I’m hearing voices … 35 of them
The Long Beach City College singers will perform in Mammoth on April 21.
We all know how a great song can be made even greater by the vocal chords of a great singer. Now, imagine that instead of “The Voice,” you have 35 of them. Those voices belong to the Long Beach City College Studio Singers, who return to Mammoth’s Edison Theatre for another powerhouse show for one night only, on Saturday, April 21.
Directing the Studio Singers is Professor of Jazz & Pop Vocal Music and veteran singer Tom Dustman. During his 29 year tenure, his company of singers has become one of the country’s premiere college singing groups. The Studio Singers are made up of musicians from all over the U.S., as well as many students from Japan, Dominican Republic, South America, Mexico and Sweden.
The 35 men and women singers are backed by piano, bass and drums. The touring version doesn’t even include about 20 more singers, who perform with the group closer to home, but the ensemble does splinter into subgroups for various numbers. The Studio Singers have kept a similar itinerary for the past few years, doing 2 concerts each in Lone Pine and Bishop, and a concert in Mammoth on this leg of the tour.
Dustman’s said his group is NOT an orchestral or “choir” ensemble. On this year’s set list, for example: “I Wish” by Stevie Wonder, “Hey Good Lookin’” by Hank Williams, “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” from the Four Tops, “I Only Want To Be With You” by Dusty Springfield, “Telephone” by Mariah Carey, “It’s My Party” by Leslie Gore, “Georgia On My Mind” from Ray Charles, “Don’t Get Around Much Any More” by Duke Ellington, an acapella version of the “Mission: Impossible” theme, “Happy Together” by the Turtles, “Conga” by Miami Sound Machine, “Just The Way You Are” by Billy Joel, “Mornin’” by Al Jarreau, and the Joe Cocker arrangement of “Unchain My Heart”
One of the biggest challenges is a workup of “Charleston Alley,” based on the original arrangement from vocal pioneers Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. “It’s very much akin to the style of performance you’d expect from The Manhattan Transfer,” Dustman noted. The group also salutes the Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra, with “I’ve Got the World on a String.”
“The harmonics are complex and the color that comes from the arrangements is just spectacular,” Dustman described. “It’s not just singing the melody. Everybody recognizes the song, but it’s the uniqueness of how we perform it that makes it special.
The trick is to take an arrangement that’s pretty complicated and make it not sound that way.”
In addition to his tenure with the Studio Singers, Dustman has also recorded and performed with his own (much smaller) vocal group, Beachfront Property, which has appeared a few times at the Mammoth Jazz Jubilee. And, not surprisingly, Jazz Jubilee co-founders Ken and Flossie Coulter are among his biggest fans.
“He’s taken a variety of flavors from all segments of society, and brought all this together in a wonderful musical presentation,” the Coulters enthused. “He features a mix of guys and gals, duets and trios, a treat this town doesn’t normally get to see. Most of the events here don’t have this kind of singing standing out by themselves. The voices are sort of their own orchestra. We love ‘em!”
“Because there’s so much upheaval in education, it’s hard to get into Long Beach. You have to come out of high school with something really happening,” Dustman explained. “But we get a good balance. The lineup changes every year, but I love to see them exploring new and familiar music.”
On Friday morning at 10:30 a.m., the Studio Singers will perform a concert at Mammoth High School. “Last time, the kids went nuts after the songs … our singers felt like celebrities, but you could hear a pin drop during the numbers,” he recalled. “It’s wonderful! There’s a love that you can detect from the students toward [Principal] Gabe Solorio. These special treats are his way of showing his affection for how hard they work, and the respect they show for him and the school.”
Tickets for the show are just $10. A grant from the Jane Deming fund means students get in for $5. The LBCC Studio Singers take the Edison Theatre stage at 7 p.m. The theatre is located at 100 College Parkway, adjacent to Cerro Coso Community College in Mammoth Lakes. RSVP: 760.934.6592.
