Bobby McFerrin's Voice, and Beyond
Bobby McFerrin
Episode:All Voice
All voice. Zero instruments. Bobby McFerrin's Don't Worry, Be Happy was the first a cappella No. 1 hit in history. But McFerrin is not a pop star. His real domain is improvisation. The second track — a duo with Chick Corea — shows you that McFerrin's voice isn't just an instrument, it's a whole band. The third track is a piece Corea wrote for his own band. From voice to piano, from piano to full group.
Made entirely from 's voice. Bassline, percussion, harmony, melody — all from one person's mouth. Layered over a reggae-inflected groove at BPM 68, the voices multiply. Three Grammy wins. But McFerrin is said to have had complicated feelings about the hit: being known for just one small corner of your music. Listen to the next track and you'll understand what he meant.
A live improvised duo between and . They play Corea's signature piece Spain — just the two of them. McFerrin's voice sings the bassline, then an instant later traces Corea's piano phrase in unison, then the next instant flies off in a completely different direction. If Don't Worry, Be Happy is "making a song with your voice," this is "having a conversation with your voice." The speed at which Corea throws a phrase and McFerrin catches and returns it is extraordinary. Both of them are laughing.
The who held his own against McFerrin in Track 2, now making music with his own band. The piano explodes over Latin rhythms — a different kind of freedom from McFerrin's vocal freedom. True to the band name Return to Forever, the piece keeps returning to its theme, burning through it each time with a different intensity. If the McFerrin duo made you curious about Corea, this is where to begin.
