Esther, Marc and Kristopher first sang together in the Vocal Section of Germany's Federal Jazz Orchestra in 1998 under the direction of Peter Herbolzheimer. By 2000 they met Sarah and began performing as a mixed vocal jazz quartet, from small jazz clubs to the largest concert halls in Germany; performing in the Munich Philharmonic, the Leipzig Gewandhaus, the CCH1 in Hamburg and the Friedrichstadtpalast in Berlin. "States of Mind" is a mostly-accompanied, jazzy, fun collection of 11 Billy Joel hits like "Just the Way You Are," "Piano Man," a nice a cappella cover of "Honesty," "New York State of Mind," "James," "Allentown," "He's Got a Way," "Summer, Highland Falls," "And So it Goes" and "We Didn't Start the Fire." The Voices have a fresh, beautifully harmonic sound, and they perfectly capture the sophisticated, moody New York feel of Billy Joel's music. "States" is a wonderfully entertaining tribute to a remarkable composer and performer. |