The Idea of North ‘Smile’
Eastside Radio’s Album of the Week is Smile by The Idea of North.
Celebrating their 20 year anniversary, ARIA Award-winning vocal quartet The Idea of North have produced another amazing all-a-cappella recording for their tenth album release. Drawing from past repertoire as well as new, exciting tunes from their current touring schedule, The Idea of North again explore the limits of just how far an a cappella group can go.
The Idea of North are a quartet of musicians, serious about their music without taking themselves too seriously. Their instrumentation is the naked human voice: soprano, alto, tenor and bass, with a little bit of vocal percussion thrown in. They have a beautifully distinct sound and style that crosses many musical genres: jazz, folk, gospel, pop, classical, comedy. With nine albums in the catalogue, a significant local and international fan base, an ARIA and two nominations up their sleeves and increasingly regular local and international work, this 10th album is their best yet.
The Idea of North
Sally Cameron soprano
Naomi Crellin alto
Nick Begbie tenor
Andrew Piper bass
Smile by The Idea of North is out now on ABC Jazz.
The Idea of North (TION) is Australia’s best and most successful contemporary vocal group. Each member of group has studied in some of Australia’s foremost music schools –two of the group at the Elder Conservatorium attached to Adelaide University and two at the Canberra School of Music attached to the ANU. They have all been involved in performing in and/or directing smaller and larger choral ensembles and a cappella groups, most of which reflect their great love of the jazz idiom. TION became a fulltime, professional ensemble in 1998.
Studying and/or working with some of the truly great contemporary vocal groups and teachers has been an important part of TION’s development. Mentors have included The New York Voices (USA), The Real Group (Sweden), Rajaton (USA), Tuck and Patti (USA), Gene Puerling (The Hi- Lo’s & Singers Unlimited (USA)), Mark Murphy (USA) and Cheryl Bentyne (The Manhattan Transfer (USA).
TION has developed an enviable reputation and has established a very significant reputation overseas where they travel many times each year for festivals, concerts, workshops and corporate events. The group has been travelling abroad to perform in Asia, the USA and Europe since 1998. They have hosted and/or performed at a number of major festivals in such arenas as The Lincoln Centre in New York, the Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington DC and similar venues in Asia.
In 2003 TION won The Harmony Sweepstakes in the USA, one of the largest international open a cappella competitions in the world, and in its (then) twenty year history, this was the first time that the winner was an ensemble from outside the USA. This is one of many awards for performing, writing, arranging and recording that TION has garnered over the years, including several Recorded A Cappella Review Board awards (RARBs) from the USA, and an ARIA award (The Australian Grammys) – the only a cappella group ever to be awarded an ARIA Award. 2013 represents 20 years since the inception of the group, and they have to date produced ten CDs and a live, in-concert DVD.
The following generous tribute comes from Don Burrows, an Australian icon, unsurpassed jazz musician and educator, whose lifetime of performing and teaching achievements, including his time as the Director of Jazz Studies at The Sydney Conservatorium, are now legendary:
‘The Idea of North is a truly outstanding vocal quartet. Their musical arrangements are spectacular in their conception and delivery, with colours ranging from the purest of unisons to some of the most intricate tensions and counterpoint. This is a wonderful group to watch in performance – truly a sight and sound experience of the highest calibre.’
Don Burrows