By Janelle Gelfand
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Their four-part harmonizing was so close, it was hard to tell where one voice ended and another began.

When New York Voices visited the Cincinnati Pops on Sunday, the group's incomparable blend, hip delivery and great arrangements resulted in one swinging party.

The Grammy-winning jazz vocal quartet joined guest conductor Jeff Tyzik and the Pops for an evening of big band-era swing. Their songbook was a sophisticated, polished package, from a haunting, pure-toned "I'll Be Seeing You," sung a cappella, to "Cloudburst," a nonstop barrage of patter by singer Darmon Meader, who also wailed on his saxophone.

But the other half of the story was Tyzik, principal pops conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic and a busy composer, arranger and trumpeter, who galvanized the Pops Orchestra with fresh arrangements and lots of personality. He brought down the house with a hot opener: his own arrangements of Duke Ellington tunes, that displayed the orchestra, which played superbly all evening, to maximum effect.

It helped that some of Cincinnati's finest jazz musicians were sitting in, including faculty members from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) included keyboard-spanning contributions from the Pops' Julie Spangler on piano, a phenomenal soprano sax solo by Rick VanMatre and some great drumming by Marc Wolfley.

Tyzik's orchestration of "Satin Doll" was suave. Without missing a beat, he turned around and embellished the theme, Doc Severinsen-style, on his own trumpet.

The Ellington tribute was a terrific intro for New York Voices, a quartet of four immensely talented singers (Meader, Lauren Kinhan, Peter Eldridge and Kim Nazarian), who came out to a mellow "Orange Colored Sky," made famous by Nat "King" Cole.

The group's arrangements, by the multitalented Meader, were fun and inventive. Ellington's "Bli-Blip" was a slow, swinging scat on nonsense syllables. Louis Prima's classic "Sing, Sing, Sing," which ended the first half, was not the souped-up, Big Band style many know, but a cooled-down version that emphasized the words.

Tyzik introduced the second half with a tribute to Count Basie. The medley included "Basie's Back in Town," a fast, gutsy ride with impressive feats from Spangler and VanMatre, and "Lullaby for Basie," a simple tune that Tyzik embellished with his trumpet.

New York Voices' "Don't Be That Way" and "I Can't Believe You're in Love with Me" were classy and sophisticated, with high-flying interjections from screech trumpeter Brad Goode.

But the highlight came in Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust," sung with gorgeous blend - a rare reflective moment in this high-energy evening. The only disappointment was that there was no encore, despite a standing ovation from the large Music Hall crowd.

The concert repeats at 7 p.m. Sunday in Music Hall. Tickets: 381-3300 or www.cincinnatipops.com.

E-mail jgelfand@enquirer.com