MAN SOUND
O ManSound, sexteto a capella de Kiev, na Ucrânia, começou em 1994 como uma idéia do compositor e arranjador Vladimir Mikhnovetsky. O grupo é composto por profissionais experientes e é participante permanente de festivais internacionais de jazz e concertos. Desde suas primeiras performances em concertos locais na Ucrânia, o interesse pelo grupo tem aumentado, assim como sua popularidade.
Em fevereiro de 2000, eles cantaram em um dos maiores eventos de jazz dos USA, o Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, a convite do próprio Lionel Hampton. Depois de sua apresentação, a Dra. Lynn Skinner, diretora do Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, disse que ManSound foi o hit do evento.Eles foram agraciados como o título de Melhor Grupo Vocal pelo Branson's All-American Entertainment Awards.
O repertório do sexteto é composto por canções folclóricas eslavas, Gospel, jazz e standards, incluindo canções de George Gershwin,George Sharing, Matt Dennis, Leon Russel, Stevie Wonder e George Benson, com arranjos originais do líder do grupo Vladimir Mikhnovetsky. Em julho de 2002, Mansound paarticipou do Concurso Internacional de Jazz e Pop nsembles "Vokal Total", em Graz, Áustria. Ganharam o primeiro lugar na categoria Jazz, competindo com participantes de oito países europeus, e dos E.U.A., levando pra casa o cobiçado prêmio "Ward Swingle . Ward Swingle, fundador do Swingle Singers e presidente do júri, declarou: "A variedade do seu repertório é impressionante e acho que o grupo tem um futuro brilhante pela frente. Durante os últimos dez anos o grupo ManSound tem se apresentado na Alemanha, França, Áustria, Itália, Suíça, Holanda, Estónia, Lituânia e E.U.A. e já tiveram a honra de se apresentar no mesmo palco com grandes músicos, como Marcus Miller, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Clayton, Russell Malone, Freddy Cole, Lewis Nash e muitos outros.
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ManSound, an a cappella sextet from Kiev, Ukraine, got its start in 1994 as an idea of composer and arranger Vladimir Mikhnovetsky. The group consists of experienced professionals and it is a permanent participant of international jazz festivals and concerts. From the very first performances of ManSound at concert venues in Ukraine, the interest towards the group has been increasing, as well as its popularity. The group got a hearty welcome at jazz festivals and concerts throughout the country. Since 1997, ManSound has been a sought-after guest at jazz festivals like, Jazz Voices(Moscow) and Jazz Province in more than 10 Russian cities, and have been rewarded with well-deserved popularity in Russia. They began touring in 1996, when the group traveled to the United States for six weeks, performing with great success in universities and evangelical churches. They gave several dozen concerts in four states on the West Coast. In December of 1998, ManSound held a series of Christmas concerts in Holland and Switzerland. And in April 1999, ManSound performed with great success at the 7th
International Jazz Festival Jazz en Artois(France).
In February of 2000, they performed at one of the biggest jazz events in the USA, the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, following the invitation of Lionel Hampton himself. They also performed in 2002 and 2003, delighting the participants of their daily workshops and crowds of 5000 at the nightly performances. After their first appearance, Dr. Lynn Skinner, director of The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, said that ManSound was the hit of the jazz event. During the summer of 2001, The group performed in Branson Missouri as part of the Zhivago Show. They were nominated for Best Vocal Group by Branson's All-American Entertainment Awards. "This performance is one of the best kept secrets in Branson. On a scale from one to ten, I would rate this at twelve. This has to be one of the freshest talents to perform in the Ozarks in many years. Their ability and talent speak for itself and take a back seat to no one". Charles Lobodzinski (Crown Point, Indiana) In July of 2002, Mansound participated in the International A Cappella Competition for Jazz and Pop Ensembles "Vokal.Total" in Graz, Austria. They won first place in the Jazz Category winning over participants from eight European countries, and the USA, and taking home the coveted „Ward Swingle Award¾. Ward Swingle, founder of the Swingle Singers, the first A Cappella group, and the jury chairman said of ManSound,The variety of their repertoire is very impressive. I think that the group has a fine future. The sextet¼s repertoire consists of Slavic folk songs, Gospel, and the jazz standards, including songs by George Gershwin, Stevie Wonder and George Benson, which they perform with original arrangements by the group¼s leader Vladimir Mikhnovetsky. For the last ten years of the groups life, ManSound has toured and performed in Germany, France, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Estonia, Lithuania and the USA. They have had the pleasure of performing on the same stage with great musicians such as Marcus Miller, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Clayton, Russell Malone, Freddy Cole, Lewis Nash and many others.
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ALBUM COMMENTS
"Magic" has only 7 songs, but 3 are marvelous medleys, two of them of George Benson's songs and one of Stevie Wonder tunes. Besides these favorites, "They Can't Take That Away From Me," "Nature Boy," "Lullaby of Birdland and "Angel Eyes" are standouts‹which includes everything on the CD. Tremendous voice control, incredible arrangements, butter-smooth blue-note harmonies, surprising tempo changes and scat breaks‹it adds up to a stunning first CD by a huge, fast-rising talent in the jazz/a cappella world!
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MINHA OPINIÃO
Desta vez a surpresa vem da UCRÂNIA! O sexteto ManSound, mais um na linha do Take Six, nos surpreende com um album com repertório saboroso, misturando os "Georges" Benson, Gershwin e Shearing a Stevie Wonder e Matt Dennis. Cantam muito bem, e o "accent" dá até um certo charme. Os arranjos são bons e a performance do grupo é excelente. BELEZA!
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(*) Tudo muito bom, tudo muito bem, mas confesso que estou ficando com o "saco cheio" de tanta imitação do Take Six. É uma epidemia! Para citar apenas um de cada país: na Argentina é o Cabernet; na Itália, o Neri per Caso; no Brasil o BR6; na França, o Charlatan Transfer, em Cuba o Vocal Sampling, na Inglaterra o King's Singers e vai por aí. Tem grupos na Rússia, Estônia, Bélgica, Letônia, Islândia, Irlanda, Holanda, Alemanha, Suécia - a lista é longa, interminável. Isso, sem falar dos "Rockapellas e Naturally Sevens" da vida - lá mesmo nos USA, ao lado de pelo menos uns 100 "street corner vocals". Nem os seminais Hi-lo´s, Four Freshmen ou o Singers Unlimited foram tão imitados...
(**)Não é que isso seja ruim, porque todos esses conjuntos são muito bons. É que a fórmula já se tornou cansativa. Está mais que na hora de aparecer algo original.
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MAN SOUND - If It's Magic
MAN SOUND:
Vladimir Suhin - arranger
Ruben Tolmachev
Vladimir Trach
Yuri Romenski
Viacheslav Rubel
Sergei Kaschenko
TRACKS/FAIXAS
01. BENSON’S MEDLEY #1 (This Masquerade-I Just Want to Hang Around You-Lady Love Me)
02. They Can’t Take That Away from Me
03. Nature Boy
04. BENSON’S MEDLEY #2 (Lovin’ On Borrowed Time-No One Emotion-Stephanie)
05. Lullaby of Birdland
06. Angel Eyes
07. WONDER’S MEDLEY (Rocket Love-My Cherie Amour-Isn’t She Lovely-If It’s Magic)
