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The Four Freshmen is a Grammy-nominated American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 male vocal band quartet that blends open-harmony
Harmony

In Western music, harmony is the use of different pitches simultaneously, and chord s, actual or implied, in music. The word is related to the word "harmonic" which implies related wavelengths of waves....
 jazz arrangements with the big band vocal group sounds of The Modernairs (Glenn Miller), The Pied Pipers (Tommy Dorsey), and The Mel-Tones (Artie Shaw), founded in the barbershop tradition. The Four Freshmen is considered a vocal band because, in addition to singing, it accompanies itself on guitar, trumpet, bass, and drums among other instrumental configurations.

During 61 years of performance (1948-present), The Four Freshmen recorded 47 albums, CDs, and DVDs.






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The Four Freshmen is a Grammy-nominated American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 male vocal band quartet that blends open-harmony
Harmony

In Western music, harmony is the use of different pitches simultaneously, and chord s, actual or implied, in music. The word is related to the word "harmonic" which implies related wavelengths of waves....
 jazz arrangements with the big band vocal group sounds of The Modernairs (Glenn Miller), The Pied Pipers (Tommy Dorsey), and The Mel-Tones (Artie Shaw), founded in the barbershop tradition. The Four Freshmen is considered a vocal band because, in addition to singing, it accompanies itself on guitar, trumpet, bass, and drums among other instrumental configurations.

During 61 years of performance (1948-present), The Four Freshmen recorded 47 albums, CDs, and DVDs. Some of the signature songs follow: "Its a Blue World," "Day In, Day Out," "Skylark," "You've Got Me Cryin' Again," "Angel Eyes," "After You've Gone," "Poinciana," "Mam'selle," "Route 66," "Day by Day," "Laura," "That Old Feeling," "You Stepped Out of a Dream," "We'll Be Together Again," "In This Whole Wide World," and "And So It's Over."

The group tours internationally to sold-out audiences and records popular standards flavored with jazz harmonies since its late '40s founding in the halls of the Jordan School of Music at Butler University (Indianapolis), thanks to a series of incarnations.

The Four Freshmen (FF) influenced many vocal groups. These groups include from the beginning-- The Hi-Los, The Hilltoppers, and Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross--to later on-- The Lettermen
The Lettermen

The Lettermen are an United States pop music human voice band . The Lettermen's trademark is close-harmony pop music songs with light arrangements....
, The Four Preps
The Four Preps

The Four Preps were a popular music quartet most popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s....
, The Skyliners, Spanky and Our Gang
Spanky and Our Gang

Spanky and Our Gang was an United States 1960s folk-rock band led by Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane. The band derives its name from Hal Roach's popular Our Gang comedies of the 1930s ....
, The Mamas and Papas, The Association
The Association

The Association is a pop music band from California in the sunshine pop genre. They are best known for their popularity in the 1960s, when they had numerous hits at or near the top of the Billboard charts....
, The Four Seasons
The Four Seasons (group)

The Four Seasons , is an United States popular music and rock music group. They also had a sound somewhat reminiscent of doo-wop, although they were not thought of as a doo wop quartet....
, ABBA, The Swingle Singers, Take 6
Take 6

Take 6 is an influential United States a cappella gospel music sextet formed in 1980 on the campus of Oakwood College in Huntsville, Alabama. The group sings in a contemporary style, integrating R&B and jazz influences into their devotional songs and has 10 Grammy Awards wins, 10 Dove Awards, one Soul Train Award and two NAACP Image Award nom...
, New York Voices, The Manhattan Transfer
The Manhattan Transfer

The Manhattan Transfer is an United States vocal group. There have been two incarnations of the group, with Tim Hauser being the only member to feature in both....
, and The Bobs. In his autobiography, Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson

Brian Douglas Wilson is a Grammy Award-winning United States musician best known as a member of the American rock and roll band, the Beach Boys....
 attributes the success of the Beach Boys
The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys are an American rock band. Formed in 1961, the group gained popularity for its close harmony and lyrics reflecting a California youth culture of cars and surfing....
' initial sound to the harmonic chord choices found in FF arrangements. In concert, the Beach Boys honors the FF verbally and illustrates the FF's voicing with an a cappella version of its hit, "In My Room."

Ross Barbour, a founding Freshmen and author of the group's biography, "NOW YOU KNOW", explained several of the technical aspects of "The Four Freshmen sound.

History

In early 1948, brothers Ross and Don Barbour, then at Butler University
Butler University

Butler University is a private liberal arts university in Indianapolis, Indiana, Indiana, United States. It was founded by abolitionist and Lawyer Ovid Butler in 1855....
's Arthur Jordan Conservatory in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana

Indianapolis is the Capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. The United States Census estimated the city's population, Indianapolis , Indiana the Unigov, at 795,458 in 2006....
, formed a barbershop quartet called Hal's Harmonizers. The Harmonizers also included Marvin Pruitt - soon replaced by Ross and Don's cousin Bob Flanigan - and Hal Kratzsch (1925–70), replaced in 1953 by Ken Errair. The quartet soon adopted a more jazz
Jazz

Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions....
-oriented repertoire and renamed itself the Toppers. At first, they were influenced by Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller

Alton Glenn Miller , was an United States jazz musician, arranger, composer, and band leader in the Swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1942, leading one of the best known "Big band"....
's The Modernaires
The Modernaires

The Modernaires began in 1935 as a trio of schoolmates from Lafayette High School . The members, Hal Dickinson, Chuck Goldstein, and Bill Conway , were called Don Juan-Two and Three, and had their first engagement at Buffalo's suburban Glen Falls Casino, with the Ted Fio Rito Orchestra....
 and Mel Tormé
Mel Tormé

Melvin Howard Torm? , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known as one of the great jazz singers. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books....
's Mel-Tones, but soon developed their own style of improvised vocal harmony. In September 1948, the quartet went on the road as The Four Freshmen, and soon drew the admiration of jazz legends such as Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie

John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie [/g?'l?spi/] was an United States jazz trumpeter, bandleader, singer, and composer. He was born in Cheraw, South Carolina, the youngest of nine children....
 and Woody Herman
Woody Herman

Woodrow Charles Herman , better known as Woody Herman, was an United States jazz clarinetist, alto and soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band band leader....
.

In 1950, The Four Freshmen got a break when band leader Stan Kenton
Stan Kenton

Stanley Newcomb Kenton was a pianist who led a highly innovative, influential, and often controversial United States jazz orchestra. In later years he was widely active as an educator....
 heard the quartet in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio

Dayton is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, Ohio, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 166,179 at the United States Census, 2000....
, and arranged for an audition with his label, Capitol Records
Capitol Records

Capitol Records is a major United States-based record label owned by EMI and located in Hollywood, California and New York City as part of Capitol Music Group....
, which signed The Four later that year. In 1952, they released their first hit single "It's a Blue World". Further hits included "Mood Indigo" in 1954, "Day by Day" in 1955, and "Graduation Day" in 1956.

The Four Freshmen won Best Vocal Group of the Year in DownBeat magazine's Readers Polls in 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 2000, and 2001.

Throughout the 50s and early 60s, The Four Freshmen released a number of successful recordings, made film and television appearances, and performed in concert. The group eventually lost their mainstream
Mainstream

Mainstream is, generally, the common current of thought of the majority. It is a term most often applied in the The Arts . This includes:* something that is available to the general public;...
 following with the advent of the British pop bands of the 1960s. The group did not disband, however, even after the last original member, Bob Flanigan, retired in 1992. Flanigan now manages the group and owns the rights to The Four Freshmen name.

The current incarnation of The Four Freshmen features Brian Eichenberger (lead, guitar, keyboards, arranger), Curtis Calderon (second voice, trumpet, flugelhorn), Vince Johnson (third voice, bass, trombone, whistler, scatter, arranger), and Bob Ferreira (fourth voice, drummer, soloist). This configuration is in their thirties, so they can handle the upwards of 100 bookings a year. Their latest recordings are "The Star-Spangled Banner" (a single CD), the best-selling CD "In Session" (with previously unrecorded titles and Brian's arrangements), the CD "Live in Holland with the Concertgebouw Jazz Orchestra," the Christmas-themed CD "Snowfall," and the DVD "Live from Las Vegas' Suncoast Hotel and Casino."

Brian, Curtis, Vince, and Bob have been honored with the following designations: JazzTimes magazine's Readers Poll Best Vocal Group (multiple wins), DownBeat magazine's Readers Poll Best Vocal Group (multiple wins), and DownBeat magazine's Readers Poll Hall of Fame finals (multiple years).

The 20th International Four Freshmen Society Convention, "Back Home in Indiana," was held in Indianapolis, the home of Butler University, on August 21-23, 2008. Six hundred of the approximately 3,000 Society members attended in honor of The Four Freshmen's 60th year of continual performance. Present were original FF Ross Barbour and Bob Flanigan (now Butler honorary doctors) and the widow of Don Barbour. Former FF Ray Brown (Group 5), Rod Henley (Groups 8 and 11), Kirk Marcy (Group 12), and Greg Stegeman (Groups 14-21) attended and performed along with current FF Brian, Curtis, Vince, and Bob (Group 22). The 21st International Four Freshmen Society Convention will be held on August 20-22, 2009 in Atlanta.

Discography


Albums, CDs, and DVDs

  • 1955. Voices in Modern
  • 1955. 4 Freshmen and 5 Trombones
  • 1956. Freshmen Favorites
  • 1957. 4 Freshmen and 5 Trumpets
  • 1957. 4 Freshmen and 5 Saxes
  • 1958. Voices In Latin
  • 1958. The Freshman Year
  • 1958. Voices In Love
  • 1958. In Person
  • 1959. 4 Freshmen and 5 Guitars
  • 1959. Love Lost
  • 1960. Voices And Brass
  • 1960. Road Show
  • 1960. First Affair
  • 1961. Voices in Fun
  • The Freshman Year (1961)
  • Best of The Four Freshmen (1961)
  • Stars in Our Eyes (1962)
  • The Swingers (1962)
  • Day By Day (1962)
  • Got That Feelin (1963)
  • In Person, Vol. 2 (1963)
  • More 4 Freshmen and 5 Trombones (1963)
  • Funny How Time Slips Away (1964)
  • That's My Desire (1967)
  • A Today Kind of Thing (1968)
  • Today is Tomorrow (1968)
  • Four Freshmen in Tokyo '68 (1969)
  • Different Strokes (1969)
  • My Special Angel (1970)
  • Return to Romance (1971)
  • Mount Freshmore (1977)
  • Alive & Well in Nashville (1977)
  • Live At Butler University With Stan Kenton And His Orchestra (1986)
  • Fresh! (1986, nominated for a Grammy)
  • Freshmas! (1992)
  • Angel Eyes (1995)
  • Easy Street(1997)
  • Golden Anniversary Celebration (1998)
  • Still Fresh CD (1999)
  • Four Freshmen Live CD (2000)
  • Live in the New Millennium CD (2002)
  • Live In Holland CD (2004)
  • In Session CD (2005)
  • Star-spangled Banner Single CD (2005)
  • Live From Las Vegas DVD (2006)
  • Snowfall CD (2007)


45 RPM Singles (A-Side / B-side, release date, stock number)

  • Mr. B's Blues / Then I'll Be Happy (11/50) Capitol 1293
  • Now You Know / Pick Up Your Tears and Go Home (4/51) Capitol 1377
  • It's A Blue World / Tuxedo Junction (7/52) Capitol 2152
  • The Day Isn't Long Enough / Stormy Weather (11/52) Capitol 2286
  • Poinciana / Baltimore Oriole (4/53) Capitol 2398
  • Holiday / It Happened Once Before (8/53) Capitol 2564
  • Seems Like Old Times / Crazy Bones (2/54) Capitol 2745
  • I'll Be Seeing You / Please Remember (6/54) Capitol 2832
  • We'll Be Together Again /My Heart Stood Still (8/54) Capitol 2898
  • Mood Indigo / Love Turns Winter to Spring (10/54) Capitol 2961
  • It Never Occurred to Me / Malaya (3/55) Capitol 3070
  • Day By Day / How Can I Tell Her (6/55) Capitol 3154
  • Charmaine / In This Whole Wide World (11/55) Capitol 3292
  • Angel Eyes / Love Is Just Around the Cornter (2/56) Capitol 3359
  • Graduation Day / Lonely Night in Paris (4/56) Capitol 3410
  • He Who Loves and Runs Away / You're So Far Above Me (9/56) Capitol 3532
  • That's the Way I Feel / What's it Gonna Be (2/57) Capitol 3652
  • Julie Is Her Name / Sometimes I'm Happy (8/57) Capitol 3779
  • How Can I Begin To Tell / Granada (11/57) Capitol 3832
  • Whistle Me Some Blues / Nights Are Longer (3/58) Capitol 3930
  • Don't Worry Bout Me / I Never Knew ?? Capitol
  • Candy / Route 66 (2/60) Capitol 4341
  • Teach Me Tonight / Shangri-La (6/62) Capitol 4749
  • I'm Gonna Go Fishin' / Taps Miller (9/62) Capitol 4824
  • Summertime / Baby Won't You Please Come Home (6/63) Capitol 5007
  • Funny How Time Slips Away / Charade (11/63) Capitol 5083
  • My Baby's Gone / Don't Make Me Sorry (3/64) Capitol 5151
  • When I Stop Lovin' You / Nights Are Long (4/65) Capitol 5401
  • Old Cape Cod / Men In Their Flying Machines (8/65) Capitol 5471
  • Cry / Nowhere to Go (12/66) Decca 32070
  • Cherish / Come Fly With Me (6/68) Liberty 56047
  • Windy / Up, Up and Away
  • Blue World / Phoenix (4/69) Liberty 56099
  • My Special Angel
  • I Want To Love / While I'm Young Capitol F 3539 (Ken Errair solo
  • Ain't Goin' Nowhere
  • How About Me Capitol F 3890 (Ken Errair Quartet)
  • How's About Tomorrow Night
  • The Creep / Tenderly (2/54 Capitol 2685 (FF sing on Tenderly)


Note: The first fifteen singles (Mr. B through Graduation Day) were also released as 78rpm Capitol discs, with the same stock numbers as above.

Promotional Singles

  • It's a Blue World / Poinciana Capitol PRO 862
  • You're So Far Above Me / Brazil Capitol PRO 863
  • Every Time We Say Goodbye / Circus Capitol PRO 864
  • Whistle Me Some Blues / It Never Occurred To Me Capitol PRO 865
  • You Stepped Out Of A Dream / I May Be Wrong Capitol PRO 866
  • Baltimore Oriole / It Could Happen To You Capitol Pro 867
  • Accentuate The Positive / I Want To Be Happy Capitol PRO 1822
  • We've Got A World That Swings / When My Sugar Walks Down The Street Capitol PRO 2392 (red vinyl)
  • It Never Occurred To Me / Malaya Capitol PRO 2969
  • How Can I Tell Her / Day By Day Capitol PRO 3070
  • Angel Eyes / Love Is Just Around The Corner Capitol PRO 3154
  • I Want To Love While I'm Still Young / Aint'Goin' Nowhere (Ken Errair Capitol PRO 3359
  • Give Me The Simple Life (dated 1/12/62)) / Say it Isn't So (not a FF cut) USAF presents Music in the Air
  • Nowhere To Go / Cry Decca 32070


7 inch, 33 1/3 (small hole) Promo Singles

  • Here's Hollywood / And So It's Over Capitol PRO 2402
  • Moon River / Dynaflow Capitol PRO 2449
  • Blue World / Poinciana Capitol PRO 2510
  • Li'l Darlin' / Lulu's Back In Town Capitol XE 1753
  • Candy / It Could Happen To You Capitol XE 1640 (set of 3)
  • Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe / While You Are Gone
  • Day By Day / Little Girl Blue
  • Moonlight Rain
  • I'm Beginning To See The Light / It's A Blue World


External links

  • in the Vocal Hall of Fame.