Bobby McFerrin & Yo-Yo Ma's Hush (CD Review)

Who says classical music can't be fun, or that it's just old, slow, and uninvolving stuff fit for rich people with stodgy tastes? 

Considering that there are so few classical music commercial radio stations left, I suppose that's the popular notion of the genre. I mean, the section devoted to classical music in stores such as FYE and CD Warehouse is tiny when compared to the pop-rock, hip-hop, even country-western departments. And when has an American Idol contestant even bothered to offer a single aria from "Carmen" or "Madame Butterfly," hmmm? (The answer, of course, is "never.") 

Having been bitten by the classical music bug at the age of 14 after hearing several orchestral film scores, I am not one of those persons who prefers loud rhythmic confections over strongly melodic compositions. I also like to listen to artists who are able to shift musical gears as time goes by and refuse to be pigeonholed into one category such as "pop-rock star" (Billy Joel comes to mind). 

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. 

Not all the tracks are adaptations of classical composers; there is a jazzy but sweet rendition of the traditional "Hush Little Baby" lullabye (track 5), plus five McFerrin-composed songs --"Grace," "Stars," "Coyote," "Hoedown!" and "Goodbye." 

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 boring material intended 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.