What do you guys think of this cat? Not neccesarily stylewise but as far as his vocal abilities and tonality.

Really good voice. He tours with a vocal coach at all times ;)

JV

My teacher is encouraging me to do one of Josh's songs to expand my abilities.... Damn dude it is pretty hard. He is all over the place. I am finding it is alot more of a refined sound and very challenging. It is fun to be challenged though

I like Josh Grobin very much. I have his 1st CD and I should definitely buy his latest...

It's not thathe is all over the place, it is that itis as you say very refined, very smooth and controlled.

JV

AND THERE IS NO HIDING OR FAKING IF IT IS BAD IT IS REALLY BAD HAHAHAHA

I wish he'd start singing Standards and maybe some Norah Jones style new jazz. I don't really care for the Italian pop sound he has, but his voice is incredible on jazz.

Oiselle, you definitely should buy his latest CD! It's fantastic! The only 2 tracks I'm not crazy about are "Un Dia Llegara" & "Un Giorno Per Noi". "Mai" left me thunderstruck. Get the CD/DVD set if you can. "Awake" is to DIE for! (& so is "February Song"--he wrote both tracks.)

He shows so much growth in his latest disc, & he's had much more input in to what he wants to sing. He did 2 songs with Ladysmith Black Mambazo ("Lullaby" & "Weeping") & he teamed up with Herbie Hancock & Deep Forest (although they aren't credited in this album) to do "Machine". He also collaborated with Imogen Heap & they ended up with the song "Now Or Never" that's on the disc as well. It's quite an eclectic mix--much more so when compared to his last one (Closer).

He's even done "Not While I'm Around" as well as "Move On" (found on Barbara Cook's Live at the Met CD). (He's also done "Anthem" from Chess & a clip of that performance can be found on www.thatjoshgrobanguy.com. It can be found in the Media section under "Video Sept-Dec 2003". It's the last entry in that section & it's entitled "Broadway Beat". Be sure to RIGHT CLICK SAVE AS!). They're all GORGEOUS, if I do say so myself!

I've been a HUGE fan of his since "To Where You Are" was released on the radio. I've been blown away since!

ChrisPhx, which song are you practicing that he's done?

Anyway... I hope I haven't scared any of you off, LOL!

Till next time,

Meagan

When you say you love me is the song - which I think is actually one of his more simple songs to sing????? Good place to start though.

Cool Meagan! I'll look it up next time I go to the mall

I used to also be a big fan of Josh Groban. I just find him always using the same sound for just about every song he does, I like to see people change it up a bit. But some of his songs I love "To where you are" "Remember when it rained" "When you say you love me" "your still you" are all some of my favorite songs. Actually I'd consider when you say you love me one of his harder. I'm currently working on this song with my teacher.

I moved on from Josh however lately I've seen him perform and wasn't so impressed, especially after watching David Phelps do No More Night.

Chris, I would actually consider "When You Say You Love Me" one of his harder songs range-wise.

Jester, I agree with what you said. However, you have to keep in mind that Josh's training was originally based in musical theatre, which is probably why he's a bit boring (for lack of a better word) in his concerts. I think he's like that because he's used to acting in character onstage. Just my opinion of course.

It definitely would be great to see Josh branch out a bit more, but at the same time, I'm glad he's taking it slowly so as not to isolate his fan base. I definitely would LOVE to hear what he does in his next album & for him to take it up a few steps as far as mixing different sounds together, etc.

Besides, David Phelps had a whole different introduction into the world of fame than Josh did. David, I think, had more of a gradual entrance (correct me if I'm wrong though), while Josh was pretty much spring-boarded into performing at the Grammys with Celine. It's quite a jump: One minute you're performing for a small crowd at Carnegie Mellon, & the next you're onstage performing with one of the biggest voices in the world at the GRAMMYS, with a television audience of MILLIONS, not to mention that you're performing in front of your idols LIVE for the very first time.

I don't think you can really compare the two as far as their performing methods since David's already been established, & Josh still has a ways to go before he knocks the socks off of his audience. Vocally, sure. Josh definitely has more growth ahead of him vocally, but he's already leaps & bounds ahead of his competition at 26 years old compared to others his age.

I'm not knocking David by any means (I'm a fan of his as well), so please don't think that I am.

Anyhoodle... Till next time,

Meagan

I personally am not a big fan of his style but that is my taste. I do think that he does have excellant control of his voice and is very talented though....
I do think my teacher is right when she says that doing different styles of music does make you a better singer!!!!! JUST NO POLKA MUSIC, THATS WHERE I DRAW THE LINE!!!!!!

What about yodeling?

Meagan

Yeah that would be ok but not around my wife!
It iiritates her then she hits me hehehehehe

Interesting... *ponders for a moment* It'd be interesting if you tried to do some Deep Forest stuff around your wife...

Meagan

I dont think I have ever heard of them!

Really? They're actually very good. It consists of 2 people (from France) & what they do is take different countries' languages & rhythms (i.e. music) & combine it with electronica. The end result is weird, but amazing.

Here's their site: www.deepforestmusic.com.

My favorite's "Madazulu" from their Comparsa CD, purely because of this deep, African, bass voice about 2 minutes into the track, LOL.

Meagan

ah yes I totally agree. For some reason it just bothers me when I hear Josh Groban hit his high notes. To me it just sounds like a heavy yell instead of singing, I mean he doesn't do it all the time but it just bothers me that hes been doing it more so lately.

Yes I believe your correct about Josh being throw into it, but also it has been a few years now and I haven't seen a ton of growth in my opinion. In fact I liked his earlier album alot more then his last.

Jester, in which songs specifically does it sound like a heavy yell? I know that in his Live at the Greek CD, he sounded very nasal & very tired vocally. Is that what you're thinking of?

Patience. With time, he'll perfect his concert technique as he gets used to it. Let him percolate a bit.

Meagan

Meagan,

I couldn't find a link for madaluzu (sp?) I did listen to some of their other stuff. Electronica is kinda cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dK_TOg1KRM

This is the kind of stuff I'm talking about. Like he just seems like he tries to make his voice extra heavy instead of just letting it flow. It loses its flexibility and it almost sounds smashed down on the high notes instead of flying out of the mouth.
Could this possibly be from trying to keep the larynx too low? I remember Seth mentioned Josh Groban didn't totally develop his head register.

You are way more discerning then I am - I thought he sounded good

Jester, I listened to it, & I honestly don't hear where you say it sounds smashed. But if Seth Riggs says Josh didn't develop his head voice enough, then he ought to shoulder some of that responsibility since he DID teach Josh up until David Foster took over. (Seth was the one who sent David one of Josh's vocal tapes & is TECHNICALLY the one who "discovered" him. David just paid Seth a bunch of money in order to claim that HE discovered him, NOT Seth.) Josh now works with David Romano, another SLS teacher, but with some differences when compared to Seth.

Chris, here you go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1kYk-Hmp9M

I just typed in "Deep Forest Madazulu" into the search engine & this came up. The voice I'm talking about actually begins 2:11 minutes into this vid, but the lead-in starts roughly at 2 minutes. (When you hear everything else fade out & can just hear the bongos--or whatever they are--the voice is coming up. )

Meagan

Hey kids, it doesn't matter because Josh is out there doing what he loves:) And if Riggs is referring to him not fully developing his head voice, I really don't think Grobin uses wat Riggs refers to as "head voice", the SLS term for mixture of falsetto and full voice. Brett Manning told me that Riggs wuld probably rip me apart, saying I was carrying up too much chest, but Brett said he'd have to defend me and say "But are you listening to how connected he is from top to bottom???" prefer to use my real voice for my head voice and mix it if I want to. Point is, there are thousands of different voices, thousands of technical variations, blah blah blah. Whon is to say I am right or Seth Riggs is right or Jos Grobin is right. To each his own; just as long as the voice isn't suffering;)

JV

I think you are correct in what you say Jaime. I think it is a benefit to know multiple angles and techniques so depending on the song or sound you want you can incorporate whatever you want. I think a lot of times it is just symantics and things have different names depending on who you talk to. I dont think anyone was arguing about that though?????? My whole point in starting this thread was to see if you guys thought josh had good tone and range. The more I listen to "When you say you love me" the more I am hearing a full or Mixed voice and not falsetto which is what we are all trying to accomplish on the higher notes right?

I'm curious whats the difference when David hits those notes compared to Josh's?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1oXvCuYm-c

I dont get what makes david's sound so much smoother, and Josh's to me just sound forced.

oh I also wanted to know what it was he was using at the end of that song at 3:15 and on it sounds like either very resonant light light mix.

Hey Jester - Listen to when you say you love me....
Do you think he is in falsetto at all or do you think it is mixed or full?????? I wonder if Phelps is fuller because he is resonating more in chest????

The only part I can hear where he uses falsetto is when he goes "What could it be". The rest sounds like a mix but I guess full voice too. But its just weird, I don't know why he doesn't have that smooth sound, it almost sounds like hes pushing too much instead of just letting it fly out of his mouth. Listen to 3:35 when he says "I know why I'm alive" on that alive part you can hear this extra breath coming through. I notice he does it a ton on alot of his notes. I think its just when he goes for the higher notes he lets them splat more, and david usually adjusts the vowel to keep that smoothness to it. Although i've definitely heard david really pound out some high notes listen to "No more night" the high C at the end you can hear it.

I just wanted to also say, I've heard Josh release into a nice beautiful head quality but its always on the ligher notes. If you listen to you raise me up " When I am on you shoulders" the shoulders part on 2:57 he sounds released into head. Where as when he then goes on to pound pound where it then sounds like just yelling to me.

You know that eeeeh sound in that place is wierd! My voice was freaking out and I couldnt figure out why my larynx was rising so much on the be word but Jaime and my teacher said the same thing..... that it is because of the vowel sound... I wonder if that sound isn't conducive to vocal cords closing all the way without practice or something?????? Just a thought.