On track 2, "Andante," it is virtually impossible to distinguish McFerrin's voice from Ma's cello at first listen. They move through this piece as a cohesive unit. Stellar tracks are Rachmaninov's "Vocalise" and Bach's "Air" -- both are just traditional classical pieces performed to their utmost potential by two gifted artists. They also have moments of fun, like on "Hoedown!" and "Coyote," and McFerrin even pokes fun of NPR on Bach's "Musette," while giving a Jimi Hendrix plug at the beginning of his vocalizing.
I could picture straight-laced classical purists shying away from this kind of tomfoolery, and jazz purists might find the classical pieces too confining. They are both missing out, though. McFerrin had shown shades of this kind of work "Lullaby" and "Psalm 23" on his MEDICINE MAN disc and even on PLAY with Chick Corea. This is a new side of Yo-Yo Man, however, and one which I would like to see again. I would pay big bucks to have been a fly on the wall during these recoring sessions!!! OFFICIUM, by Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble, is reminiscent of this kind of classical meets jazz work, but it even has a whole different feel than HUSH. If you are a fan of either artist, you will appreciate what he brings to the table and gain a new respect for what the other can bring, as well. On the real short list for "desert island" classical CDs (that's the category in which I put it). Well worth a listen!
McFerrin gives new life and humor to several pieces that one thinks as "serious" classical standards (Bach's "Musette"). I enjoy the exploration of McFerrin's voice and the tremendous talent and flexible playing of Yo-Yo Ma on this CD. Some of McFerrin's vocalising reminds me of Gregorian Chants, which was interesting to hear with Ma's classical music playing... For purists of the classical genre, they may be less amused with the treatments.
The imagination and talent that flows from this work continues to reinforce the reasons why I love classical music -- the ability for one to put personal emotion to a piece and also enjoy it for its own sake.
For those looking for something different, fun and funky, it's a great buy. For the purist, you may want to pass...