Happy man

Bobby McFerrin is the master of solo a capella jazz singing. He’s won dozens of awards, including 10 Grammys, and collaborated with other musicians, ranging from jazz pianist Chick Corea to classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Still, he’s best known for the massive 1988 song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” the first a capella song to top the Billboard singles chart. He’ll perform at the Grand Sierra Resort on April 6.

Tell me about the new album.

It’s called Spirit You All, and it’s an album of Negro spirituals and some traditional Christian things, like “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands,” some spirituals that my dad sang on his album recorded in 1957 called Deep River, like “Fix Me, Jesus.” What else we doing?

“I Shall Be Released” by Bob Dylan. What attracted you to that song?

“I Shall Be Released.” I think that’s what everybody aches for in some part of their being—from fears or pain or sickness or relationships or something—we want to be free. We want to be mobile. We want to be unchained. We want to be unstuck. Everybody’s got places that are stuck. So, the album is about change, gratitude, thankfulness—for me personally, acknowledging my creator.

Is faith important to you?

I grew up in a house that was pretty devout. My parents were both Christians. My grandma was Christian. She went to Catholic church. I grew up an Episcopalian. My mom was a soprano soloist in the choir. I was an altar boy. I went to Catholic high school. Religion has always been a prominent thread in my life. But it’s something that you personally have to decide. You have to make a personal decision that you want to acknowledge your weakness in some of the areas of your life that can only be filled up by God—can only be filled by a god who knows everything, who knows you more intimately than you know yourself, and knows why you are who you are … and brings healing to you spiritually, physically, emotionally. You have to decide for yourself that you need help. You have to put your pride away. We generally think we can do everything on our own, but I believe I need help every day to be kind, to be patient, to be creative and write.

What role does music play in that?

It plays a big part for me. I’ve made my career as a soloist. My concerts have been probably the simplest thing you could ever see. … I just walk out onstage, sit in a chair and start singing, and the first two pieces are always improvised. Always. I have no idea what’s coming out, or where the music’s going. I basically trust in it. And that to me is faith. You just step out into this sort of musical stream, you open up your mouth, and you start singing.

I’m curious about “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” Do you feel like it’s overshadowed other aspects of your career? Or are you proud to have written a song everybody knows?

I’m proud first off. I am proud to have written a song that everybody knows, and I consider it a blessing. Especially when I’m going through YouTube, and I see all these people, kids playing guitar, or a band playing a really odd arrangement of it, somebody singing it in a shopping mall … that in itself is a blessing. For a while, it overshadowed everything else, especially when it was brand new. When “Don’t Worry, be Happy” was sailing out of the record stores, I was studying to be a conductor. … When the tune was doing really well, I took 18 months off. I didn’t go anywhere. I didn’t do a “Don’t Worry Be Happy” tour. I stayed home and played with my kids. … My relationship with the song nowadays is I don’t perform it. I haven’t in many, many years. I might skate around it if somebody requests it, or in an improv, I might try to disguise it and see if anyone hears it. It becomes a game, spot “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” It’s like Where’s Waldo?