The Four Freshmen - In Session

[GA Russell]

I grew up with The Four Freshmen in my house. When I was little, my older sister had two of their albums, Five Trombones and Voices in Love. Then in high school there was no escaping The Beach Boys, who put the Freshmen harmonies over a rock beat. (In fact, I remember bringing home a re-release of the Freshmen's Best Of album back in '74, and my roommate asked, "Who is this group? They sound just like The Beach Boys."(!!))

In '77 I was delighted to find a re-release of their second album Freshmen Favorites. In the mid-80s I found that Pausa had re-issues many of their 50s Capitol albums, and I picked up the four that I could.

But I found that unfortunately the group did not age well. I picked up a re-issue of their '69 Liberty album In a Class By Themselves, and it wasn't very good. About that time, I saw them on TV on a PBS show, and they weren't very good at all.

About 1990 I saw them in concert at a club in Atlanta. By that time the group was lead singer Bob Flanagan and three young guys. It was a real treat to see Flanagan and to meet him afterwards as he worked the crowd, but the other three guys were pretty weak. In '93 I bought their Christmas album Freshmas, and it was awful. I never listen to it. So I came to the conclusion that the Four Freshman were a thing of the past. Flanagan retired in 1992.

Imagine my surprise when I saw in 2000 that they won the Downbeat Readers Poll for Vocal Group of the Year. There was a comment by the editor indicating that Downbeat had exchanged correspondence with the Four Freshman fan club, apparently suggesting that they were stuffing the ballot box. And I can imagine the fan club replying that all the votes were legitimate, and it wasn't up to the editors to disqualify the group because they didn't like them.

Last January I received an email from someone I didn't know who had seen something I wrote about the Freshmen at AAJ, telling me of the group's new album In Session, and how the group was maybe the best lineup ever. I figured that the writer was a fan club fanatic, and didn't take it seriously. Then just a few weeks ago I saw Doug Ramsey on his Rifftides blog say some kind words about the album, so I decided to give it a try. I respect Ramsey's opinion a great deal.

I'm glad I did. It turns out that my correspondent from January was right. In Session is a great album, and the current lineup may indeed be the best the group has ever been.

The album has eleven songs, nine of which are standards, and of the two new to me one is by Michel Legrand. My favorite is You've Changed, but It's All Right With Me, Skylark, If I Only Had a Brain, Early Autumn, Something Gotta Give, September Song and If I Had You are all great. The selection is a good mix between uptempo and ballads.

The group plays its own instruments - trumpet, guitar, bass and drums, with a little trombone and piano thrown in. For a vocal group, they are surprisingly good on their instruments.

I don't know how widely the album is distributed. It was issued by the fan club, not a record label. I have found it for twenty bucks at Amazon and the www.fourfreshmen.com website.

Highly recommended, and a very pleasant surprise!

[sidewinder]

Presumably you are aware that Tower have recently been listing the 'Complete Capitol' Mosaic by the Freshmen for around $80?

[GA Russell]

Sidewinder, yes I saw that. Thats a great deal, about $9.50 per CD.

For the past few years EMI in Britain and Collector's Choice in the US have been issueing 2 LPs on 1 CD of the Freshman, and I have picked up four albums that way. So I think the only 50s albums I don't have are the first, Voices in Modern, which has relatively recently been issued on CD for the first time, and In Person, which I don't believe has been made available on CD except for the Mosaic box.

About 1990 I wrote Mosaic a long letter with my suggestions regarding sets they should issue, and one of my ideas was The Four Freshmen. I was glad to see them take me up on it, but by the time they did I already had almost everything in the box.

[Chuck Nessa]

I grew up with The Four Freshmen in my house.

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How many bedrooms?

I have to admit to seeing them about 4 times when in high school. They were always "hip" and musical. I sang in a school quartet and double quartet at the time. I have fond memories but don't think I'd spend more than $15 to go down memory lane.

[RDK]

Hey Chuck, anything ever come of that Four Freshman-AEC session? That's be something to hear!

[Chuck Nessa]

Hey Chuck, anything ever come of that Four Freshman-AEC session?  That's be something to hear! 

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How much money you gonna send my way for the ultimate "People In Sorrow"?

[JSngry]

I've said it before and I'll say it again - the Hi-Los' Spotlite sides kick the Freshman's ass all the way to town, back again, and around the corner out into the alley.

ATTENTION MUST BE PAID!!!

[GA Russell]

Jim, I have The Hi-Lo's Spotlite sides on both LP and CD. Great music!

However, The Hi-Lo's aren't recording anymore.

[JSngry]

Well, they're not recording any less either...

Ok, point well-taken.

Btw - I've got about half of the Hi-Los Spotlite stuff on CD. The other half has remained elusive, maybe not even on CD at all. Whatcha' got?

Feel free to PM me if you don't want to sidetrack this thread.

[GA Russell]

Jim, on vinyl I have a 2-LP set from MCA from the mid-80s entitled The Hi-Lo's Collection, and on CD I have the Varese Sarabande CD from '96 entitled Nice Work If You Can Get It.

[JSngry]

Ok. there's more, but it's a you-know-what to find. Not that I've been trying real hard, mind you. But I did find a really nice 1999 British MCA CD that contains the complete mono mixes of Under Glass & I Presume with two of the Trend sides w/Jerry Fielding. That LP set has, I think, the other two. Highly recommended, that MCA disc is, and not too difficult to find for a good price online.

There's a DRG disc of Spotlite material as well that mostly (but not completely) overlaps the Varese-Sarabande disc, but it uses stereo mixes, some of which are pretty unsatisfactory. If the Varese-Sarabande does the same, then I highly recommend seeking out the UK MCA disc. No comparison!

Still lacking on CD, though, is Listen! & On Hand in their entirety, and "Peg O'My Heart" from the Trend date (their 1954 debut EP). Give me those and I'll ba a happy camper.

Details here: http://www.thehi-los.com/discography/ if you're interested, and I apologize for diverting your thread as much as I have.

[sidewinder]

I think my folks have got a mono original vinyl Hi-Los 'Under Glass' somewhere in their place. I'll see if I they will loan it to me. (Last time I played it was on a '50s 'Bush' mono valve gramophone job with auto-changer ).

Very tempted with that Freshmen Mosaic. Somewhat to my suprise I really like the samples I must be getting ancient !

Edited August 28, 2005 by sidewinder

[tatifan]

Saw the FF set at a local Half Price Books for the same $100 that they charged (ME!!) for the Nat King Cole Trio set last year! Not really half price considering it's still in print, and the Tower deal. On top of that, it only contained the main booklet.... am I correct that there is a second booklet for this set??

[brownie]

OK, I like the Hi-Los better too but I got the Four Freshmen box on sale and it's throroughly enjoyable. Not all of it but there's quite a lot of good sessions inside (the FF and Five Trombones sides are still a delight!).

Taken in small doses, it stands up pretty well!

And Mosaic only had 3,500 copies of it. The Mosaic CD box with the lowest copies made!

Tatifan, the box I have has the regular Mosaic 30-page booklet plus a single page that is mainly a tracklist.

[sidewinder]

Right, that does it. I'm ordering this one.

[Guest]

I grew up with The Four Freshmen in my house.  When I was little, my older sister had two of their albums, Five Trombones and Voices in Love.  Then in high school there was no escaping The Beach Boys, who put the Freshmen harmonies over a rock beat.  (In fact, I remember bringing home a re-release of the Freshmen's Best Of album back in '74, and my roommate asked, "Who is this group?  They sound just like The Beach Boys."(!!))

In '77 I was delighted to find a re-release of their second album Freshmen Favorites.  In the mid-80s I found that Pausa had re-issues many of their 50s Capitol albums, and I picked up the four that I could.

But I found that unfortunately the group did not age well.  I picked up a re-issue of their '69 Liberty album In a Class By Themselves, and it wasn't very good.  About that time, I saw them on TV on a PBS show, and they weren't very good at all.

About 1990 I saw them in concert at a club in Atlanta.  By that time the group was lead singer Bob Flanagan and three young guys.  It was a real treat to see Flanagan and to meet him afterwards as he worked the crowd, but the other three guys were pretty weak.  In '93 I bought their Christmas album Freshmas, and it was awful.  I never listen to it.  So I came to the conclusion that the Four Freshman were a thing of the past.  Flanagan retired in 1992.

Imagine my surprise when I saw in 2000 that they won the Downbeat Readers Poll for Vocal Group of the Year.  There was a comment by the editor indicating that Downbeat had exchanged correspondence with the Four Freshman fan club, apparently suggesting that they were stuffing the ballot box.  And I can imagine the fan club replying that all the votes were legitimate, and it wasn't up to the editors to disqualify the group because they didn't like them.

Last January I received an email from someone I didn't know who had seen something I wrote about the Freshmen at AAJ, telling me of the group's new album In Session, and how the group was maybe the best lineup ever.  I figured that the writer was a fan club fanatic, and didn't take it seriously.  Then just a few weeks ago I saw Doug Ramsey on his Rifftides blog say some kind words about the album, so I decided to give it a try.  I respect Ramsey's opinion a great deal.

I'm glad I did.  It turns out that my correspondent from January was right.  In Session is a great album, and the current lineup may indeed be the best the group has ever been.

The album has eleven songs, nine of which are standards, and of the two new to me one is by Michel Legrand.  My favorite is You've Changed, but It's All Right With Me, Skylark, If I Only Had a Brain, Early Autumn, Something Gotta Give, September Song and If I Had You are all great.  The selection is a good mix between uptempo and ballads.

The group plays its own instruments - trumpet, guitar, bass and drums, with a little trombone and piano thrown in.  For a vocal group, they are surprisingly good on their instruments.

I don't know how widely the album is distributed.  It was issued by the fan club, not a record label.  I have found it for twenty bucks at Amazon and the www.fourfreshmen.com website.

Highly recommended, and a very pleasant surprise!

←

[Guest]

The current Four Freshmen are definetly the best vocal group on the jazz scene today. THis is the best version since the 50;s. THis is not another nostalgic group but a Fresh hip group of today. They are all outstanding musicians-Curtis on trumpet and flugelhorn is amazing.

The "In Sesdsion" recording is the best FF record since 5 trombones.

The orignal FF harmony is still there (that so many have copied since the 50's) but they are moving the group forward with their own unique touch.

For example on track 10 - "If I Had You" starts off with the first 8 bars in the traditional FF harmony and style but suddenlythe rhythm section cuts lose with a new orleansd beat like never heard on a Frshmen record. Curtis Calderson soars high with his trumpet. Dont let me scare you off as the Four Freshmen sound is there. Also these are all new arrangements and nothing old.

I believe they are the best vocal group[ out there - it is just too bad they do not have more exposure. They just returned from trips to Japan and Europe last month and seem to be more popular over there than here

G R Jack

out

I grew up with The Four Freshmen in my house.  When I was little, my older sister had two of their albums, Five Trombones and Voices in Love.  Then in high school there was no escaping The Beach Boys, who put the Freshmen harmonies over a rock beat.  (In fact, I remember bringing home a re-release of the Freshmen's Best Of album back in '74, and my roommate asked, "Who is this group?  They sound just like The Beach Boys."(!!))

In '77 I was delighted to find a re-release of their second album Freshmen Favorites.  In the mid-80s I found that Pausa had re-issues many of their 50s Capitol albums, and I picked up the four that I could.

But I found that unfortunately the group did not age well.  I picked up a re-issue of their '69 Liberty album In a Class By Themselves, and it wasn't very good.  About that time, I saw them on TV on a PBS show, and they weren't very good at all.

About 1990 I saw them in concert at a club in Atlanta.  By that time the group was lead singer Bob Flanagan and three young guys.  It was a real treat to see Flanagan and to meet him afterwards as he worked the crowd, but the other three guys were pretty weak.  In '93 I bought their Christmas album Freshmas, and it was awful.  I never listen to it.  So I came to the conclusion that the Four Freshman were a thing of the past.  Flanagan retired in 1992.

Imagine my surprise when I saw in 2000 that they won the Downbeat Readers Poll for Vocal Group of the Year.  There was a comment by the editor indicating that Downbeat had exchanged correspondence with the Four Freshman fan club, apparently suggesting that they were stuffing the ballot box.  And I can imagine the fan club replying that all the votes were legitimate, and it wasn't up to the editors to disqualify the group because they didn't like them.

Last January I received an email from someone I didn't know who had seen something I wrote about the Freshmen at AAJ, telling me of the group's new album In Session, and how the group was maybe the best lineup ever.  I figured that the writer was a fan club fanatic, and didn't take it seriously.  Then just a few weeks ago I saw Doug Ramsey on his Rifftides blog say some kind words about the album, so I decided to give it a try.  I respect Ramsey's opinion a great deal.

I'm glad I did.  It turns out that my correspondent from January was right.  In Session is a great album, and the current lineup may indeed be the best the group has ever been.

The album has eleven songs, nine of which are standards, and of the two new to me one is by Michel Legrand.  My favorite is You've Changed, but It's All Right With Me, Skylark, If I Only Had a Brain, Early Autumn, Something Gotta Give, September Song and If I Had You are all great.  The selection is a good mix between uptempo and ballads.

The group plays its own instruments - trumpet, guitar, bass and drums, with a little trombone and piano thrown in.  For a vocal group, they are surprisingly good on their instruments.

I don't know how widely the album is distributed.  It was issued by the fan club, not a record label.  I have found it for twenty bucks at Amazon and the www.fourfreshmen.com website.

Highly recommended, and a very pleasant surprise!

←

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[Guest]

RE : FF not recording

"

Well, they're not recording any less either...

Ok, point well-taken. "

While in Amsterdam this month I saw the Freshmen at the Concertbouw -19th century music hall with close to 2 000 people in attendance.(standing ovation)

Part of the set was with a great Netherland orchestrsa called the New Millieum Orchestra.

I bought a large poster board showing 48 CD's (not LP) covers with all FF recordings. THis was real neat.

Some of these were released in Japan while others in Europe most of it was from old LP's

So there is a lot of Four Freshmen CD 's out there. I know I have over 35 of them

GR Jack

[Alfred]

OK, I like the Hi-Los better too but I got the Four Freshmen box on sale and it's throroughly enjoyable. Not all of it but there's quite a lot of good sessions inside (the FF and Five Trombones sides are still a delight!).

Taken in small doses, it stands up pretty well!

And Mosaic only had 3,500 copies of it. The Mosaic CD box with the lowest copies made!

Tatifan, the box I have has the regular Mosaic 30-page booklet plus a single page that is mainly a tracklist.

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Maybe I know why very soon. I ordered the set from Towers and it is just on the way...

[sidewinder]

Same here !

[GA Russell]

Congratulations guys! I thought Tower had only one copy to sell.

[sidewinder]

Thanks ! Worked out at about £50, including shipping from the US. A pretty good deal, call it a bonus birthday present.

[GA Russell]

Now that I've had In Session about eight weeks, I find that I don't listen to it as much as I did at first, but I still listen to it more often than any other vocal album I have. Still like it a great deal.

Sidewinder and Alfred, do you have any thoughts on the Mosaic box you got? Pleased with the purchase, or too much of a good thing?

[sidewinder]

Sidewinder and Alfred, do you have any thoughts on the Mosaic box you got?  Pleased with the purchase, or too much of a good thing?

←

I like it - in fact more so than I was expecting to. Good music throughout the box, which I've hardly scratched the surface of yet. The quality of the West Coast backing bands is outstanding throughout and Mosaic's sound, very good.