of jazz. In doing so, they influenced younger groups such as the Hi-Los and the Beach Boys. The Oxford Companion to Popular Music says: They sing with great variety, in quiet unison or full-throated harmony, using modern jazz harmonies and varied dynamics, a considerable advance on the typical close-harmony quartets that had preceded them. Influence The Four Freshmen were an important influence on Brian Wilson, beginning in the mid-50s. He listened to one of their albums, Four Freshmen and 5 Trombones, and it "mesmerized" him. He spoke very highly of it: "'It brings a feeling of love inside me.... That feeling of harmony.'" Aside from listening to their music, the teenage Wilson made a point of seeing the Four Freshmen perform live: "he made solitary pilgrimages to the resort hotels of Catalina Island to see the Four Freshmen." The Four Freshmen are also credited with influencing The Lettermen, The Four Preps and The Manhattan Transfer, among other vocal groups. The Donald Fagen song "Maxine", from his 1982 50s-themed album The Nightfly, in which Fagen accompanies himself on four-part harmonies, has been described as inspired by the Four Freshmen. The Four Freshmen covered the song on their 1986 album Fresh! Awards and honors The Four Freshmen have won JazzTimes magazine's Readers Poll for Best Vocal Group multiple years. The group won DownBeat magazine's Readers Poll for Best Vocal Group in 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 2000, and 2001. The Freshmen have been nominated for a Grammy Award six times. Members Timeline Lineups Discography Voices in Modern (Capitol, 1952) Four Freshmen and 5 Trombones (Capitol, 1955) Freshmen Favorites (Capitol, 1956) 4 Freshmen and 5 Trumpets (Capitol, 1957) 4 Freshmen and 5 Saxes (Capitol, 1957) The Four Freshmen at Penn State (1957) Voices in Latin (Capitol, 1958) Voices in Love (Capitol, 1958) The Four Freshmen in Person (Capitol, 1958) Road Show with Stan Kenton, June Christy (Capitol, 1959) The Four Freshmen and Five Guitars (Capitol, 1959) 4 Freshmen and 5 Guitars (Capitol, 1959) Love Lost (Capitol, 1959) Freshmen Favorites Vol. 2 (Capitol, 1959) First Affair (Capitol, 1960) Voices and Brass (Capitol, 1960) Voices in Fun (Capitol, 1961) The Freshman Year (Capitol, 1961) Stars in Our Eyes (Capitol, 1962) The Swingers (Capitol, 1962) In Person Volume 2 (Capitol, 1963) The Four Freshmen Got That Feelin' (Capitol, 1963) Guest Star with the Clark Sisters (U.S. Department of The Treasury, 1963) Funny How Time Slips Away