Sunday, November 20, 2011

Song of the Day-Snowfall

I might be pushing the season on this one, though we did get some flurries in the last week or so. Up north in the UP, they actually got blasted with a winter storm last night. I guess this is a "seasonal song" though not very "Christmassy." The Singers Unlimited were a group that my Dad loved. My good buddy, and former VP at Harmony House Lloyd Welch turned me on their Christmas album, where this track originates. Singers Unlimited was a four part jazz vocal group that formed in 1971 out of what was left of the 50's vocal group The Hi-Lo's.They recorded for about 25  years before hanging it up.  They were kind of marketed toward older folks but their vocals were really innovative and influenced later vocal groups such as the Manhattan Transfer and Take 6. To the extent they ever recorded with instrumental backup, it was usually with a small jazz combo though a significant part of their catalog was a cappella. Their bass singer, Len Dresslar was the voice of the "Jolly Green Giant."

I have a real love for any kind of harmony singing whether it is the Beatles, Beach Boys, Everly Brothers, old Doo Wop to the jazz greats like the Four Freshman and Singers Unlimited. Kick back and enjoy. Their Christmas album is about the only thing you can easily find but they had a limited edition Box Set about 15 years ago which you can probably track down fairly cheap on the internet. Spotify has their Christmas album and it is, of course, a free listen.
As a bonus I threw in their take on another "seasonal" standard, Autumn In New York.

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