The Four Freshmen And Five Guitars

 

Invitation

The Four Freshmen And Five Guitars

Produced by Voyle Gilmore

Cover Photo: Herman Miller chair by George Nelson. Guitars by Gibson, Inc.

Capitol Records T1255

1959

From the back cover: Very little has been left unsaid about the Four Freshmen. although their name suggests a group of students, these imaginative four no longer attend an institution: they have become one. This famous yet ever-fresh young quartet constantly strives for imaginative vocal and musical ideas, and this album is certainly no exception. Here thy've augmented their tasteful vocal blending with striking backgrounds by five amplified guitars, one of them a bass guitar. And the exploits of these skilled accompanists from an exciting array of interesting and different settings that range from beautiful blended guitar tones in ballads such as Don't Worry 'Bout Me and Invitation, to excellent swinging solos and rhythmic effects in such uptempo numbers as Rain, and Come Rain Or Come Shine, which is done in a samba. Additional instrumental support is supplied by drums, bass, occasional bongos, plus vibes and glockenspiel which sometimes lapse into beautiful unison figures with the guitars.

One of the most interesting attractions of this award-winning quartet is that their talent doesn't stop at singing. Each member of the quartet plays a least one instrument, and plays it well. Fine examples of tenor Bob Flannigan's trombone, or bass Ken Albers' trumpet are heard sprinkled through most of the selections. Ross Barbour, who sings third voice, and brother Dan Barbour, who handles many of the vocal solos, don't play instruments on this set – though Ross often plays drums and trumpet, and Don played guitar. One of the five guitarists helps out with additional solo work, however, as he plays a beautiful unamplified introduction to The More I See You, and a brief but excellent solo in Nancy.

The outstanding arrangements for this novel instrumentation are the combined efforts of Jack Marshall – himself a top guitarist – and Dick Reynolds. To further divide the honors, Reynolds created all the wonderful vocal arrangements for the Freshmen, and Jack Marshall conducts. And listening to the album shows that their work is tailored perfectly to the talents of the Four Freshmen as well as the instrumentalists, For each tune is delivered as a fine blending of imagination and unusual styling tempered with the good musical taste that by now has become a tradition with Four Freshmen.

Rain

The More I See You

This October

Don't Worry About Me

It's A Pity To Say Goodnight

Oh Lonely Winter

It All Depends On You

Nancy

I Never Knew

Invitation 

I Understand

Come Rain Or Come Shine