Jon Hendricks, Kurt Elling, Kevin Mahogany and Mark Murphy are all leading jazz vocalists. The male voice in jazz is still uncommon. These four leading jazzmen, under the name Four Brothers, are about to change this. Four confrères from different generations have joined forces. The eldest, Jon Hendricks (1921), became known as one of the first vocalists to become proficient in the so-called vocalese style (singing historical instrumental jazz solos using a prepared text). Discovered by Charlie Parker, Hendricks acquired a reputation largely through the stylish trio Lambert, Hendricks and Ross with whom he put the art of the vocalese on show all over the world. Singer Mark Murphy (1932) has quite a few albums to his name, recorded in both Europe and the U.S. He is a versatile artist comfortable in many, many styles, but known mainly for his powerful vocal sound. He is, firstly, an artistically minded daredevil who has never balked at the avant-garde. Kevin Mahogany (1958) decided to swap his baritone sax for a career in singing. He came to fame through his seemingly effortless blend of jazz, blues, R&B and even country. He is a huge admirer of swing vocalist Joe Williams, and consequently many of the latter's elements can be recognized in Mahogany's style. Kevin teaches at the Berklee College of Music and has released seven albums since his debut in 1993. Kurt Elling (1967) is the youngest of the four and the initiator of the Four Brothers. At one point he sent Blue Note a demo and promptly won a record deal. With his elegant way of singing, he has claimed a place for himself in the top ranks of the male jazz vocalists. He copies the art from both Hendricks and Murphy and composes poetry-inspired lyrics to solos by John Coltrane and Dexter Gordon. He has also added a new dimension to wordless improvisation (scatting).
