The Royal Bopsters (10th Anniversary Edition) The Royal Bopsters

• 1 Music in the Air ('Wildwood' as an instrumental) 05:33
• 2 On the Red Clay ('Red Clay' as an instrumental) 04:36
• 3 Peace 04:57
• 4 Basheer, the Snake and the Mirror 05:58
• 5 Señor Blues 04:54
• 6 Invitation 06:22
• 7 Bird Chasin' ('Chasin' The Bird' as an instrumental) 04:14
• 8 Music Is Forever 06:21
• 9 Bebop Lives ('Boplicity' as an instrumental) 04:59
• 10 Just Set Right Up 06:12
• 11 Nothing Like You Has Ever Been Seen Before 04:24
• 12 Let's Fly (10th Anniversary Remix) 03:43
• 13 Jazz Jump (10th Anniversary Bonus Track) 02:43
• 14 Auld Lang Syne (10th Anniversary Bonus Track) 01:24
• Total Runtime 01:06:20

Info for The Royal Bopsters (10th Anniversary Edition)

A master class in the art of vocal jazz and vocalese, Party of Four demonstrates the dazzling possibilities of four voices coming together as one. Bopsters Amy London, Dylan Pramuk, Pete McGuinness, and the late Holli Ross (to whom the album is dedicated) are joined by guest lead vocalists, NEA Jazz Master Sheila Jordan (91 years young) who delivers a delightful rendition of "Lucky to Be Me" and NEA Jazz Master, the late Bob Dorough. Party of Four displays the group's stunning facility to swing deeply and sing passionately while navigating incredibly precise four-part harmonies.

The reissue titled The Royal Bopsters (Tenth Anniversary Edition) will feature revised cover art, 11 of the original tracks, a remix of track 12 (Amy London’s “Let’s Fly”), a bonus track of the Bopsters’ swinging version of the Lester Young/King Pleasure song “Jazz Jump” (initially released as a single in 2021), plus the world premiere of their sparkling new acapella arrangement of “Auld Lang Syne.” Inspired by The Beach Boys 1966, The Bopsters’ “Auld Lang Syne”is adapted by Dylan Pramak, and dedicated to the group’s five fallen compatriots and jazz heroes, Mark, Jon, Annie, Bob and Holli.

“No jazz vocal group in the 20th century cast a longer shadow than Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. But all their qualities are echoed in the work of The Royal Bopsters. Some of the most important figures in vocalese history appear as guests on the album: the pioneering Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross; the legendary bop singer/songwriter and Schoolhouse Rock! creator Bob Dorough; their fellow NEA Master, Sheila Jordan; and six-time GRAMMY®-nominee Mark Murphy, who can be heard in fine form on four tracks.” (DownBeat)

The Royal Bopsters

The Royal Bopsters
New York’s The Royal Bopsters, formed in 2012, bring a new and refreshing approach to the art of vocal jazz. Vocalists Amy London, Jeanne O’Connor, Pete McGuinness, and Dylan Pramuk pay tribute to their jazz heroes through intricate harmonies and energetic delivery, bringing jazz classics and bebop style to the next generation and beyond. The Bopsters delve deeply into vocal improvisation; vocalese, the art of penning lyrics to instrumental jazz solos; and their original songs and arrangements further the tradition of modern jazz, bebop, and the blues.

Their debut recording, The Royal Bopsters Project (Motéma, 2015), featured vocal jazz legend Mark Murphy and NEA Jazz Masters Jon Hendricks, Annie Ross, Sheila Jordan, and Bob Dorough, garnering accolades from DownBeat Magazine (4.5 stars), JazzTimes (top 2015 releases), All About Jazz (top picks) and The New York Times (weekend picks) as well as rave reviews from Europe and the UK. The Royal Bopsters soon began performing at major festivals and notable clubs across the U.S. and Europe.

Their sophomore release, Party of Four, celebrates both the proud history and the bright future of vocal jazz. A hard-swinging amalgam of vocal virtuosity, electrifying group chemistry, and masterful arranging, Party of Four displays the group’s stunning facility to swing deeply and sing passionately while navigating incredibly precise four-part harmonies. The album is dedicated to Bopster Holli Wasser Ross, who sadly passed away in the late spring of 2020.

Cited as “expert practitioners of vocalese” in The New Yorker, The Royal Bopsters’ performances are masterclasses in the art of vocal jazz and vocalese, demonstrating the dazzling possibilities created when four voices come together as one. NEA Jazz Master Sheila Jordan, who began her career singing with Charlie Parker and is now considered the reigning Queen Matriarch of Vocal Bop, has commented “The Bopsters are my favorite vocal group.” The love is mutual, and The Bopsters include Sheila as a guest in their live shows wherever possible.

Amy London, Jeanne O’Connor, Pete McGuinness, and Dylan Pramuk are all renowned jazz educators, and collectively they instruct at the entire gamut of excellent jazz programs in the NYC area: The New School (London was a founder of the program), NYU, William Paterson University, Montclair State University, the City College of New York, Hofstra University, Jazz House Kids, and jazz camps globally. The group’s vast collective knowledge in the history and technique of the vocal jazz art form shines through on every note.

This album contains no booklet.