Straight No Chaser, Thomas, Heritage promoting albums

Few things impress like spot-on a cappella singing.

NBC built a hit, limited series TV show called “The Sing-Off” around it back in December. A vocally gifted group from Puerto Rico named Nota won.

Last weekend, the Emerald Coast Chorus produced a concert that featured many styles of a cappella artistry.

Smack-dab in the middle of all this amazing a cappella-ness (I just made that up. Can you tell?) is an incredible group called Straight No Chaser.

Reader Betty Tarbuck contacted me a few weeks ago wondering whether I’d heard of them. Yesiree!

I discovered them some time last year, but their story goes back to 1996 when the 10-member group started singing together in college.

A decade later, in fall 2008, an album of Christmas music, “Holiday Spirits,” by Straight No Chaser was released by ATCO/Atlantic Records. The group’s “12 Days of Christmas” video from 1998 on YouTube is legendary.

They released a second album of holiday music last year called “Christmas Cheers,” and now they are about to release their first album of pop music, titled “With a Twist,” on April 13.

Based in Bloomington, Ind., they’re planning a spring tour to support the new album. Their first tour in December 2008 sold out shows across the country.

The bad news is, as of this writing, they aren’t coming here. The good news is, they are scheduled for the Saenger Theatre in Mobile, Ala., on May 3. There’s a link to buy tickets at sncmusic.com.

Before then, they will have a live Web chat at 7 p.m. March 8. Their Web site says they will take questions and might even perform songs from the new album live.

Cool, huh?

Keep an ear, out for them. You’ll be glad you did.



Local favorite jazz saxophonist Michael J. Thomas released his new album, “City Beat,” on Tuesday. I first told you about it back in December. It has received numerous favorable advance reviews, especially from smooth jazz radio outlets.

The new CD can be purchased online at MichaelJThomas.net. It is also available in digital form at iTunes and Amazon.com. To hear music from the CD and see a video of “City Beat,” visit Thomas’ Web site.



Local band, Heritage, is on tour this spring promoting their 2009 debut album, “Natural High.”

Their pop/reggae originals are infectious and enjoyable to listen to. I heard them online at myspace.com/us3heritage, and you can, too.

The Web site describes the seven-member band as “rising from the back yards of Okaloosa County.”

They are: Tony Verrecchia, lead vocals; Damien Kealoha, ukulele; Hunter Dawson, guitar; Eric J. Yra, backup vocals; Dave Posey, percussion; Matt Moore, bass; and Rosendo “Animal” Hernandez, drums.

Visit their MySpace page for an extensive calendar of appearances, which in upcoming weeks include Fudpuckers (March 12, April 23) and Club Overboard (March 13, 17 and 18) in Destin, Juana’s Pagodas (July 9-11) in Navarre and lots of places in Panama City Beach and Pensacola in between.