought a new arrangement and an old technique. Brian's arrangement of "You've Changed" was a throwback to the long ago days of monophonic recording as the group gathered around just one microphone. They followed with "My One and Only Love," another Brian chart that has been in the book for some time. Both arrangements are outstanding and the harmonies are great. The one mike scheme was novel, but probably unnecessary in Oshkosh. The Grand's sound board operator was doing a superb job mixing the four microphones. Moving to one mike seemed to diminish the volume and make it impossible to mix the harmonies to 2004 standards. "September Song" has a marvelous new Vince Johnson arrangement. Sure, we heard the Freshmen sing a few bars on Road Show with the Kenton band and June Christy. But Vince's chart is all Freshmen all the time and it is a keeper. This beautiful Kurt Weill classic now has the beautiful Freshmen arrangement it has deserved for decades. As with several other newer FF arrangements, this one seems destined to be on the next CD. The group is still opening with the difficult "Day In, Day Out" and following with "You Stepped Out Of A Dream," "Invitation" and Greg Stegeman's hot arrangement of "Young and Foolish," the song that kicks off the Live In Holland CD. The second set still opens with "Route 66" and follows with "Poinciana." "Every Time We Say Goodbye" continues to close the first set while both the January and May shows wrapped with "Day By Day," "It's A Blue World," Bob's solo on "How Do You Keep the Music Playing" and "After You've Gone" taken at breakneck speed. Responding to a rousing standing ovation, the Freshmen encored with "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring" and left to one more roar from the crowd. There were some fun moments during the show. Seeing my "ASK ME ABOUT THE FOUR FRESHMEN" topper as I headed for the lobby at intermission, the folks seated next to me pressed a $20 bill in my hand and begged me to bring them back a CD. The delivery boy delivered the goods. Bob Ferreira blew the opening to "September Song" and the group started over after Bob quipped that he thought they were doing "the other September Song." Curtis sang his first (to these ears) vocal solo (on "You've Changed"). John Bangs, the Bard of Oshkosh, lamented after the show that the Freshmen still have no keyboards. Some Fresh News issue, if our editor allows, I will pursue this point and invite Mr. Bangs to deliver his always-wise assessment to the masses reading this publication. Ah, but not this time. A summary : Group #22 is tremendously comfortable together. They like each other. They rehearse. They are remarkable musicians. They add new songs to the book. They work hard. They sing yesterday's songs super and they arrange and sing new material even better. They deserve our never-ending support. These guys are the Four Freshmen. It says so on my concert ticket. We enjoy a grand love affair with the Four Freshmen. But if Group #22 was named Four Guys from Minnesota, California, Washington and Texas they would still be a great, great musical act in 2004. And we would still love the music they are giving us. To quote, as I always do, Ira Gershwin: "Who could ask for anything more?" March 21, 2004 Venue: Altamonte Jazz Ensenble -- Altamonte Springs, Florida By: The Four Freshmen take Florida!To begin, a HUGE THANK YOU!!! must go out to Mr. Mike Arena, founder and leader of the Altamonte Jazz Ensemble. Almost single handedly, Mike pulled together a wonderful tribute to the late Stan Kenton on Sunday evening, March 21, 2004.Playing to a nearly capacity audience of extremely enthusiastic jazz music fans of ALL ages - from quite young to considerably senior (like me!), the band and Group 22 presented some fabulous "ear candy" in the auditorium of the Lake Brantley High School in the nearby suburb of Orlando. MC Jack Simpson of WUCF's "Jazz On The Beach" waxed eloquently about Stan Kenton, The Freshmen past and present and noted that what we heard was not just nostalgic jazz, but extremely good music still today. Mike Arena's began the tribute with the Bill Holman arrangement of "Stompin' At The Savoy" which elicited sustained applause. Vocalist Linda Cole wowed the audience with her renditions of "Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy;" "Across The Alley From the Alamo," and "Her Tears Flowed Like Wine. They finished with Kenton's "Dynaflow" and Johnny Richard's arrangement of "Maria" from "West Side Story." To hear some examples of the Altamonte Jazz Ensemble, go to their website: www.altamontejazzensemble.com and click on "sound clips." The MC introduced Group #22 and the first set was fantastic, self-contained, and consisting of their wonderful and melodious renditions of such classics as "Poinciana", "Something's Got To Give", "You Stepped Out Of A Dream", "That Old Feeling", "Skylark", "Everytime We Say Goodbye", "You've Got Me Crying Again" and "After You've Gone." Added to their vocalizations were some marvelous solos by Vince on bass and trombone, adding his unique style of "scatting" and whistling. Of course Brian had his usual "fingers of flame" stroking the strings on his guitar; Curtis wowed the audience with impeccable trumpet riffs and naturally, Bob kept the timing perfectly with his percussion proficiency. In all, we were left breathless when it came time for them to take a short break. Following the intermission, the Jazz Ensemble brought back extremely pleasant memories of the Stan Kenton era, doing the Bill Holman arrangements of "Malaguena" and "I Remember You." The Freshmen returned to the stage and performed with the Altamonte Jazz Ensemble backing them doing more standards from the American song book, begining with "Route 66". They followed those up with incredibly close harmony in "Fools Rush In," "In This Whole Wide World" and a rousing rendition of "There Will Never Be Another You." Curtis Calderon gave one of his inimitable introductions of Bob Ferreira and when he announced that Bob was going to thrill the audience with his heart-stopping rendition of "More Love," I screamed out "YEAH!" which then prompted Curtis to note that "Bob's boyfriend was in the audience." Now Pam refused to allow me to sit anywhere near the front in future concerts so I can no longer bug the guys. Awwww! Anyway...after the sustained applause ended, the Brian, Curtis and Vince joined him on stage to do two more l-o-n-g t-i-m-e Freshmen "standards" - "It's A Blue World" and "Day In Day Out." Then in fitting tribute to our armed forces, both here at home and abroad, Bob Ferreira asked that everybody stand and that they would end the show with their marvelous rendition of our National Anthem. At the end of the anthem, the auditorium erupted with the loudest applause of the evening. On a personal note, I honestly and truly believe that the Four Freshmen's version of the National Anthem needs to be played at EVERY sporting event in the country THIS YEAR! We were fortunate to bring four other couples with us to the show. Now they fully understand why I've been a Freshmen "Fan-atic" for 55 years. To say they were impressed was an understatement! Not only did they all purchase a CD but picked up the necessary literature in order to become members of the Four Freshmen Society. Ta-Dum!!! Oh yes...cannot forget to mention some dignitaries that were in attendance... 2003 FFS Convention Host Ray Brown was there as well as Rod Dague and his wife that we met on the Hawaiian cruise back in 2000. He even remembered "Old 'n Slo." I was doing my best to make notes in the dark so I must apologize that I didn't get the name of the central Florida FFS rep. Sorry about that! Sadly, we had over an hour's drive home and the good lady had to go to work today so we were unable to hang around for the "afterglow" party but I'm sure everyone that was lucky enough to stay got to meet and greet the World's Greatest Jazz Recording Artists. Tonight "our guys" will be doing another stellar performance for the lucky folks in Vero Beach. Then they go on further south for four evening shows in Palm Beach before they'll FINALLY get a break to go home and rest their voices for a few days. I chatted briefly before the performance with a couple seated directly in front of us. They had not heard a "live" Freshmen performance since 1955 and I was doing my usual promo job in bringing him somewhat up to date and telling him he was in for the greatest music ever performed. At the break he turned around, made the "OK" sign with his right hand, saying "Wow...you were right!" The lady behind me was equally enthusiastic (as was the whole audience actually) and went on and on about them and Curtis' trumpet work. The consensus among the ladies in our row was (and I quote) "Those boys are so cute we'd just like to take them home with us!" Another gentleman I met during the break didn't realize the Freshmen were still together and continuing to perform. He hadn't heard them since 1965 in Ohio. Is there any more pertinent reason why there shouldn't be more national exposure for these guys? My God...they're neatly dressed, well-behaved, extremely personable and multi-talented. But like someone said here not too long ago..."Oh well, they don't destroy hotel rooms. They're not drug addicts and don't perform stoned. What chance to they have in today's music market?" Well I say they need to be held up as examples of how musicians should conduct themselves. They are, quite simply, the best in the business. That's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it!
January 30, 2004 Venue: Centre East Theater -- Skokie, Illinois By: , FFS Wisconsin
A HOT time in the Cold TownThe big cold January wind howled in off Lake Michigan and met the Four Freshmen head-on in Chicago. The cold wind lost.The Freshmen warmed up a late-January audience of almost 700 in Skokie's Centre East Theater complex. The crowd responded enthusiastically to a 31 song show that included for fans some predictable selections and some that were much less predictable. A delight for this longtime Freshmen fan was the inclusion of nine - nine! - songs that have never been recorded by any Four Freshmen group. Four Freshmen Society members in attendance were thrilled by the new material, hoping that most of the new songs in the book can form the base for an exciting new studio album. Four Brian Eichenberger arrangements of Great American Songbook classics were highlights of the new material. "Skylark," the Hoagy Carmichael/Johnny Mercer gem, left the audience breathless with its beauty late in the first set. "Something's Gotta Give," "My One and Only Love and "That Old Feeling" were three more "new" oldies that sound as if they are finding a permanent place in the Freshmen repertoire. The great Greg Stegeman-arranged uptempo romp on "Young and Foolish," Brian's solo trip down the yellow brick road, "If I Only Had a Brain," Vince Johnson's tour de farce on "All Around the World" and Bob Ferreira's stunning take on Michel Legrand's "How Do You Keep the Music Playing" were terrific crowd pleasers. And you may call it madness but "I Call It Love" has been a regular crowd pleaser since added to the book last year. The song has become a concert staple in a short period of time. "Young and Foolish" and "I Call It Love" will appear on the Four Freshmen Society CD exclusive of the Amsterdam concert. Both songs fairly scream for a first-rate studio tracking in the near future! "Day In, Day Out," opened the concert with an arrangement somewhat less bold and uptempo than in past incarnations of the Road Show classic. Freshmen fans who mourn the absence of keyboards may have a point on this selection. Fans accustomed to the brassy Stan Kenton band treatment by Group #3 find the guitar, bass and drums backing lacking instrumental oomph. Five songs from 5 Trombones and three from 5 Trumpets were joined by two songs each from 5 Guitars and Love Lost. Vince Johnson's scat work was a highlight of a delightful take on "You Stepped Out Of A Dream." Curtis Calderon brought back memories of Chet Baker with his trumpet solo on "I Remember You" as Brian added tasty guitar fills. "Mam'selle" is back in the book after an absence of, what, decades? Curtis swung the solo on "Somebody Loves Me" and "Angel Eyes "was taken at a slightly faster-than-normal pace that worked surprisingly well. Both sets had closers from 5 Trumpets. Curtis double-timed the trumpet solo on "Every Time We Say Goodbye" to wrap the first set and the Freshmen smoked on "After You've Gone" to close the second. But it was the FF take on "There Will Never Be Another You" that had old-time fans buzzing in the lobby! "Another You" has appeared on several albums over the decades in takes that ranged from adequate (5 Trumpets) to almost unlistenable (Live At Butler). The song now belongs, make no mistake, to Group #22. The current FF ensemble has mastered the song and the arrangement. Fans familiar with the historic FF book were delighted with the dead-on vocal discipline all four singers brought to the song at Skokie. If the Four Freshmen are supposed to sound like the trombone section of the Kenton band, the Group #22 version of "When Your Lover Has Gone" provides a brilliant example. The Kenton influence was unmistakable. Along with "I Could Have Told You," the Freshmen have brought back two songs from Love Lost that are wonderful recreations. The harmonies on "Indian Summer" dazzled Freshmen fans on In Person. The harmonies of Group #22 on the same song in Skokie brought aural radiance to an enraptured audience. The Frosh abandoned their microphones, moved to the front edge of the stage and encored with the acapella version of "Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring." With those warm weather thoughts the audience headed back into the bitterly cold night. Fans from at least six states braved sub-zero temperatures to hear one of the hottest young acts in music today. For a couple of hours the Windy City winter had been tamed and our hearts and heads were filled with the joy the Four Freshmen bring to listeners who truly care about the music.
January 15, 2004 Venue: Two Rivers Convention Center -- Grand Junction, Colorado By: Foz, Frank and The FreshmenOver the course of the years, I've been to a lot of memorable Freshmen concerts, but this one was particularly special to me, because it was truly a Fosburgh Family affair. My brother, Randy, opened for the guys, doing his "Perfectly Frank" tribute to Sinatra.'Twas a brisk January night here in Grand Junction, Colorado. I don't know when the Freshmen performed here last, or if they ever have. There were old timers at the concert who seemed to remember them passing through with a gentleman by the name of Kenton on a night way back when. The music was superb, of course. They sang A LOT of songs - standards, Freshmen classics and a few newer things to round it out. My favorites were "Invitation" (that I've liked ever since I heard it by the Kenton band), "Young and Foolish" (now we're just foolish, right, Flanigan?), "If I Only Had A Brain," "I Call It Love," "Rain," and "How Do You Keep the Music Playing" (melted right down into m'shoes, I did). Since I was working the table, I brought a bunch of pictures, memorabilia and got rid of every last copy of Fresh News that Chick shipped me. There was a lot of reminiscing because, like me, there are many people here in Grand Junction who have seen The Freshmen many times before. Most everyone wanted to know how Ross and Flanigan were doing - WE STILL CARE ABOUT YA, GUYS! It was great to see Bob F the Younger (even though I missed Bob F the Older - there are no substitutes for Long Tall Heroes) and Brian - and just to show you how long it's been, it was the first time I met Vince and Curtis, who I liked right away, cuz he's my size - check out the picture! They went on the next night to perform in Montrose, Colorado, and according to the promoter, the crowd was supposed to be even bigger than in Grand Junction. (He's bringing in The Four Lads and The Lettermen next.) Randy was in good voice, too, and did a great job of setting the mood. It was really a very special once in a lifetime night for Big Sis, like my own private little show that I shared with a few hundred other people who loved it as much as I did. So check out the picture - it hangs up on my wall next to me and Flan and Ross:
 And here's a picture of them with Randy "Perfectly Frank" Fosburgh:
December 16, 2003 Venue: Ruth Eckerd Hall -- Clearwater, Florida By: Four Freshmen Concert, Clearwater, FloridaThe new Ruth Eckerd Hall is almost completed & very plush from the lighting,larger stage & green velvet seating. My last visit was to see Bruce Hornsby May l8, l999. Audience for our guys was 90% full & this is with literally no advertising on radio or newspaper.Again, I stepped out of a dream on this daytrip.. Talked to Vince & Curt after the concert & still feel the vibrations. It's really nice to go thru the groupie thing at my grandmotherly age. They opened with "Day In Day Out", "You Stepped Out of a Dream", "Come Into My Heart", "Young & Foolish", "You Got Me Cryin Again". Then Brian sang his great "If I only Had a Brain" accompanied by Vince whistling & a pun on how Bob can't whistle. Next was Brian's arrangement of "Something's Gotta Give", superb trumpet & bass work. One of everyone's fav (mine too) "Skylark" was perfection in harmony. "That Old Feeling" was again accompanied by Vince whistling. I expected to join in on "Round The World" but it was extended without audience participation. They sang their hearts out on "Poinciana" & "Route 66", "There Will Never Be Another You", "In This Whole Wide World", "Day By Day", "It's a Blue World", "Everytime We Say Goodbye" all our favs. Bob sang clear crisp totally in key perfect Michel LeGrande's "How Do You Keep the Music Playing" & received a partial standing ovation. They continued with "Everytime We Say Goodbye" & the finale was "Graduation Day" the big HIT song of l954-55. The lighting was perfect; two or three spotlights on the grand stage with a lighted Christmas Tree East & West of the stage. Vince sported a red tie & Curt's patent leather shoes reflected his horn as he raised up on the high notes & I saw gold & silver shining out. Almost as if he had silver spurs on his shoes. He also switched to guitar on "Day By Day" with Vince on Trombone. "It's a Blue World" tore us up & was best of the best rendition. The boys are super-stardom great. NOW, if we can just get younger folks to listen to the FUTURE innovations of Group #22 as we did when we were teenyboppers.
November 1-8, 2003 What a wonderful way to spend a week, cruising the Caribbean, and having over eighty Jazz Musicians entertain you. The best part of all was listening to The Four Freshmen perform for eight full hours. The Freshmen at times were challenged fighting colds and not always having the best of conditions. For example, due to high seas the ship had to change course and abort our stop in Nassau. During one performance the ship was rocking pretty heavily. Curtis said he sometimes gets light headed hitting the high notes on his trumpet and combined with the ships rocking do not be surprised if he lands headfirst on the floor. Even with these distractions the Group was nothing short of fantastic. They sang fifty-three different songs. It is amazing how fast they are adding new material. I also like how they are continually tweaking existing arrangements putting their own personal stamp on many of the traditional numbers. This Group #22 is working hard, growing and maturing, trying new things and exploring different ways. There is an evolution happening right before our eyes as this Group #22 is distancing itself away from being another nostalgic 50's group. As Four Freshmen fans, we are so fortunate to be experiencing this. Perhaps the highlight of the their performances came on the last set of the last day of the cruise. During the break, a gentleman sitting in the first row by the name of Ray Evans asked Bob if he could buy a Four Freshmen CD. He told Bob that he wrote the song "How Can I Tell Her". After the break, Bob acknowledged the fact to the audience and the guys sang the song for him. Everyone in the room caught the excitement of the moment. Needless to say, Bob gave him a CD but Ray said "Let me buy a second copy, as I would like two". Ray Evans, 88, is a lyricist and along with his partner, the late Jay Livingston, penned many catchy tunes such as "Tammy" and "Silver Bells". They also won Oscars for "Button & Bows", "Mona Lisa", "Que Sera Sera". He was very humble and was most pleased to pose for pictures with the guys after the set was over. Anita Berry from St Louis is the person that makes the Jazz Cruise possible each year. She charters the whole ship and then takes the financial risk upon herself to see that it comes about with great jazz musicians. Brian sang "You came along way from St. Louie" just for her. She was all smiles and obviously enjoyed it very much. Finally, I would like to thank Jeri Ann Kelly for doing such a nice job of coordinating the trip for close to 100 Freshmen fans. She provided us with Blue FF "Golf" shirts and arranged a group picture with the Freshmen. She was always there looking out for our best interest -- a job well done, Jeri.
September 23, 2003 Venue: Woodlands Auditorium, Hot Springs Village, Arkansas By: Hi Everybody, By now you know that I didn't make it to Orlando (sob). BUT, I did make it to ARKANSAS! However, after everything the guys did the four or five days before arriving in Hot Springs, I don't know how they could sing a note! But, sing they did! So many new songs and arrangements! With their schedule, I don't know how they find time to learn them, but their repertoire is staggering. With only some repetition, every show seems to be new and different. This was a large auditorium, seating about 600. They told me that every seat was filled, but I was mesmerized. As far as I was concerned, there was no one there, but ME and THEM. I particularly enjoyed "INVITATION" so haunting! The a cappella section in "INDIAN SUMMER", so different and delightful. The heart and soul of "SKYLARK" gave me chills. "SEPTEMBER SONG"? A big hit with this audience. One of my all time favorites, "IN THIS WHOLE WIDE WORLD" was simply out of this world. You could have heard a pin drop when Bob went into his solo, "HOW DO YOU KEEP THE MUSIC PLAYING?". Absolutely spine tingling. I hope we hear more solos from Bob, and soon. During a lovely new rendition of the old favorite, "POINCIANA", Curtis did a departure melody, soft and melancholy. It was so intricate and exquisite, that the audience hardly knew what to make of it. He followed that with a rousing semi-solo in "THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER YOU". They understood that one, allright!! In the next number, "IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU", Curtis really blew that horn and the audience loved it. WOW! Huge applause. Which brings me to "ROUND THE WORLD". I love this little ditty . It stays in my mind for days. Such a fun tune, and Vince does it sooooo well. And, Brian's "GONE FISHIN'", which we all (well, all us ladies, anyway) know, has absolutely nothing to do with fish !!!! "IF I ONLY HAD A BRAIN", Brian's Wizard of Oz Brainchild, was honored with one of the largest rounds of applause of the evening. I do hope that when Group 22 comes out with a CD, all three of these fun numbers will be included. After all, even serious musicians, like THE FROSH, have to have some fun, sometime.
So, this is not all of the wonderful tunes that we were privileged to enjoy at the Hot Springs Village, but you get the idea. Talk about talent. Talk about entertainment. Sunday night in Arkansas, it was thorough and complete with a streshmen's ow
The greatness of the first Groups will never die and I feel are beyond comparison. Having said that, Group 22 sometimes seems just a little deeper, a little sweeter, and maybe, just maybe, a little better. This, from one who knows little about the technical side of music. I only know how it sounds to me, and I have loved the Freshman Sound for most of my life. Bottom line? Everyone must decide for themselves. Thanks for listening.
FRESHMEN FOREVER!
Respectfully,
Sally B.
The Freshmen opened with "Day In, Day Out." That is akin to Brett Favre throwing for the end zone on the first play of the game. Mike Beisner once told me the Freshmen have few songs in their repertoire more difficult than this classic from "Road Show." This reviewer has long considwwwwered the Group #3 Purdue University recording with the Stan Kenton band to be the single greatest Freshmen recording ever. And Group #22 came on stage in Dubuque and absolutely nailed it. The vocals were right on and Curtis Calderon blew a trumpet solo that almost reversed the flow of the Big Muddy. The audience went wild and the Freshmen fed off that the remainder of the show!
The two-set program featured 27 songs including four from the historic "Four Freshmen and 5 Trombones" album. "You Stepped Out Of a Dream" featured Vince Johnson's scat work and a swinging solo from Curtis. "Somebody Loves Me" found the hot San Antonio horn blazing hotter than ever. "Angel Eyes" gave us the classic FF harmonies and "Mam'selle" was an unexpected treat. A seemingly forgotten track from "5 Trombones", "Mam'selle" has a melancholy melody and a lyric that reflects the tensions in Europe in the first half of the 20th century. Our four guys, born well into the second half of that century, do it to perfection, no small compliment when discussing a song from "5 Trombones".
But it was the "new" material that seemed to excite the audience the most. By "new" I mean songs that feature new and/or unrecorded arrangements. Four of those arrangements have exciting new FF harmonies. Audiences have heard "Young and Foolish" for the past couple of years but it remains a surprise delight for listeners who haven't seen the group recently. Brian Eichenberger recently wrote a new chart for "Something's Got To Give" and the arrangement gives an exciting new life to the Johnny Mercer chestnut. Two other newer arrangements by Brian were featured back-to-back in the second set. "I Call It Love" and "My One and Only Love" brought strong audience response. The reaction offered proof again that the audiences of 2003 have much in common with the audiences of 50 years ago: they still love to hear the Freshmen sound wrapped around a new piece of material.
Vocal solos included Vince on "All the Way Around the World, Brian's popular trip to Oz with "If I Only Had A Brain" and Bob Ferreira's stunning rendition of Michel Legrand's gem, "How Do You Keep the Music Playing." "Music Playing" is one of those songs that was just waiting for Bob to sing it and, as usual, the audience was barely breathing by the final notes.
But the new arrangement that caused the lobby to really buzz at intermission was "September Song," a beautiful chart by Vince Johnson. The Kenton-June Christy-Four Freshmen combination did the song on "Road Show" but the Freshmen part was significantly limited as Kenton merely adapted his band arrangement to accommodate the extra vocalists. Vince's version of "September Song" is certain to become a Freshmen classic.
"Route 66," "Poinciana, "In This Whole Wide World," "Day By Day" and "It's A Blue World" drew the predictable warm audience response to equally predictable top-notch renditions by the Freshmen. "After You've Gone" closed the 2nd set, drew the first standing ovation and brought the group back for an acoustic "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring." That drew the second standing ovation and proved that Group #22 is able to put its own mark on a show while still paying the appropriate homage to the music and musicians who came before them over the past 55 years.
The anticipation was high in the hours leading up to showtime. It seemed as though everyone attending this mid-September concert in Dubuque had been waiting for months. Some fans, probably unable to wait, had wandered into the mid-afternoon sound check. A quirk in scheduling had kept the Freshmen from their natural Midwest musical habitat for far too long. The Freshmen had taken Dubuque by storm four years earlier. The fine folks from this lovely river city were obviously ready to hear this historic musical aggregation again. People had come from Chicago, Madison, Albert Lea, Minnesota and, yes, John Bangs came from Oshkosh to hear FF Group #22. John, the long-time and legendary retired president of our Four Freshmen Society, drove for several hours to hear his favorite musicians. Including John, nearly 500 were in the Grand Opera House when Bob, Brian, Vince and Curtis hit the stage. The Freshmen were merely great. The audience was merely thrilled. The music was remarkably outstanding.
Two years ago Greg Stegeman told me, "These guys can be great!" I wondered then if Greg was just trying to make me feel better about his retirement. Nope, Greg was right, as usual. It is two years later and, in fact, these guys are great!
And the guys, relaxed by and in good spirits because of the friendly reception they received, responded with a tremendous performance in the Grand Opera House in downtown Dubuque, just a few blocks from the banks of the Mississippi.
For me, it was an exciting show because it contained a great surprise -- a new Vince Johnson arrangement of “September Song.” I’ve never heard the Freshmen do any version of it live before, and even on the Road Show album, it’s shared (magnificiantly, I must add) with June Christy and the Kenton Orchestra. I’ve longed for an all-Freshmen arrangement ever since hearing the Road Show album for the first time; Wednesday night, it was just the guys and it was marvelous.
And I thus have a new reason to look forward with excitement to Orlando next week, when fans gather for the annual Four Freshmen reunion and where I anticipate hearing “September Song” again. If the guys do it, we’re all in for a real treat.
They also encored with my now second-favorite Freshmen number, “Their Hearts Were Full of Spring.” The a cappella number away from the mikes is a great way to end a show, displaying the great vocal talents of each member of the group.
I was pleased by the number of FFS members who were present -- I’m sure there were more there than I was able to meet, but I sure met a lot.
I also had more requests for FFS membership literature than at any other shows I’ve attended, and ALL of the comments I heard from those with whom I spoke at intermission and after the show were very, very positive about what they had just seen and heard. Several mentioned they’re headed to Orlando, and several who aren’t said they’re planning on making it to Grand Rapids next year.
Even though the Freshmen had some new songs not formerly in the book, and revived some old numbers not heard in many years, it didn’t lose the crowd -- in fact, I think it only made us more optimistic about the growing potential of Group #22. The song mix sure seemed to work just great last
night.
My deepest thanks to Brian, Curtis, Vince and Bob for a great, great show. I hope you left the theater knowing that you had made a great impact on old and new fans in Dubuque last night as both musicians and gentlemen.
P.S. One of those fans present last night was John Bangs, who drove over from Oshkosh for the show since he won't be in Orlando
The Four Freshmen have been a vocal harmony group since 1948. There have been twenty-two variations of the group, but they still retain the Four Freshmen sound. Their latest album Still Fresh was released in 2000.
Our own Umpqua Singers opened the evening singing wonderful songs, most of which were written or arranged by their director, Dr. Jason Heald. Their harmonies and musicianship rivaled that of the Freshmen. Their ensemble is a cohesive group that Umpqua Community College can be very proud of. This is the group that accompanied the tree that was placed at the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
All-in-all, this was a truly wonderful evening full of candy for the ears.
Bob next introduced "Our Guys" and they were "right on". It know it gets repetitious saying how great they sound, but it is true!!!!!!! I especially liked their adding "After You" to the program as I think it is one of the loveliest romantic songs ever performed. Bob also joined them in "Blue World". It was quite
appropriate since Detroit was the place that Blue World first became a hit.
You never seem to know what next is coming from Vince. Well, he now has a very stylish mustache and beard/goatee or whatever you call it. Could he be copying Bob? If so, will a shaved head be next?
This was not a typical Four Freshmen crowd as the majority of the 300 people came for dinner and to support the Cancer Center. Approximately 20% left after dinner. But with my wife Mary and fellow FFS members George and Ellie Nosky selling CD's and promoting FFS memberships after the concert, it became very clear from the
enthusiasm, questions and sales that the Four Freshmen made many new fans.
Jack Morrison
By: ROB ROGERS
In fact, The Four Freshmen aren't your average anything. The group has been around since 1948, seen 22 different members come and go, and still record new CDs every year.
The Four Freshmen Society, the group of fans that follows the band from town to town and help publicize the shows, would be just like most other screaming, adoring fan clubs, except that most of the members bought their last tube of zit cream 40 years ago and probably wore poodle skirts instead of halter tops to their first concerts.
"I'm not a groupy," said Portland attorney Dan Ellis. He said he can't think of any other groups or musicians he's a huge fan of. But when it comes to the Four Freshmen, he'll make the three-hour drive down I-5 to attend the concert without giving it a second thought. He did, after all drive to Las Vegas three years ago to attend the Four Freshmen 50th
Anniversary party.
The Four Freshmen performed Tuesday night as part of the Half Shell Summer Music series at Stewart Park. It was the group's first appearance at the Half Shell, and most people at the show, including the Four Freshman, hope it won't be the last, though it almost didn't happen.
Because of missed flight connection, the group showed up the band shell 30 minutes before they were supposed to go on stage.
"It was really rushed," said Freshman Brian Dichenberger. But within minutes they were set-up and ready to go. "The show itself was great. It's really cool having the river right there," he said.
Ellis drove down from Portland with fellow society members Dick Hall and Walt McKinney. It was the first time they'd seen a concert at the Half Shell, and they loved it.
"Oh, it was great," Ellis said.
"It was very emotional for us," Hall said. Hall, who's now in his 70s, has been a fan of the Freshmen most of his life. He's been a part of the Portland jazz scene for a long time as a musician and concert promoter, and personally knows many of the group’s past members.
He, like many of the group's fans, laments that the Freshmen aren't more popular. Groups like The Lettermen and the Beach Boys are just Freshmen spin-offs, he said.
"They've all copied the Freshmen," he said.
McKinney agreed. "Nobody can compete with them in my mind."
Tuesday night's concert drew fans from as far away as Vancouver, Wa. and Clear Lake, Ca. The drive from Clear Lake is a solid six hours. When asked if the long drive was worth it, Dan Delatorre said, "Oh yeah, I'm a big fan."
It's the society, in large part, that is responsible for bringing the Four Freshmen to the knowledge of the Half Shell organizers. Roseburg resident and arguably the area's biggest Freshmen fan, society member Gil Peterson basically talked Half Shell organizer Clint Newell into bringing the band.
"They're unbelievable," Peterson said. "They've never compromised the integrity of their sound."
The band is intensely aware of the society's influence and adoration. The Four Freshmen Society organized a party at Elmer's after the Half Shell show, drawing the Four Freshmen and the 25 society members who attended the show.
They do it at almost every Freshmen show and hold a yearly convention to connect fans with the group and their music. In fact, they do it so regularly, the members of The Four Freshmen already know most of the fans who showed up to Elmer's Tuesday night.
"They're wonderful people," said Freshman Bob Ferreira. Ferreira has been a Freshman for 10 years, the longest of the current Freshmen. He's also the oldest at 31.
"There's a trust," he said of stepping under the Freshmen mantle. The group's been around long enough and generated a big enough fan base that becoming a member could be daunting.
"We don't think about it that way," Ferreira said. He explained that while there's a certain style and sound fans expect, the group maintains their own integrity by arranging new music and keeping performances fresh.
And it's all gauged by fan response.
"I think this group is as good as it gets," said Hall.
• You can reach reporter Rob Rogers at 957-4202 or by e-mail at
July 6, 2002
July 7, 2002
By:
,FFS Vermont State Representative
On July 5th, in a lovely outdoor venue, the FF returned to the EcoTarium to the delight of the fans they've made in appearances there the past two summers. The group has a strong fan base in the Worcester area. Prior to the show, they appeared on WICN radio for a live interview - another annual event when they're in Worcester. Listeners heard cuts from the new CD, "Live in the New Millennium" as well as an impromptu, acapella version of "I'm Always Chasing Rainbow's" - a real treat!
After four days of brutal heat, the elements relented and provided a perfect, breezy evening for almost 1000 enthusiastic fans. It was especially heartening to see so many families at the EcoTarium, exposing young fans to the great Four Freshmen sound. And the Freshmen indeed sounded great in spite of an always-difficult-to- perfect outdoor sound system. New to the play list were "When Your Lover has Gone," ("a very depressing song," according to Brian) and "Every Time We Say Goodby," from FF/5 Trumpets. Another new item: Bob has a new drum set, featuring a snare, bass drum, cymbal and high hat, and a high stool that allows him to sit.
The next night, the FF filled the 350-seat Stoneham Theater. Again, technical difficulties with the sound system were frustrating. But leave it to these seasoned pros to turn a liability into an asset. Rather than submit the beautiful harmonies and poignant lyrics of "Indian Summer" to a less-than-perfect audio, the Freshmen stepped in front of the microphones, accompanied softly by Brian's guitar and Vince's bass. Fortunately, the Stoneham Theater is intimate enough to allow this to work. The audience listened in silent awe. Bob's solo verse was more emotionally moving than ever. Then, for the rest of the show, the guys joked with the audience, Curtis brought down the house with every horn solo, and the FF gave one of their most laid-back, swinging performances in recent memory.
The final show was at Christine's Dinner Club, a favorite venue for the FF for the past 7 years. They are a perennial sell-out. Folks even come by the tour bus-load for this one. A crowd of around 350 enjoyed another amazing show. The guys were introduced by a special guest announcer: David Bentley, Chairman of the Board of the Four Freshmen Society, Inc. Other FFS notables in attendance at one, two, or all three shows were Lorraine Dellinger and Dave Barnes, membership directors, all the way from Virginia, Northeast Regional Representative Don Boland, from Rhode Island, trustee advisor Frank Diorio from Boston, Charlie Messier from Worcester, who single-handedly keeps the fire burning in central MA, and Barbara Dana from Florida.
Many Society members offered tour support in the form of transportation and food. But none was more appreciated than Sonny Ferreira, Bob's dad, who handled the CD sales. People were so delighted to have the new CD available! Sales were brisk at all the shows, but especially at Christine's, where over 40 CD's were sold. Thanks, Sonny!
And the goal for next year? More gigs for a longer tour, to keep the Four Freshmen in beautiful New England for as long as possible!
Late Friday morning, The Freshmen set up at the venue and after a thorough sound check, rehearsed with the "Jazz Cats" from Muscatine High School. This award winning vocal group of young men and women had been working on charts of two Freshmen standards, "Poinciana" and "It's a Blue World" in preparation for performing with The Freshmen at the Friday evening concert. During the rehearsal, each section worked with their appropriate Freshman to perfect their parts. It was fun to watch the interaction that took place and the obvious interest shown by members of the group in the voicings. It's my understanding that when one member of the group first heard the chords, he said, "Cool! This is just like the Beach Boys!"
The Jackson Concert Series is funded from a trust to Wesley United Methodist Church established by Robert S. Jackson, a prominent Muscatine attorney. This season marks the 20th anniversary of the concert series, tickets for which are available without charge, as a gift to the Muscatine community. The venue can seat about 800 persons and all were eagerly in place by the start of the concert at 7:30 pm.
The guys opened with their up-tempo, swinging rendition of "Day In, Day Out" which was loudly applauded by an audience that ranged from pre-teens to older guys like me. Then came the hauntingly beautiful "Invitation" newly resurrected from the 50 Years of Music album; "Young and Foolish"; "I Fall In Love Too Easily"; "Everytime We Say Goodbye", from the Five Trumpets album; "If I Only Had A Brain" - delightfully sung by Brian, embellished with whistling by Vince; "Rain", also from the 50 Years album; "Indian Summer" with vocal solo by Bob; "Somebody Loves Me", "Around The World", a new tune; the traditional "I Remember You" and "There Will Never Be Another You"; the beautiful Greg Stegman arrangement of "I Concentrate On You" with vocal solos by Vince and Curtis; and "Walking My Baby Back Home".
Each offering was enthusiastically received by the audience. Especially noticeable to me were the little additions gradually being added such as the trumpet/guitar and trumpet/bass riffs by Brian, Vince and Curtis. During the intermission, the venue sold CD's, and I manned the FFS table providing information and FFS applications. There were about a dozen FFS members in attendance from Iowa, Illinois and Missouri, including 6 who drove 14 hours from the Grand Rapids area, in northern Minnesota.
After the intermission, the Jazz Cats took the stage and wowed the crowd with "I Need You", a vocal jazz number with vocal percussion. Then the Freshmen then took over, opening with "Route 66", and followed by "When Your Lover Has Gone", "Whistle Me Some Blues", "Love Dance" - beautifully sung by Bob, "In This Whole Wide World", the popular "I'm Going Fishing", "Graduation Day", "Day By Day" with trombone intro & solo by Vince (ala Flanigan), "Poinciana", "It's A Blue World", and "After You've Gone". The Jazz Cats joined the Freshmen on stage for Poinciana and It's A Blue World and all sang without microphones producing a great sound. The closer, After You've Gone, clearly showcases the instrumental excellence of each of the Freshmen. Their vocal skills, plus Curtis's super trumpet work and Bob's excellence on drums, coupled with Vince and Brian's great bass and guitar work will allow group 22 to tackle any musical mountain they want, and we'll be right there cheering them on. As you can see, the guys are expanding their repertoire and passing around the solo opportunities as well.
They concluded the evening with their beautiful acapella rendition of "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" after which they mixed with the crowd, chatting, autographing CD's and posing for photos. The Freshmen in Iowa were a great success.
History was repeated (only 38 years later) by the appearance Sunday afternoon of the Frosh. While this was chiefly a subscription series, scores of tickets were sold to FreshFans, some of whom traveled hundreds of miles to see and, more importantly hear, Group #22.
Cutting to the chase: the guys sounded great! They even sounded great with no vocal mike for Vince for the first half of the first set. You could still hear him pretty well unamplified but getting the mike working was a BIG help to the overall harmonies.
They opened with "Day in, Day Out" for a swinging opener. The crowd, mostly NOT FF aficianados (until now) gasped and applauded vigorously. They had no idea what they were in for! The guys followed with a full first set of mostly new (for them) material:
Brian continues to impress with the high lead; talk about perfect pitch -- and Bob does most of the MC work (as well as anchoring the harmonies so well) - not to mention his turn on "Love Dance" in Set #2 below.
The guys had fun with Vince's whistling solo on "Brain" and seemed to greatly enjoy working together and working the room. And Vince's 'bone intro for "Day by Day" (in Set #2 below) sounded just like Flanigan to me!
After intermission they returned with historically well-loved Freshmen tunes:
Because of a close flight schedule they were unable to partake of the free meal offered by several of us (have you EVER known a musician to turn down free food?) and raced off to the Charlotte airport and the flight home. Thanks, guys, for a great day in Salisbury!
My wife Dorothy & I and John Kingsley and his wife Mary caught the 8:30 pm performance by the Four Freshmen at Jazz at the Bistro in St Louis last Saturday eve. The house was packed and the guys wowed us with a 26 number set followed by the acapella encore I'm Always Asing Rainbows. The show was fabulous and there is no doubt that the current FreshSomebody are among the best. Others that attended were Bob Solheim, his wife Janet and a friend Carol Merrit, all from MO. Natalie Petrucci was in the audience as well. We were surprised to see Cheley Miller as well who flew in from Vermont to see the guys over the weekend. Way to go Cheley.
In talking with the 4F after the show, Bob F said he was informed that the release date for the new CD "Live in the New Millennium" is now June 4, 2002 unless something changes between now and then. The Freshmen performed at the Bistro at both 1 pm matinees and 8:30 pm on Thursday thru Saturday and were very well received. I understand that Ross Gentile who has a radio show called Standards In Jazz on WSIE 88.7 fm in Edwardsville, Illinois, attended one of the performances and was truly impressed.
Ann Smith (North Texas FFS rep) and several other FFS members came up from Tejas to see the guys. A few of us had dinner together before the concert and Vince joined us... was nice to have a chance to chat with him in a casual setting.
Several in the Texas crowd (we Okies call'em wetbacks, because they have to cross the Red River to enter the Great State of Okahoma) were vocally impressed with the acoustics in the Goddard Center.
The crowd was mostly gray-haired folks plus a few pre-teens with their grandparents. There were two college-age girls present, but they were with a Goddard Center employee. Only saw two couples that seemed to be in the generation between US (most FFS members)and THEM (the current FF).
As one would guess, everybody seemed to enjoy the show. At intermission and after the concert, I wandered throught the crowd and overheard lots of favorable comments and saw a lot of happy faces, perhaps partially influenced by the wine and snacks during the
intermission... ;)
As with every Freshman concert I've ever attended (maybe a dozen since 1964), 'The Show Wasn't Long Enough.' Most of those were with Group 4 -- Ross, Bob, Ken and Bill -- and once with Group 8 in 1985. In recent years, I only saw them a year ago this month in Durant (while Greg was still performing).
The guys opened in Ardmore with the powerful (and one of my favorites) 'Day In and Day Out', then performed 23 more numbers before ending the evening with an a capella 'I'm Always Chasing Rainbows'.
The show included several of the classic FF ballads... 'Indian Summer', 'I Remember You', 'Poinciana' (how smooth can a sound be?), 'It Could Happen to You', 'In This Whole Wide
World', 'Graduation Day' and -- of course -- 'Blue World'. They also did 'Invitation' (a mystical melody that I have long loved but had never seen the FF perform before).
Among their uptempo tunes were the rousing 'There Will Never Be Another You', 'Day by Day', 'Route 66', the reprise of 'I'm Gonna Go Fishin' and (from the Still Fresh CD) 'Walkin' My Baby Back Home'. A new tune for me was 'Around the World' (? I'm not sure of the title, hearing it only for the first time).
The crowd was certainly entertained with Brian's version 'If I Only Had a Brain' with the added enhancement of Vince's whistling on that tune and later in 'Whistle Me Some Blues.' Bob crooned his haunting 'Love Dance'. Vince's smooth tones took the lead on one
song, but my feeble old brain failed to note which one. I was hoping to hear a little more of Curt's voice, but only managed to distinguish him on a phrase here and there. His talented hornwork, however, was omnipresent.
Curt also did trumpet-tombone and trumpet-guitar riffs with Vince and Brian that added a little stage activity, and there was a bit of banter between the guys that brought a few snickers from the crowd. Vince's whistling, Bob's shaved head and Curtis' ponytail were among the repartee topics.
The guys included three lovely ballads that have been around for years, but I'd never before heard the FF perform any of them. I really enjoyed all three, very smooth songs, 'Young and Foolish', 'I Fall in Love Too Easily' and Cole Porter's 'I Concentrate on You'
(this one really got to me, goosebumps and all... great song, great harmony, great Freshman styling).
They closed out their set with the rollicking 'After You've Gone' which gave Vince's fingers a fierce workout on the bass. They then came back with 'Rainbow' for the curtain call.
After the show, the guys came out into the lobby to mix and mingle with the audience, give autographs to the fans and pose for a couple of photos.
Four very talented young men, singers and musicians, presenting some very great sounds. I enjoyed every tune. It was a great show, that I wish everyone would have a chance to see. However, as with any Four Freshmen performance, for me 'The Day Isn't Long Enough'!!!
First, Bob Flanigan's always entertaining and spirited introduction of the guys, plus fellow FF founder, Ross Barbour, in the audience (later one of the guys also introduced the great Ken Albers). Then the guys were on their way with, in no particular order, "Walking My Baby Back Home," "It's A Blue World," "Indian Summer," "Poinciana," "If I Only Had a Brain," "Graduation Day" (and Brian's witty memories of 1994), "Day In, Day Out," "Easy to Love," etc., etc.
This is the best I've ever heard them perform! Special spots included Bob's always sultry "Love Dance" (with sustained applause, especially from the ladies), Curtis' always amazing trumpet work (he swings, but can then back off and play soft, sweet and mellow), Vince's great bass work and whistling prowess (Bob, keep your day job rather than supplant Vince as "The Whistler") and Brian's guitar and bass work, coupled with his almost impish grin and great sense of humor. Also love their sense of camaraderie,
kidding, etc.
At the end of the final set, a standing ovation, no less, followed by an encore of "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" done a capella (sp?), except for a fitting touch of Brian's guitar.
We had many visitors, both FFS members and regular fans, at the FFS' table, sold dozens of CD's (Still Fresh-and many inquiries about the upcoming CD) and handed out many applications to join FFS. I want to publicly thank Mel Meyers, the Society's Southwestern Regional Director, and fellow FFS member Al McQuaid for being there to man the table and meet and greet. Mel came all the way from the Tucson, AZ area and Al came from Vista, CA, potentially a 4-5 hour roundtrip by car.
Next stop in California is at Temple Sinai in Palm Desert, CA on March 30
(call 760 202-8885 for tickets; they're almost sold out).
Thanks for reading (and hopefully staying awake)!
That’s not my analysis. It was offered by Bob Ferreira to those in the audience Jan. 20 for the second of two shows at the Schauer Arts & Activities Center in Hartford, Wisconsin.
Bob mentioned between numbers that the Freshmen had performed in the Chicago area the night before, noting it was the same day the Bears lost to the Philadelphia Eagles to end Chicago’s magical season.
Then on Sunday, with the Freshmen performing the second of two shows deep in Packerland, he alluded to the big loss the Packers took in a game that afternoon versus the St. Louis Rams. He wondered aloud whether there might be a connection.
But before anyone who thought he might be right could begin moving toward the stage (but without torches as the theater has a “no smoking” policy), the Freshmen quickly pointed out that they were flying home the next day -- through St. Louis.
There was audible relief from the crowd (and perhaps the Freshmen), and more than a few chuckles, as the guys resumed wowing those in the audience with their musical artistry.
Earlier in the day, at the first show, Bob came up with a new way to get screams from the audience, in addition to those from appreciative fans following his always-tender rendering of “Love Dance.”
With the Packer-Rams game starting about the same time as the matinee show, Bob prepared to announce the latest score when the audience returned from the show’s intermission and with the game still underway. Immediately, several fans protested in unison that they had their home VCR’s taping the game.
Bob quickly relented, but the humorous interplay itself was further evidence of the Freshmen’s great drawing power. Imagine, the Packers were in the playoffs for the first time in three years and the Freshmen still nearly filled the house. They did it both shows, attracting close to 1,000 fans of varying ages, including those in high school.
That’s Freshmen power. It makes you wonder what the Freshmen equivalent of the “Lambeau Leap” might be.
Those in attendance at both shows certainly saw and heard the power of a great vocal group in performance.
The Freshmen were called back on stage after both shows due to the sustained applause, performing a beautiful and mostly a cappella rendering of “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” away from the microphones to conclude the evening show. It was a special moment, and you could sense the connection that had been made that evening between the Freshman and the audience.
What about the rest of the show?
Well, “Route 66” which used to open shows opened the second half this time, with “Day In, Day Out” replacing it as lead-off hitter.
Many of the knowledgeable FF fans were hearing “Invitation” and “All Around the World” for the first time, both part of the first half song set. “All Around the World” provides Vince Johnson a great chance to solo vocally and Bob, Brian Eicheberger and Curtis Calderon a chance to have some fun in backing him up in a light-hearted way on a tune that stresses a lovers’ devotion. You’ll like the catchy number when you hear it; you’ll probably even be singing snippets as you leave the theater, joining Bob, Brian and Curtis in your mind’s own backup chorus.
Curtis is doing more solo work on both the trumpet and flugelhorn, varying from tender, quiet, breathy Chet Baker-like touches to rousing, high-pitched, knock-your-socks-off flourishes.
For devoted Packer fans, one number that was in the song list for both shows probably had a different meaning at the second show. Brian’s vocally-aggressive “You’ve Come a Long Way from St. Louis” was all for fun in the first show. With the defeated Packers on a flight home to Green Bay as the guys were performing on stage, the song title probably described the feelings aboard the plane. It had to be a much longer trip home than the
one to St. Louis. Brian still had fun with the tune, as did the audience.
Vince continues to draw lots of applause with his whistling and basswork, and Bob lots of laughs at his attempts to “compete” as a whistler.
I’m willing to bet every number the guys worked into the show was a favorite of at least some in the audience, whether new fan or old. Besides those tunes already mentioned, there was “Young and Foolish,” “I Fall In Love Too Easily,” “Rain,” the vocally-challenging “Indian Summer” which Brian explained is hard to get right, “If I Only Had a Brain,” “Whole Wide World,” and a “you” set --“There Will Never Be Another You” followed immediately by “It Could Happen to You.” “Walking My Baby Back Home” concluded the first
half.
After intermission, the song list included “Poinciana,” “I’m Gonna Go Fishing,” another “you” set (“I Remember You” and “I Concentrate On You”), a “day” set (“Graduation Day” and “Day by Day”), “It’s a Blue World,” and “After You’re Gone” as the closer.
Helping to make the day more special for those attending the show and signing up in advance was a between-shows private tour of the little-known but very impressive Wisconsin Automotive Museum and a sit-down dinner among the museum exhibits. About 80 persons took advantage of the opportunity. Others who missed the announcement or the deadline gathered at the nearby Mineshaft restaurant, which also served as the post-show gathering spot.
Joining me at the dinner were two friends from Madison (we all play in a swing band together) who had just seen the Four Freshmen for the first time, and were very pleased with the show. After we ate, they showed me a couple of the classic cars on display; that’s when I found out they had donated one and loaned the other to the museum.
The museum, which has two floors of exhibits, occupies the same building as the Arts Center. The art deco interior contains over 90 “rare treats” on display, include Reo’s, Pierce-Arrows, Pontiacs, Studebakers, Chevrolets, and Fords. But the main displays are of Kissel luxury automobiles and Nashes.
Kissels were custom-built automobiles manufacturered in Hartford from 1906 until 1931. Of the the 35,000 produced, only 150 are know to exist today. The most famous model was the Speedster, which was owned by Fatty Arbuckle, Amelia Earhardt, and other stars. Nashes were produced in Kenosha, Wis., and the display area of those cars is sponsored by the Nash Automobile Club of America.
The most common comment heard at dinner was, “I had no idea this museum was here.” All agreed it was well worth a visit, and several said they planned to make a return visit just to the museum because of the uniqueness of its offerings. For more details, go to www.explorewisconsin.com and select “museum,” or contact the museum at 147 N. Rural St., Hartfort, WI 53027, 262/673-7999.
Finally, the latest two FFS Wisconsin FAN*tastic Awards went to the Schauer Center for presenting the Freshmen and to FFS Wisconsin member Cheryl Fosburgh for her help in planning show-related FFS activities. The Schauer award was presented to Center management on the show day.
Oh, yes. FFS members may be interested in knowing that the printed show program mentioned the group has a fan club which “has been said to rival that of N’Sync and the Backstreet Boys.” Gee, maybe that means many of us will have to start showing our ID’s to get into bars.
Post-show Comments by others who were there:
Jeannine Mallach of Watertown: “Jerry and I have been members of the FFS for 10 years and although we have not been to a lot of the concerts over the years, I have had to wait until now at the Hartford concert to hear ‘I Remember You’ sung. It has always been my favorite and it was wonderful to finally get to hear it live instead of first on an LP’ and then on CD. We thought the group was the best and thanks for singing ‘I Remember You’.”
George Kojis of Milwaukee: “I was at the 3 p.m. concert. I thought it was one of the best I have heard and seen in a long time. I overheard someone say the same (thing).... Brian does a great job at (singing lead) and seems smooth and effortless in this new role....What a great addition Curtis Calderon is to the group. His horn playing is outstanding. Bob and Vince did their usual great job. Vince’s whistling added a new dimension to the group singing. They were on fire and gave us a great concert....”
Gloria Messner of Milwaukee: “WE (she and Bruce) were at the Hartford concert and really enjoyed it. We felt they fit so well together.”
But this wouldn't be just any show. The Four Freshmen were back on the western shore of Lake Michigan; back where the Freshmen got a timely kick-start in late 1948. 53 years later it was the great new Group #22, live at the Capitol Civic Center in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, November 17, 2001. Just south of Sheboygan and east of Green Bay, the Freshmen had returned to the neighborhood that named them and claimed them! It was in nearby Green Bay where the Freshmen Four changed to the "Four Freshmen". It was a long time ago but an audience of 350 people acted as if the Freshmen had never gone away. These Freshmen flew into Green Bay and took a chauffeur-driven black limo to Manitowoc.
"Route 66" opened the show and Curtis Calderon's trumpet showed why fans have welcomed the new guy so enthusiastically. From the 1960 Bobby Troup sensation it was back to 1953's "Poinciana". With Curtis' mellow flugelhorn and Vince Johnson comping on guitar, the song of the tree once again held an audience spellbound. "Poinciana" is vocally owned by the Freshmen in the same manner that Ahmad Jamal owns the song on the piano. Anyone else can perform Poinciana but no one can perform it this way! Realizing that Group #1 worked out the harmonies by ear half-a-century ago makes the arrangement all the more remarkable.
From the old to the new, it was time for Brian Eichenberger to solo with "If I Only Had A Brain". The Scarecrow's song from The Wizard of Oz features some astounding whistling by Vince and tasty trumpet work by Curtis. An uptempo "Young and Foolish" is a welcome addition to the Freshmen repertoire. Chet Baker was smiling somewhere when Curtis took the flugelhorn solo on "I Fall In Love Too Easily" and Vince and Curtis looked like rockers with the wrong instruments as they helped Brian swing through his signature song, "I'm Gonna Go Fishing". And yes, I know a tall Irish guy was once the featured soloist on this Duke Ellington-Peggy Lee classic from The Swingers. But with all due respect to Bob Flanigan, Brian flat kicks this song into high gear every time.
It was classic time again, but these are new Freshmen classics. Cole Porter wrote "I Concentrate On You" and Frank Sinatra with Antonio Carlos Jobim had the definitive version of the song until Greg Stegeman wrote an arrangement for the Frosh. With shades of Sinatra phrasing and Jobim rhythms, the arrangement is one of Greg's great lasting legacies with the group. And then Bob Ferreira sang "Love Dance" and all the old women sighed, the young women sobbed and the men got nervous. Dang, that bald drummer can steal female hearts every time he sings that song. Back in the book after being dropped some years back, Bob's solo still holds an audience spellbound.
It was from quiet to riot as the Freshmen reprised "Day In, Day Out" from the legendary Road Show album. Arguably the greatest FF recording ever, the arrangement to "Day In, Day Out" is tough to sing and harder to play. And, of course, the original had a hot Stan Kenton Orchestra behind it. It still sounds great today. Two tunes from "five" albums wrapped up the first set. "I Remember You" took the audience back to Five Trombones and "After You've Gone" sampled Five Trumpets. The "distant bell" rang out perfectly in "Remember" while Vince's bass solo and Curtis' flugelhorn in "After" blasted the audience into the lobby for intermission.
"Whistle Me Some Blues", the first song Ken Albers recorded with the Freshmen, kicked off set two. The multi-instrumented Vince was whistling up a storm. Curtis and Brian exchange grins when Curtis blew a lyric. "Invitation" from Five Guitars featured the one guitar of Brian Eichenberger. Four Freshmen Society member Jack Jennerjahn (La Crosse WI) was wowed. "I didn't know Brian could play guitar THAT well," he opined. "You Came A Long Way From St. Louis" gave the group "a chance to screw around a little bit," as Bob mentioned.
Then came the showstopper. Tony Bennett does it every show, perhaps to prove that old guys can still have strong pipes. The Freshmen do it, perhaps to prove that young guys can sing breathtaking harmonies without microphones and still reach the back row of the balcony. The almost acapella "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" had only some tasteful guitar from Brian as accompaniment. "Rain" brought us another Five Guitars gem. Vince's trombone was featured on "How Can I Tell Her" and he scatted his inimitable way through "Easy To Love". "It Could Happen To You" was followed by "Day By Day" and, of course, "It's A Blue World". With Vince's hot guitar licks guiding their steps, the guys did "Walking My Baby Back Home", won an enthusiastic standing ovation and encored with "In This Whole Wide World", 1955 harmonies that sound just as - yes, I dare say it - "fresh" today.
Some observations:
There are FreshFans who were nervous over the absence of keyboards in Group #22. Rest easy, friends. The guitar comping is so solid from Vince and Brian that I haven't missed the keys at all. I once was positive I would miss Bob's full drum kit. I was wrong.
There are lots of us who were certain it wouldn't be the same without Greg Stegeman on stage. It isn't the same, of course, but it is really difficult to believe that Curtis has been with the Freshmen less than three months as this is written. Curtis' horn work is magnificent, he loves the music and he is having a great time on stage. Curtis is all kinds of fun to have in the group and we hope he's there for ages! And this comes from the guy who would volunteer to be president if Greg had a fan club. Greg told me I would really dig Curtis' work and, as usual, Greg was absolutely correct.
Group #22 shows real respect for the music in the Four Freshmen chapter of The Great American Songbook. The guys also show that making music is lots of fun for musician and audience, alike.
FFS members truly appreciated the generous plug from the stage and the fine work of Wisconsin state representative Mike McCoy in arranging hotel space, our pre-concert dinner, post-concert fun and our FFS table in the lobby. "We're in the friend-raising business", Mike told one prospective member. A great show, combined with a super time in Manitowoc, made lots of people want to be friends with our Freshmen!
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