By Elizabeth Cloutman
Lawyer Bob Konevich sings with local quartet, Almost Blue
Longtime Los Altos residents Bob and Mitzi Konevich conduct their real estate and business law practice in a quiet and pleasant Main Street office. What Bob’s clients may not be aware of is that every Tuesday night their lawyer bursts into song.
Konevich is the baritone in a local a cappella quartet, Almost Blue, that a group of friends formed two and a half years ago. Although Konevich calls Almost Blue “very much a recreational group,” they practice every Tuesday night.
The hard work has paid off. Konevich is admittedly proud of the quartet’s first CD, “Voice Prints.” The CD was released in late April at a special concert at the Good Samaritan United Methodist Church in Cupertino.
“I love the law, but this is my passion,” Konevich said of singing. “It just enhances my life. To have a CD out is like a painter having a painting on exhibit. It’s a permanent record of what we are up to at this point.”
Konevich coined the group’s name not for the type of music they perform, but for eye color, since all but one of the members have blue eyes. “It’s just as simple as that,” he said, smiling.
Indeed, Almost Blue’s musical tastes are eclectic. The quartet sings in various styles - from rock to jazz, Broadway to Celtic, pop to gospel - in four-part harmony, without accompaniment.
Like Konevich, the other three members of Almost Blue lead busy lives but always make time for singing. Soprano Jennifer Kaufman of Menlo Park - a friend through Konevich’s volleyball team - is a mother of three young sons. She is the lone hazel-eyed member.
Alto Kathy Apslund of San Jose - a friend of Mitzi’s - is an administrative assistant at Hutchins-Logue Inc., a Los Gatos candy company. Bass Mike Falco of Mountain View - Konevich’s brother-in-law - is an electrical engineer for Nextest Systems Corporation.
Amazingly, given Almost Blue’s perfect four-part harmony, none of the quartet have much formal musical training. “We’re all ear players,” Konevich said. “We don’t really read music, but we all have good ears.”
Falco is the group’s musical arranger. “He has a natural gift, probably combined with the fact that he’s an engineer,” Konevich said. “He can hear four voices at once.”
“Voice Prints” features songs spanning many years and genres - from a traditional gospel tune, “Down by the River to Pray,” to Carole King’s 1960s rock hit “Locomotion” and “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Singing has been important to Konevich since he was a student at St. Francis High School and fell in love with the folk music that was popular in the 1960s. As a college student at the University of California, Santa Cruz, he became part of a folk and bluegrass group called Northern Flare. He took time off between his sophomore and junior years to tour with the group professionally. “We were even union members,” he said. “We performed from Austin, Texas, to Slave Lake, Alberta. I’m so glad I did that.”
Konevich returned to complete his degree at UC, Santa Cruz, earned his law degree from Santa Clara University and began his law practice in Los Altos, where he and Mitzi had grown up.
These days, you’ll find Konevich and his friends happily harmonizing around Falco’s kitchen table for two and a half hours every Tuesday night.
Almost Blue is available to perform at parties and other functions. For booking information or to purchase “Voice Prints,” call 949-8400 or send e-mail to mike@almostbluevocals.com.
