Octavians: The Roaring Twenties

The Roaring Twenties with the vocal ensemble Octavians: following on from their debut CD Auftakt, the eight young men from Jena now release their second disc. As promised by its title, well-known arrangements by the Comedian Harmonists do not fail to make their appearance here. Thus, the singers set the pace for their journey back to the Roaring Twenties with Wochenend und Sonnenschein, Schöne Isabella von Kastilien, and Mein Onkel Bumba. In the waltz potpourri An der Saale hellem Strande – not a Strauß waltz, but a bouquet of waltzes the Octavians parody myriad much-loved waltzes and culminate in a fabulous homage to the hymn An der Saale hellem Strande.

Swing and jazz pieces, which celebrated their high point across the globe in the 1920s, as well as arrangements of famous pop titles can also be heard on the present CD. Here, the Octavians also use arrangements which were written specifically for them: the internationally successful vocal percussionist Indra Tedjasukmana arranged Paul Desmond’s jazz classic Take 5. The Octavians revel in the possibilities of free improvisation, toying with the sound and freedom of a cappella jazz.

Octavians
Michael Ebert

EDGE Atlanta (02.10.2013, Steven Bergman):

„The music is light, the harmonies are tight, troughout this 75-minute set that also includes several English standards […]. A playful recording taken seriously by the performers, this set is a pleasant backround to any daytime cocktail gathering in the parlor or by the pool.“