By Rob Lester, Talkin’ Broadway
Prepare to be dazzled! The skillful close-harmony vocal quartet known as The Royal Bopsters brings a lot to the table for a banquet of musical treats. The blend is blissful. (I dare you not to sigh on the Billy Strayhorn/John LaTouche ballad “Day Dream.”) With creative arrangements mostly by the two men (Dylan Pramuk and new Bopster Pete McGinnis), they bend notes, navigate tricky song structures and tempi, go on high-flying jazz excursions, follow their jazz heroes in the tradition of acrobatic scat-singing, and expand established source material by setting their own lyrics to instrumental solos recorded by jazz stars who approached the material before. On top of all that, they comfortably/respectfully share the spotlight with star guests. Read more here.