Whitefish welcomes The Four Freshmen

The latest reincarnation of a band that has been touring for more than six decades will perform in Whitefish this month.

The Four Freshmen will put on a concert at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 26.

The show will also feature special guest artist Billy Wallace playing the Steinway concert grand piano.

The Four Freshmen are still going strong, and that’s saying something impressive for a band that got its start in 1948.

The band was formed at Butler University in Indianapolis when two brothers, Ross and Don Barbour, began improvising harmonies with a cousin and a friend. At first it was influenced by ensembles like Mel Torme’s Mel-Tones, but the band found its own unique sophisticated sound that earned it the admiration of Dizzy Gillespie and Woody Herman.

In 1950, the group was discovered by Stan Kenton, who introduced The Four Freshmen to Capitol Records, leading to a long, fruitful relationship with the label. Their fame led to The Steve Allen Show and a part in the MGM movie “Rich, Young and Pretty,” starring Jane Powell.

The ’50s were a successful time for the band, with hit recordings such as “Mood Indigo” and “Day by Day.” Like Frank Sinatra, who recorded on the same label, The Four Freshmen wisely built its albums around themes.

In the ’60s, the band stayed competitive with other pop acts, partly buoyed by the boost by Brian Wilson’s praise of the group as the inspiration for The Beach Boys’ rock ‘n’ roll sound. The Four Freshmen also inspired other ’60s groups such as The Lettermen and The Mamas and the Papas.

Over the years, though members retired or moved on, The Four Freshmen kept performing. The group’s longevity is due to the quality of its music and arrangements, the uniqueness of its sound, performances that keep the material fresh and their strong musicianship. Each of the current members plays at least one instrument and they are all good singers.

Bob Ferreira, who plays drums and sings bass, joined the group when the last original member retired in 1992.

Brian Eichenberger, who sings lead, plays guitar and does arrangements, was recruited in 1996.

Vince Johnson, a member since 1999, plays bass and trombone and of course sings.

Curtis Calderon, who plays trumpet, flugelhorn and vocals, wowed the rest of the band when they heard him in Texas playing trumpet. The band asked him to join in 2001 when their trumpet player retired.

Since then, when the current lineup was solidified, the group has been a young band based on an enduring sound. Many have called the existing group the best Four Freshmen ever.

The group has won JazzTimes magazine’s Readers Poll Best Vocal Group and DownBeat magazine’s Readers Poll Best Vocal Group many times. They have more than 50 albums, 70 top-selling singles, six Grammy nominations and an enthusiastic active fan club called The Four Freshmen Society.

Wallace has been praised for his work with Max Roach and was the pianist on Charlie Parker’s last gig in Chicago. He has accompanied notable singers, including Carmen McRae, Johnny Hartman, Anita O’Day, Lou Rawls and Arthur Prysock, and has performed with jazz greats including Illinois Jacquet and Clifford Brown.

In addition to his own pieces on the Steinway, Wallace will perform two songs with The Four Freshmen.

Tickets for the show range from $25 to $45 and are available at www.whitefishgrand.com or www.alpinetheatreproject.org, or by calling 862-7469. This concert is a fundraiser for the Steinway Fund.

The show is sponsored by Don K Subaru and brought to the valley by Singer & Simpson Productions.