The Royal Bopsters at Northampton Jazz Festival at Unitarian Society Of Northampton And Florence

New York’s The Royal Bopsters, formed in 2012, bring a new and refreshing approach to the art of vocal jazz. Vocalists Amy London, Jeanne O’Connor, Pete McGuinness, and Dylan Pramuk pay tribute to their jazz heroes through intricate harmonies and energetic delivery, bringing jazz classics and bebop style to the next generation and beyond. The Bopsters delve deeply into vocal improvisation; vocalese, the art of penning lyrics to instrumental jazz solos; and their original songs and arrangements further the tradition of modern jazz, bebop, and the blues. Their debut recording, The Royal Bopsters Project (Motéma, 2015), featured vocal jazz legend Mark Murphy and NEA Jazz Masters Jon Hendricks, Annie Ross, Sheila Jordan, and Bob Dorough. The Royal Bopsters soon began performing at major festivals and notable clubs across the U.S. and Europe. ...

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New York’s The Royal Bopsters, formed in 2012, bring a new and refreshing approach to the art of vocal jazz. Vocalists Amy London, Jeanne O’Connor, Pete McGuinness, and Dylan Pramuk pay tribute to their jazz heroes through intricate harmonies and energetic delivery, bringing jazz classics and bebop style to the next generation and beyond. The Bopsters delve deeply into vocal improvisation; vocalese, the art of penning lyrics to instrumental jazz solos; and their original songs and arrangements further the tradition of modern jazz, bebop, and the blues. Their debut recording, The Royal Bopsters Project (Motéma, 2015), featured vocal jazz legend Mark Murphy and NEA Jazz Masters Jon Hendricks, Annie Ross, Sheila Jordan, and Bob Dorough. The Royal Bopsters soon began performing at major festivals and notable clubs across the U.S. and Europe.

Cited as “expert practitioners of vocalese” in The New Yorker, The Royal Bopsters’ performances are masterclasses in the art of vocal jazz and vocalese, demonstrating the dazzling possibilities created when four voices come together as one. NEA Jazz Master Sheila Jordan, who began her career singing with Charlie Parker and is now considered the reigning Queen Matriarch of Vocal Bop, has commented “The Bopsters are my favorite vocal group.” The love is mutual, and The Bopsters include Sheila as a guest in their live shows wherever possible.

Amy London, Jeanne O’Connor, Pete McGuinness, and Dylan Pramuk are all renowned jazz educators, and collectively they instruct at the entire gamut of excellent jazz programs in the NYC area: The New School (London was a founder of the program), NYU, William Paterson University, Montclair State University, the City College of New York, Hofstra University, Jazz House Kids, and jazz camps globally. The group’s vast collective knowledge in the history and technique of the vocal jazz art form shines through on every note.

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