Track Listing

1. Grace
2. Concerto in D Minor for 2 Mandolins (Andante)
3. Flight of the Bumblebee
4. Stars
5. Hush Little Baby
6. Vocalise
7. Musette (From the Note Book for Anna Magdalena Bach)
8. Coyote
9. Sonata for 2 Cellos (Allegro Presstissimo)
10. Ave Maria
11. Hoedown!
12. Orchestral Suite No. 3 (Air)
13. Good-Bye

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5934 in Music
• Released on: 1992-01-28
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
The idea here was to put two masters together--one classical cellist, one improvisational singer/sound-effects performer--and voilà! instant amazing, unique, hip--and, hopefully, hit--record. The intriguing setup was to see what would happen when each led the other through the unfamiliar territory of his own specialty. The success of this recording lies not so much in the music or even in the overall performances, but in the fascinating and fun opportunity to sit in on the musicians' good-natured, respectful give-and-take, to witness an uncommon form of artistic chemistry that allows each performer to expand his vision and even his technique. On one hand we get Bobby McFerrin's impressionistic, improvisatory jazz/pop; on the other we enjoy Yo-Yo Ma's highly refined, formalized musicianship. Originally planned as a disc for children, Hush goes far beyond its initial premise, with each of the 13 tracks demonstrating these musicians' unique gifts and showing that, whether it's Vivaldi or jazz, it's all music and it's all a lot of fun. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews

Mix and Match!
I saw a review of this CD in CD Review magazine when it was first released. They gave it a perfect 10/10 rating. No surprise. Whoever thought to pair these two geniuses in their respective fields should be given the Nobel Prize for Music (that's right, there isn't one. . .). McFerrin is a master of jazz vocalise and improvisation, while Ma is a master of straight classical work: Up meets Down, In meets Out, Over meets Under, Scribble meets Straight Line, Improvisation meets Structure, and the results are a beautiful Between. When they are serious, they sound phenomenal together. When they are having fun, they sound phenomenal together. The listener wins!

On track 2, "Andante," it is virtually impossible to distinguish McFerrin's voice from Ma's cello at first listen. They move through this piece as a cohesive unit. Stellar tracks are Rachmaninov's "Vocalise" and Bach's "Air" -- both are just traditional classical pieces performed to their utmost potential by two gifted artists. They also have moments of fun, like on "Hoedown!" and "Coyote," and McFerrin even pokes fun of NPR on Bach's "Musette," while giving a Jimi Hendrix plug at the beginning of his vocalizing.

I could picture straight-laced classical purists shying away from this kind of tomfoolery, and jazz purists might find the classical pieces too confining. They are both missing out, though. McFerrin had shown shades of this kind of work "Lullaby" and "Psalm 23" on his MEDICINE MAN disc and even on PLAY with Chick Corea. This is a new side of Yo-Yo Man, however, and one which I would like to see again. I would pay big bucks to have been a fly on the wall during these recoring sessions!!! OFFICIUM, by Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble, is reminiscent of this kind of classical meets jazz work, but it even has a whole different feel than HUSH. If you are a fan of either artist, you will appreciate what he brings to the table and gain a new respect for what the other can bring, as well. On the real short list for "desert island" classical CDs (that's the category in which I put it). Well worth a listen!

"To release the child in the adult...."
One of the most unusual recordings -- and more enjoyable -- recordings in my CD library is Hush, a collaborative effort which combines the talents of vocal artist Bobby McFerrin and classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Without the accompaniment of a symphony orchestra or even a quartet, Ma's cello and McFerrin's amazingly flexible voice blend seamlessly in this 13-track album which is comprised of an eclectic selection of McFerrin-composed songs and works by such composers as Vivaldi, Bach, and Gounod.

Although McFerrin is perhaps best known for the ditty "Don't Worry, Be Happy" which is either his most popular or least liked song, he has a clear love for classical music; indeed, this album is a reflection of his almost child-like (and I mean this in the positive interpretation of the term) wonder of the genre. Listen, for instance to his interpretation of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee;" his vocalization here conjures up images of a playful child imitating a buzzing bumblebee.

More impressive to me was the loveliness of the interplay between McFerrin's voice and Ma's flawless-yet-never-cold performances with the cello, particularly in the performances of Vivaldi's Andante movement from the Baroque composer's Concerto in D minor for 2 Mandolins, Rachmaninoff's Vocalise, and the beautiful Ave Maria by Gounod.

McFerrin is a serious musician, in the sense that he treats each note with skill and love for the genre (classical). He has worked with various opera companies and conducted Beethoven's Seventh Symphony (at his own 40th birthday party, no less) in San Francisco. Yet, his intention here is not to preserve the myth (perpetuated by the music industry) that classical music is for old rich folks but rather explodes it. Listen to the parody of a concert emcee's stuffy announcement preceding Bach's Musette from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach and you'll understand what he means when he states that the goal of Hush was to release the child in the adult.

Excellence in the unusual
While studying for an exam one evening, I happen to hear Arsenio Hall introduce Yo-Yo Ma and Bobby McFerrin and nearly fell off my chair... I rushed in to hear their version of Bach's "Air on G" in memory of those who had been injured or killed in the April riots in LA (1992). I immediately went and purchased the cassette of the album. And I fell in love.

McFerrin gives new life and humor to several pieces that one thinks as "serious" classical standards (Bach's "Musette"). I enjoy the exploration of McFerrin's voice and the tremendous talent and flexible playing of Yo-Yo Ma on this CD. Some of McFerrin's vocalising reminds me of Gregorian Chants, which was interesting to hear with Ma's classical music playing... For purists of the classical genre, they may be less amused with the treatments.

The imagination and talent that flows from this work continues to reinforce the reasons why I love classical music -- the ability for one to put personal emotion to a piece and also enjoy it for its own sake.

For those looking for something different, fun and funky, it's a great buy. For the purist, you may want to pass...