In Celebration of the Human Voice - The Essential Musical Instrument

An Octave Above

Mixed Vocal Jazz Octet from Chicago, IL, United States.

An Octave Above is a group of eight professional vocalists who blend years of experience and a love of a cappella harmony to every style of music they sing. From doo-wop to jazz, standards to pop, Bacharach to The Beatles, An Octave Above creates a new standard for excellence on the Chicago music scene.

Also members of prestigious Chicago-area choral ensembles including the Chicago Symphony Chorus, An Octave Above members hold degrees from Elmhurst College, Northern Illinois University, Bradley University, University of Illinois at Champaign, Western Michigan and the University of Miami.

An Octave Above has quickly established themselves as one of the hottest a cappella vocal groups in Chicago. They have competed in the Chicago Regional Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival placing in the top three all three years. They sang the National Anthem at a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field, a Chicago White Sox game at U.S. Cellular Field and have sung at the United Center. In 2003, 2004 and 2005 they were the featured guest artists for the Elgin Symphony Orchestra's annual "Holiday Joys" concert. In 2003 they opened for award winning jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater at the Elmhurst Jazz festival. In addition, they have been featured at performance venues including Fitzgerald's in Berwyn, the Prairie Center for the Arts in Schaumburg, Townhouse Books & Cafe in St. Charles, and have also held private performances at Molly Malone's Irish Pub in Forest Park, The Galleria Marchetti and Orchestra Hall in Chicago.

Inspired by The Real Group, The Swingle Singers, Manhattan Transfer and The New York Voices, An Octave Above is versatile, eclectic and always wonderful. Listen once and you'll be transposed... An Octave Above!

Discography

Displaying 1-2 of 2 items.

An Octave Above : An Octave Above

Review: The 4 men and 4 women of An Octave Above, (named 1st runner-up at the 2005 Harmony Sweeps Chicago Regional) are a group of professional vocalists, together for only 3 years, whose repertoire includes doo-wop, jazz, standards and madrigals. This is the group's impressive debut CD of 13 songs, beginning with a jazzy, light "Chile Con Carne," a sweet Ward Swingle-arranged "All the Things You Are," and a ringingly harmonic cover of James Taylor's "That Lonesome Road." Doo-Wop classics "Come Go With Me" and "In the Still of the Night" segue nicely into Billy Joel's anthem "And So It Goes," a bluenote "There Will Never Be Another You" grows upbeat and scattish, "Tico Tico" puts a margarita in our hand and pulls us onto the dance floor, and finally we have Ward Swingle's sparkling arrangement of "Country Dances." Excellent stuff from this fast-rising Chicago octet, who we will be expecting to see at the '06 Sweeps Finals!

Songlist: Chili Con Carne, When I'm Sixty-Four, All the Things You Are, Come Go With Me, That Lonesome Road, I'm With You, In the Still of the Night, And So It Goes, There Will Never Be Another You, Scat Blues, Tico Tico, A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square, Country Dances

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Away in a Manger

An Octave Above : Come on and Take a Sleigh Ride!

Review: "Sleigh Ride" is the second release from talented mixed-voice (4 men, 4 women) a cappella octet An Octave Above, who were 1st runner-up at the 2005 Chicago Harmony Sweeps Regionals. The group has been gaining fans with live performances at many Chicago venues, and this Christmas album shows off some of their cutting-edge arrangements and tight, jazzy harmonies. 12 songs, some of our favorites are the opening cut "Sleigh Ride," a moody, jazzy "What Child is This" (with a fine solo by Debra), a richly harmonized "Away in a Manger," a bluesy, funky "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen," "Mary Did You Know" (with Melinda's sweet lead), a surreal, '30s-retro "Toyland," a richly Italianesque "Gesu Bambino," a nicely-arranged "O Holy Night," a classic "Silent Night," and an upbeat "We Three Kings" with tight vocal percussion by Scott. Good fun stuff from Chicago sure to brighten your holidays!

Songlist: Sleigh Ride, What Child is This?, Away in a Manger, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Mary, Did You Know?, Toyland, Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming, Gesu Bambino, O Holy Night, Go, Tell it on the Mountain, Silent Night, We Three Kings

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