CASA - The Contemporary A Capella Society

If you aren’t familiar with Groove Society – you should be. This talented sextet features four men and two women covering a wide variety of jazz/pop standards with their own unique style and interpretation. The group consists of co-founders Bianca & Joe Herbert along with Rachel Gavaletz, LaDamion Massey, Dave Sheehan, and Matt Murphy, all associated in the past with the great jazz program at the University of Northern Colorado.

A quick overview of the group: Bianca Herbert carries most of the soprano lines with wonderful vocalese and improvisations that show off her range and abilities – all with a great stage presence. The newest member of the group is alto Rachel Gavaletz (who is known to many in the Colorado Springs area for her roles in the REP theater company of the Fine Arts Center). Rachel has mastered a lot of new, complex material in a short period of time since recently joining Groove Society and will add more as she fits into the group. Bianca and Rachel each had solos that showcased their talents and presence. The vocal percussion line is very ably laid down by Matt Murphy (who transitioned from physical drumming in high school to vocal percussion with the group). It’s hard to describe the versatility of the men in Groove Society because they’re all over the traditional parts – some sing bass one moment and tenor the next. The important bass line was sung mostly by Dave Sheehan in this concert, but LaDamion Massey also handled the part well when he wasn’t singing some very cool solos. I really enjoy the foundation that Matt, Dave, and LaDamion establish for the ensemble – it’s very tasteful and not overdone as in some a cappella groups. Joe Herbert adds a few unique wrinkles with his guitar effect voice parts while also handling emcee and solo duties. Having been in several groups/bands, I can tell you that keeping a group happy and focused while giving everyone a chance to shine is no small feat and the cohesion shows in Groove Society’s performances.

Ah, now to the “dark and stormy night” part. If you’ve ever tried to battle one of our Colorado wind and thunderstorms, you know it can be quite a challenge and Groove Society did their very best that night to cope with high winds, threatening clouds, cool temps, and impending storms. As Joe said, “lesson learned: wind covers for the mikes”. As if that wasn’t enough, local trains pass through Monument and the evening concert had three of them in the midst of the singing – a further challenge to the group’s concentration and tonality (have you ever tried to sing over multiple train whistles?) Pretty daunting you might say … but wait, there’s more. The group also had to deal with speaker/amplifier issues that were tough on intonation. Even with all of that, they kept the performance moving along in fine fashion.

Now to the program: Groove Society continues to tackle tough, complex jazz arrangements and they make it seem easy. They have a repertoire that is well-paced, interesting, varied, and entertaining. There were a few small intonation problems at the start of some of their selections, but I attributed that to winds, trains, mics, etc. Once “in the groove”, the songs took off and had a wonderful sound. Their material covered a huge range, from standards like “Summertime” and “Moon Dance” to Latin and pop material like “Oye Como Va,” “Afro Blues” and “You’re No Good.”

Groove Society has been a gem in the area since their championship performance in the 2003 Rocky Mountain Harmony Sweepstakes, and their exposure continues to grow at a national level. The following weekend, August 4 to 6, they were featured at the 13th annual Hawaii International Jazz Festival in Honolulu, along with a star roster of jazz greats. They need and deserve to continue to flourish. So, get out to one of their concerts (see the schedule on their website – www.groovesociety.org), and consider buying their superb CD, “Groove Society,” for the sheer pleasure of listening to Colorado’s premiere a cappella jazz vocal ensemble.