It was a quick jump for these 3 men and 3 women from Los Angeles from the founding of their Vocal Jazz group in 1999 to realizing their dream of appearing in the Harmony Sweepstakes competition. Sixth Wave won the 2001 L.A. Harmony Sweeps Regionals, and then they found themselves on the stage of the National Finals in San Rafael, where they performed an incredible set and were named Harmony Sweeps National Champions! A pair of excellent CDs followed, "Sixth Wave" and "It Will Come to You," and now we hold their long-awaited third album, "Happy Madness" in our hot little hands. Fourteen songs, and it's not easy to pick favorites. We'll start with the title tune, the New-York-jazzy "This Happy Madness," a bubbly, crazy, romantic delight; the surprising, joyful "Verlieben, Verlieren," sung in perfect German, a pair of nice original by group member Jennifer Barnes, "Life's Too Good to Sing the Blues" and the surprising, brilliant "Meet Us (Intro);" James Taylor's sublime "Another Grey Morning;" the moody "Kindred Souls (Cerebral Thoughts)," with lyrics by Jennifer, a scattish arrangement of "This Joint is Jumpin';" a pair of originals by group member Greg Jasperse, "Voice Dance IV" and "Oh How Beautiful This Finely Woven Earth;" and a wonderfully arranged cover of Stevie Wonder's "You Haven't Done Nothin'." "Happy Madness" is a joyous little jazz masterpiece from one of our favorite mixed-voice Vocal Jazz sextets! |
