I love it when a new group suddenly catches my interest. This week, it’s all about The Real Group, which actually isn’t new at all. Born and raised in Sweden, TRG recently celebrated its 25th anniversary as Sweden’s number one a cappella group. The members have changed over the years, but the style and magic in their performances lives on. Again, allow me to make a suggestion as to how to make the most of this and future columns. It would be best if you took the paper to your PC and logged on to YouTube. This will make the column somewhat interactive as you listen and/or watch each selection as you read along.
By the time you read this, you will have just missed TRG’s Festival held from August 16-19 in Stockholm, Sweden. But don’t despair, through the magic of YouTube, we get to see the group perform in the comfort of our homes and save all that money it would have cost to see it live. If you like what you see and hear, you can go to The Real Shop and purchase The Real Album.
Okay, enough, you say, let’s get to the music. Here are a few of my favorites for your listening (and viewing) pleasure. To access these, go to YouTube and type in The Real Group followed by the name of the tune.
Let’s begin with “Pass Me the Jazz.” Listen to the tightness of the harmony and how well the voices blend. I tend to forget that they are singing a cappella because the sound is so full and rich as they also simulate instruments in the background.
TRG shows its versatility with “A Moment On Your Lips,” a country-western flavored tune complete with voice styling and lyrics that make you feel as though you are at the Grand Ole Opry.
“Gee! Mine or Mozart’s” has a classical bent to it. The running parts behind the beautiful lead voice are perfectly matched. And, now try the Latin spiced “Chili con Carne – New Version.”
Finally, my favorite cut, the Count Basie Medley transports us back in time to the big band era with TRG’s authentic jazz interpretation. This is so well done; it will be difficult to resist getting up and dancing to it. Oh, go ahead, no one’s watching.
That’s “all that jazz and more” for now. My next column will focus on some home grown talent. Please send your comments to me at greengeezer9@comcast.net. I’d love to hear from you with your comments and suggestions for future columns.
