专辑简介

This album is a tribute to the ensembles and jazz artists from which Afro Blue has developed its sound. Afro Blue pays homage to instrumental ensembles The Duke Ellington Orchestra and The Count Basie Orchestra; The Manhattan Transfer; Lambert, Hendricks & Ross; Take 6; The New York Voices and The Real Group of Sweden; Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins & Sonny Stitt; and jazz vocal greats Betty Carter, Carmen McRae, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone and Sarah Vaughan. This album also features some solo entries from members of Afro Blue. In addition there are four tracks which pay tribute to the positive effect God has had on the lives of the founder and director of this group (Connaitre Miller) and her students. There is also a nod to the versatility of the ensemble by including a jazz version of a well-known R & B standard by Marvin Gaye (What's Goin' On?) and an old standard by Charlie Chaplin (Smile). This album contains an even number of a cappella performances and performances that include rhythm section further attesting to the versatility of the ensemble.