Madison McFerrin brings her fresh and futuristic R&B sound to Judson’s Live

Nearly everyone who lived through the smothering pop-cultural domination of 1988 smash hit“Don’t Worry, Be Happy” has sworn off Bobby McFerrin for their own sanity. It’s an unfair historical circumstance because the man is a wildly virtuosic and innovative vocalist. But still, even nearly four decades on, any suggestion of that unshakable earworm can still induce a shiver. How do you even slough off that kind of baggage?

In Madison McFerrin’s case, she immediately squashes comparisons to her father with a voice that is both cutting-edge original and utterly her own. Her future R&B sound shoots for the outer limits on otherworldly frequencies that can range from Little Dragon-esque grooves to space-age soul. She may be her father’s daughter but, with her bold and tasteful vision, she’s unmistakably her own woman.

5 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 14, Judson’s Live.

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This article appears in Apr 10-16, 2024.