The Royal Bopsters
New York’s The Royal Bopsters, formed in 2012, bring a new and refreshing approach to the art of vocal jazz. Vocalists Amy London, Jeanne O’Connor, Pete McGuinness, and Dylan Pramuk pay tribute to their jazz heroes through intricate harmonies and energetic delivery, bringing jazz classics and bebop style to the next generation and beyond. The Bopsters delve deeply into vocal improvisation; vocalese, the art of penning lyrics to instrumental jazz solos; and their original songs and arrangements further the tradition of modern jazz, bebop, and the blues.

Their debut recording, The Royal Bopsters Project (Motéma, 2015), featured vocal jazz legend Mark Murphy and NEA Jazz Masters Jon Hendricks, Annie Ross, Sheila Jordan, and Bob Dorough, garnering accolades from DownBeat Magazine (4.5 stars), JazzTimes (top 2015 releases), All About Jazz (top picks) and The New York Times (weekend picks) as well as rave reviews from Europe and the UK. The Royal Bopsters soon began performing at major festivals and notable clubs across the U.S. and Europe.

Their sophomore release, Party of Four, celebrates both the proud history and the bright future of vocal jazz. A hard-swinging amalgam of vocal virtuosity, electrifying group chemistry, and masterful arranging, Party of Four displays the group’s stunning facility to swing deeply and sing passionately while navigating incredibly precise four-part harmonies. The album is dedicated to Bopster Holli Wasser Ross, who sadly passed away in the late spring of 2020.

Cited as “expert practitioners of vocalese” in The New Yorker, The Royal Bopsters’ performances are masterclasses in the art of vocal jazz and vocalese, demonstrating the dazzling possibilities created when four voices come together as one. NEA Jazz Master Sheila Jordan, who began her career singing with Charlie Parker and is now considered the reigning Queen Matriarch of Vocal Bop, has commented “The Bopsters are my favorite vocal group.” The love is mutual, and The Bopsters include Sheila as a guest in their live shows wherever possible.

Amy London, Jeanne O’Connor, Pete McGuinness, and Dylan Pramuk are all renowned jazz educators, and collectively they instruct at the entire gamut of excellent jazz programs in the NYC area: The New School (London was a founder of the program), NYU, William Paterson University, Montclair State University, the City College of New York, Hofstra University, Jazz House Kids, and jazz camps globally. The group’s vast collective knowledge in the history and technique of the vocal jazz art form shines through on every note.