As gimmicks go, Bobby McFerrin's one-man-band approach to jazz singing is pretty impressive. Slapping his chest to sketch out a beat, he'll alternate between deep, resonant growls and a skittering nasal falsetto to suggest an entire jazz combo simultaneously. He pushes the boundaries of vocalise beyond Leon Thomas's yodel and Jon Hendricks's virtuosity and into a whole new realm.

Yet even as...

Bobby McFerrin's vocal virtuosity pyrotechnical prowess and eclectic musical forays have won him pop-icon status for his silly-yet-infectious Number One hit "Don't Worry Be Happy" and accolades in the jazz world for, among other recordings, his sublime, flute-sound-alike version of Monk's "Round Midnight." The fact that he's one of the masters of solo vocal improvisation – in any genre –...