A Cappella R&B
tagStarted 1962Peak 1970-1976, 1990-1994Last big hit 1995
Located in 1 route
R&B sung with no instruments at all: voices supply bass lines, percussion, chords and lead. Street-corner blend with a vocalized walking bass, finger-snaps for rhythm and tight five-part harmony, or jazz-inflected close voicings. The arrangement lives entirely in the human voice, raw and exposed.
History
Rooted in gospel quartet singing and doo-wop done without a band, the form was carried by The Persuasions, who were discovered by Frank Zappa and built a career on pure vocal R&B. Jazz-gospel sextet Take 6 modernized it in the 80s; 90s groups revived a cappella intros and full tracks as showpieces of vocal skill.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Persuasions
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Take_6
- https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-cappella-mw0000203344