Arts Features

Judi Vinar first saw Bobby McFerrin on the Grammy Awards back in the 80’s. “I was blown away,” she said by phone from her home in the Twin Cities. “When I first heard Bobby do a solo piece, you know, a lot of what he does is jump around with a bass note and octave note on top and somehow he fits the melody inside of that.” She went out and bought all his records. Vinar grew up listening to a wide range of styles from Julie Andrews musicals to Tom Jones LPs, soaking up styles like a sponge. She studied classical music and singing at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. But in her heart, she said, she was always drawn to pop music and jazz. And she’d not heard anyone sing like Bobby. When McFerrin was appointed creative chair of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra in 1994, she jumped at the chance to sing with him. Her career as a singer, teacher, and conductor was taking off when she walked into a beautiful church and auditioned for him. “He was very focused,” she remembered. “He has this