GROOVE FOR THOUGHT
“Amazing stuff...Truly awesome
arrangements, very hip...You
guys are killing!!!”
- Claude McKnight,
Vocalist, Take 6
“...loaded with ear candy
voicings! The big band players
sound great! The sonics are
excellent!”
- Jay Graydon, Grammy
Winning Composer / Producer,
Sonic Thrust Records
“In the sparkling, lush,
harmonically and rhythmically
sophisticated arrangements of
group member Kelly Kunz, the
seven singers merge into one
powerhouse unit.”
- Misha Berson, The Seattle Times
“...style, soul, personality, and
killer tone...a truly classy musical
performance.”
- Ben Folds, Vocalist, Pianist and
Composer, Ben Folds Five
“Groove for Thought sets the
standard that we hope to see all
of our artists meet at our club.”
- Craig Baker, Owner, Bake’s
Place Jazz Club
for over ten years. Performing classic tunes in a jazz style unlike anything
you’ve ever heard, the group combines the swinging style of The Manhattan
Transfer with the smooth sounds of Take 6.
Together since 2000, Groove for Thought began as a group of friends that
got together weekly in their living rooms to sing a style of music that went
above and beyond what was possible in their college jazz choirs. “Their
arrangements are stunning representations of the possibilities of vocal
harmonies,” according to a review from the Contemporary A Cappella Society.
Written primarily by founding member Kelly Kunz, these creative explorations
of jazz and classic pop tunes are the backbone of Groove’s unique sound.
Many of the members of Groove are experienced music teachers, and
all members have ties to the rich jazz education tradition of the Pacific
Northwest. The award-winning ensembles at Central Washington University,
Pierce College, Edmonds Community College, and Mount Hood Community
College proved to be an excellent training ground for what would become
“hands down the best [vocal] jazz group in the United States,” according to
Deke Sharon, a pioneer of the contemporary a cappella style. In addition to
electrifying performances, the members of Groove for Thought are active as
clinicians and adjudicators andare available to present workshops on a wide
variety of musical subjects.
Groove for Thought has toured extensively throughout North America and
Europe, sharing their unique brand of music with school, concert, nightclub,
and festival audiences alike. First reaching a national audience at the 2007
American Choral Director’s Conference in Miami, Florida, Groove for Thought
continues to perform both in the United States and abroad. Groove for
Thought received the honor of performing at the 2008 Polyfolia World Choral
Music Symposium in St. Lo, France, and the 2009 Europa Cantat Festival
in Uterecht, Netherlands. The Mittelrhein Musik Momente in Boppard and
Rockenhausen, Germany and MusicFest Vancouver in British Columbia
“Y’all are so cool, it hurts.”
- Shawn Stockman,
Vocalist, Boys II Men
“Groove For Thought makes
some of the most challenging
ensemble vocal acrobatics
imaginable look like second
nature, all the while putting on a
captivating show.”
- Kerry Marsh,
Arranger, Educator and Performer
BOOKING
The seven singers of Groove for Thought have been blowing audiences away
hosted Groove for Thought in 2009 as well. In a 2010 appearance on The
Choir with Aled Jones on BBC 3 Radio, Jones commented, “Unbelievable
singing…I almost feel like I need to lie down after listening.” In 2011, Groove
for Thought had the exciting opportunity to open several shows for Jay Leno
at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas.
Awards and accolades have been coming Groove’s way since they first began
performing in public. Most notably, they are winners of the 2005 National
Harmony Sweepstakes Competition and the 2006 and 2011 Contemporary
A Cappella Recording Awards for “Best Jazz Song” and “Best Holiday Song”
respectively. Additionally, Groove was selected “Favorite Jazz Group” in the
2011 and 2013 A Cappella Community Awards.
Brennan Baglio | 425.243.2438 | info@grooveforthought.com | www.grooveforthought.com
In 2010, Groove for Thought was selected as one of ten vocal groups from around the United States to appear on
the second season of NBC’s highly rated vocal competition show The Sing-Off. As judges on the show, Boyz II Men
founder Shawn Stockman commented, “Y’all are so cool it hurts,” while Singer/Songwriter Ben Folds noted that
Groove had, “style, soul, personality, and killer tone. . . a truly classy music performance.” In addition to appearing
on four of the show’s five episodes, Groove is featured on The Sing-Off: Harmonies For The Holidays and The SingOff: The Best Of Season 2, both available on Epic Records. Groove is also proud of their 2006 debut album Groove
for Thought, their 2011 album Inspired, and their 2013 Christmas album Songs of Good Cheer, and they hope to
continue to Inspire audiences around the world with their fun and uplifting music.
www.grooveforthought.com | info@grooveforthought.com | 425.243.2438 | Brennan Baglio
BOOKING