When Columbus’ own Four Freshmen were set to perform at a jazz festival in French Lick in the 1950s, some audience members wondered if the group was somewhat out of place.
Tom Pickett, a long-time Columbus musician and local music store owner heard some comments that the Freshmen didn’t quite match up to Count Basie and Miles Davis, who were also on the bill courtesy of George Wein of the Newport Jazz Festival.
Could vocalists with minimal accompaniment hold their own with such instrumental legends as Basie and Davis?
They need not have worried.
The group, featuring Columbus natives and brothers Ross and Don Barbour, was a hit.
“The crowd really took to them,” Pickett said. “They were great.”
The newest reincarnation of the Four Freshmen will perform at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 25 at Judson Erne Auditorium as part of the Columbus High School/Columbus North High School’s 150th Anniversary celebration. The Bull Dog Alumni Association is coordinating the event and the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic is coordinating ticket sales.
The last original member of the world-famous group retired in 1993. All four original members, including Bob Flanigan and Hal Kratzsch, are now deceased. The Barbours were 1940s Columbus High School graduates.
Janie Gordon, a longtime local vocalist, a member of the alumni association and a member of the anniversary committee, last saw a previous lineup of the group when members performed in Columbus in 2006. Ross Barbour joined the vocalists for the tune “It’s a Blue World,” the 1952 Capitol Records release that became the group’s first-ever charted single.
“I think the group had evolved,” Gordon said of that concert at the North auditorium. “One thing that really impressed me was the idea that, because this group was younger, it was extremely refreshing to see my (choral) students relate so well to them.”
No matter their age, most local motorists know of The Four Freshmen’s fame because of the highway marker along Jonathan Moore Pike honoring the group. The Four Freshmen initially became known by touring nationally with bandleader Stan Kenton, performing with harmonics that many said somehow sounded like five voices.
But the group also courted a pop-rock audience, even appearing on Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand” television show in 1965 to perform two songs. The foursome was nominated for six Grammy Awards, but never won.
Still, more modern, celebrated groups ranging from The Beach Boys to The Manhattan Transfer credited The Four Freshmen with shaping their vocal sound.
Gordon recalled the 2006 concert as very well received.
“People weren’t at all disappointed (with the new group),” Gordon said, understanding that the original members set high standards. “Actually, they were amazing.”
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Who: The current reincarnation of The Four Freshmen, known for strong vocal harmony amid jazz arrangements.
When: 7:30 p.m. Aug. 25
Where: Columbus North High School’s Judson Erne Auditorium, 1400 25th St.
Tickets: $10 to $25.
Information and purchasing: The Columbus Indiana Philharmonic at 812-376-2638 or thecip.org.
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