Search - Bobby Mcferrin, Antonio Vivaldi, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov :: Yo-Yo Ma & Bobby McFerrin: Hush

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