Marois Vocal Project: An homage to Dave Brubeck
Réjean Marois leads vocal ensemble's uncanny reproduction of jazz music, especially Brubeck's.
Marois Vocal Project (MVP) redefines the boundaries of vocal jazz with tight precision and dynamic energy. Led by visionary arranger and music director Réjean Marois, MVP delivers an exhilarating fusion of instrumental jazz repertoire, where voices skillfully reproduce the nuanced tones of saxophones and brass instruments.
Drawing inspiration from the golden era of jazz (1955-1965), the ensemble showcases compositions by legends such as Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Count Basie.
The heartbeat of MVP's repertoire stems from the unique vocal technique known as ''vocalese,” for which jazz singers seamlessly adapt instruments to the human voice, transcending traditional small combo settings to deliver full big band arrangements. Picture brass and saxes replaced by voices, channeling the lyricization of jazz giants Jon Hendricks and Mimi Perrin. To top it off, MVP showcases some of the country's finest practitioners of scat singing — a testament to their mastery of vocal jazz soloing.
For this special Vancouver International Jazz Festival performance, MVP will pay tribute to Dave Brubeck, including The Real Ambassadors, a collaboration between Dave and Iola Brubeck, Louis Armstrong and others — which used music as a vehicle to explore complicated issues like civil rights, war and diplomacy.
The Marois Vocal Project includes:
Vocalists: Siri Olesen; Alisia Lyne; Karen White; Tess Meckling; Carman J. Price; Andy Rice; Steve Maddock; Matt Shipley
Rhythm Section: James Dekker (piano); Stephen Edwards (bass); Jamison Ko (drums)
Presented in partnership with Vancouver International Jazz Festival.
