McFerrin Conducts Himself Well in Pops Appearance

(first published in The Cincinnati Post June 27, 1992)

"The problem with growing up," says Bobby McFerrin, "is you become adult."

Spelled "a-D-U-L-L-t," of course, which McFerrin's Cincinnati Pops appearance Friday night at Riverbend definitely was not.

It began decorously enough, with McFerrin - in jeans and sandals - conducting Mozart's "Eine kleine Nachtmusik." Then McFerrin, the vocal pyrotechnician, presented an a capella segment that had his nearly 5,000 listeners awed, amused and ultimately in hysterics. Have you ever heard a one-man version of "The Wizard of Oz?" Well, McFerrin can do it, Dorothy, Scarecrow, Munchkins and all. It was a madcap tour de force, from title song to tornado, McFerrin quelling the wicked witch with a self-administered splash of Evian.

McFerrin fielded responses from the audience, testing their TV literacy with "The Beverly Hillbillies" theme, their Romper Room recall with "Itsy-Bitsy Spider." Most everybody passed, even when he rumbled out the sunrise music from Strauss' "Also sprach Zarathustra" ("2001"), calling upon them to supply the trumpet motive.

It was not all fun and games, though. Few vocalists of any stripe could make Bach's Prelude in C Major (sung in E-flat) as "well- tempered" as McFerrin. His jazz improvisations drew on the enormous range and flexibility of his voice, as did his "Medicine Man" opener, where he supplied the beat by patting his chest.

After intermission, McFerrin donned dress trousers and mounted the podium to conduct the first and third movements of Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" Symphony. No lamentoso finale on this concert. (Don't worry, be happy, remember?) And how is McFerrin with a baton? Quite adept, actually, and the orchestra members would have done well to watch his beat more often, especially in the Mozart.

He conducted from memory, tossing out lots of cues, including a strategic cymbal crash in the Tchaikovsky. McFerrin saved his biggest surprise for last.

As the trumpet sounded the familiar fanfare, everyone thought he was launching into the final section of Rossini's "William Tell" Overture. He was, but the players had to sing it, not play it. The Pops became one large Voicestra (that's McFerrin's 10-voice vocal ensemble), and had a blast doing it. Cellist Gerry Sutyak punctuated a couple of spots by standing and waving her bow.

Timpanist Eugene Espino took one huge, audible breath in the rest before the final notes.

Concert review - CINCINNATI POPS. Friday night, Riverbend. Bobby McFerrin, vocalist, guest conductor. PROGRAM: Mozart, "Eine kleine Nachtmusik." McFerrin, a capella selections. Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6 ("Pathetique"), lst and 3rd movements. Rossini, "William Tell" Overture (final section). Attendance: 4,796. Tonight, Keith Brion, 8:30. Tickets: 381-3300.