The cover of this CD “Here & Now” by A cappella group The Idea of North has a sticker on it which reads “The best contemporary a cappella group in Australia” - James Morrison. Normally I’m skeptical about record company stickers making grandiose claims but after even a quick scan of the 11 tracks on this album I was convinced that James is probably right. This is an excellent CD which has been produced with such skill and style that it deserves every accolade it receives.

Recently signed to the ABC Jazz label The Idea of North are a vocal quartet comprising Trish Delaney-Brown - Soprano, Naomi Crellin - Alto , Nick Begbie - Tenor and Andrew Piper - Bass. Each of these vocalists is excellent in their own right and together they both blend and feature to create a cappella jazz at it very best.

The album cover begins with the statement that “All the sounds on this recording were made with the voices and bodies of The Idea Of North”. One may wonder why such a statement needed to be made until hearing the extraordinary array of sounds and textures which this group achieves with the human voice. The vocal percussion is as cool as any jazz drummer and you would swear that Andrew Piper’s bass lines are a double bass in full swing. These effects are realised through some of the best studio vocal recording I’ve ever heard. The vocal rhythm section is as warm and powerful and any instrumental ensemble could possibly be. Maybe even more so due to the beautiful close microphone techniques, the seamless mixing and superb mastering.

The range of different songs on the album keeps the listener interested and surprised throughout. There is a well thought out combination of well known classics including a gorgeous arrangement of “Amazing Grace” mixed with more contemporary material and some original compositions by members of the group. The album begins with the Latin Standard “Mas Que Nada” and

includes ingenious interpretations of classics like Gershwin’s “But Not For Me” and Cole Porter’s “It’s Alright With Me”.

The CD also includes Jazz arrangements of the beautiful song by Sting “Fragile” and “The Man in The Mirror” which was first recorded by Michael Jackson. Two original songs “Singin’ A Cappella” by Piper and Begbie and “Neat Surprise”by Delaney-Brown stand up very well alongside the standards and classics.

There is some welcomed humour here too. “Singin’ A Cappella” is a clever romp which has the group “gettin down with Ella and dancin’ with Mandela” while they’re singing a cappella. It’s hard not to chuckle at the quirky vocal sounds which give the final track “Just a Closer Walk With Thee” a whole new feeling.

This is a very smooth production. Somebody in this group is a real perfectionist. The attention to detail and flawless sound are very impressive. In fact some listeners who prefer a more raw, emotionally expressive approach may find it to be too polished. I on the other hand applaud the musical, vocal and technical excellence. Some jazz aficionados may seek a more experimental approach which pushes musical boundaries. I applaud the unpretentious aim of bringing a wider audience to the world of a cappella music.

There is quite a bit of multi tracking, overdubbing and sequencing used in the recording to enable the creation of richly textured chordal, polyphonic and percussive soundscapes which enhance but never overshadow the essence of the songs. With these four wonderful vocalists, the imaginative approach of the arrangements and the brilliant production who needs a band?

The A cappella singing movement has been growing steadily in Australia for a number of years. Exemplary groups like The Idea Of North and CDs like “Here & Now” take this genre to new heights.