The cool thing about song covers is the unique twist that performers put on them. There are no two songs that sound exactly alike. However, when artists truly use the extent of their imagination, the possibilities are endless.
When someone decides to do a cover, that person’s true artistry comes to light. While some covers might not stray too far from the original, one thing is for sure, they are often pretty interesting and never quite the same.
However, one musical collective has made a living performing and recording renditions of some of the world’s most popular modern songs. By definition, a musical collective is, “a group of musicians in which membership is flexible and creative control is shared.” Therefore, unlike other bands, the members change.
As you might imagine, it is definitely one way to keep things exciting. In fact, the rotation of members also allows for a rotation of ideas thus, their songs might sound very different than the collective’s other tunes.
Postmodern Jukebox is a musical collective that has won over many fans as well as much of the music cover world’s spotlight. The collective was founded in 2011 by arranger and pianist, Scott Bradlee. What makes his collective so different is that he takes popular music from today and reworks them into various vintage genres.
The collective mostly alters the songs with a swing and jazz sound but for this particular band, anything goes.
Though the lineup for the collective changes, many of the vocalists that have been featured were once finalists on the well-known singing competition television series, American Idol. In fact, one of their most popular song covers features four former American Idol contestants.
In a rendition of Meghan Trainor’s, “All About That Bass,” four singers and five musicians flip the song on its head and turn it into a vintage jazz and swing mix. Needless to say, it’s incredibly pleasing to the ear. The video has over 60 million views and has been ‘liked’ over 545,000 times!
If you’re unaware of the cultural impact of the song, it created quite the buzz when it premiered in 2014. The lyrics focus on body positivity, therefore, receiving much praise and recognition. It was even nominated for Song of the Year and Record of the Year at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards in 2015.
Of course, it was inevitable that many song covers would be performed.
The singers featured here are Casey Abrams, Haley Reinhart, Morgan James, and Ariana Savalas. All sound great and bring their own unique voices and styles to the track. Apart from the way they sound, they look quite snazzy too.
Every member is wearing vintage jazz and swing club attire. Not only do they look the part, but their voices reflect the time period in which they’re in perfectly.
Casey Abrams starts things off nicely with his smooth voice and impressive bass-playing skills. Interestingly, he sounds very much like Mike Posner. Next is Haley Reinhart who has a raspy voice that she utilizes with ease for this style of song. Morgan James follows with easily the most powerful voice of the quartet. It’s soulful, fun, and could fill a dancefloor in mere seconds. She sounds perfect on this track.
Lastly is Ariana Savalas who has the softest voice of the group. She blends in effortlessly with the instruments. At a certain point though, the instruments seem to drown her out a bit but then she powers back, showing that she never left.
However, one of the most jaw-dropping moments is when Abrams and musician, Adam Kubota play the bass at the same time. It’s remarkably insane! They even switch positions on the fingerboard without missing a beat. Who does that?!
When the ladies come together to harmonize in the end, it’s a marvel to hear.
All in all, this is such an impressive and fun cover. If you’re looking for something to keep you entertained, look no further! Instead, just watch the video below!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
