Accent w/ Vocal Steel

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In the increasingly popular world of a cappella singing  groups, Accent has carved out its own niche. Inspired by the wizardly  jazz harmonies of TAKE 6 and, before them, The Hi-Lo’s, the six singers  of Accent, all of them accomplished arrangers and instrumentalists in  their own right, are taking their love of close-harmony jazz singing–the  denser and more intricate the better–as far as it can go.

The improbable meeting of Jean-Baptiste (“JB”), Craipeau  (France), Simon Åkesson (Sweden), Danny Fong (Canada),Andrew Kesler  (Canada), James Rose (England), and Evan Sanders (USA), six  self-described “jazz vocal nerds,” could have happened only in the age  of social media. After becoming long-distance fans of each other’s  multi-tracked videos on YouTube, they joined forces in 2011,  collaborating online on songs and videos.

Since then, they have released 5 albums, performed at the  London a cappella Festival, played dates across Europe, North America  and Asia, and were featured in 2 sold-out Christmas shows at London’s  Royal Albert Hall. Their singular blend and arrangements have been  acclaimed by a cappella devotee sand fellow musicians alike, including  Cedric Dent of TAKE 6 and Clark Burroughs of The Hi-Lo’s.

Their latest EP Journeying reflects a moment in time as  the group explored new sounds, textures and production approaches during  the lockdown of 2020. Entirely arranged and produced by baritone  JamesRose (under the moniker Brave James), Journeying juxtaposes  Accent’s strong and familiar vocal group stylings with healthy doses of  pop, jazz, electronica and dance music. It features stellar guest  contributions fromWomen of the World,Trey McLaughlin and standout  finalists Resound from America’s Got Talent.

Christmas All the Way is Accent’s latest full-length album  project. Their earlier releases are master works of jazz vocal harmony.  OnChristmas All the Way, the group worked with some of the top  instrumental arrangers in the business including Jorge Calandrelli,  Gordon Goodwin and Nan Schwartz. The result is an expanded musical  palette in addition to Accent’s usual impeccable a cappella fare. As an  ensemble, their lush sound is embellished by their deep and innate  musicality. There are no divas in the group. Accent’s work is a  collective effort that focuses on their tight arrangements and concerted  sonority.As Alan Paul of The Manhattan Transfer said, “You guys carry  on the vocal group legacy.”