As a kid in the 50's I was brought up listening to the radio. Family Favourites, The Billy Cotton Band Show, Workers Playtime. Songs of the 30's, 40's and 50's. Along with that I'd spend hours in my Gt-grandmothers attic playing old 78's on her wind-up gramophone. I grew up with mainstream jazz, big band and swing music as well as the crooners and swooners.
I bought this album in New Zealand when it was released in '75. I then got 'Coming Out' in '76 and 'Pastiche' in '78. There was something about The Manhattan Transfer that really appealed to me. After the heavy metal and the psychedelia and the self-indulgent concept albums these songs were a breath of fresh air. Harmonies, melodies, music that was new and nostalgic at the same time.
I saw Manhattan Transfer in concert. I know it was in Auckland. I know it was in the late 70's or early 80's. I can find no record of it anywhere. Ah well, sometimes I forget what I had for breakfast.
This featured album was actually the second Manhattan Transfer LP, but the first one, 'Jukin', was so different as to not be included in any anthology or even on their official website. To be fair, it only contained one original member, Tim Hauser, and had one song 'Java Jive' that carried over to the later version of Manhattan Transfer, but that's where the similarities ended. The new re-energised group was a 4 member marriage of perfectly syncronised voices - Tim Hauser, Laurel Massé, Alan Paul and Janis Siegel. Together they created music that had fallen by the wayside and was overdue for a comeback.
'Operator' and 'Tuxedo Junction' were both released as singles from this eponymous album. They charted moderately well but didn't make waves. In fact their only #1, 'Chanson D'amour', came from the 'Coming Out' album in '77. Regardless of chart placing, The Manhattan Transfer made an impact. By the time they did 'Coming Out' they had guests queuing up to play with them. Dr. John on piano, Ringo Starr on drums, 30 musicians sitting in on the sessions providing perfect music to accompany perfect voices.
After the release of 'Pastiche' the group suffered what could have been a major set-back when Laurel Massé was badly injured in a car accident in 1978 and decided to leave. Laurels voice was pure and distinctive but her replacement, Cheryl Bentyne, fitted into the frame without missing a beat, bringing her jazz background into the mix. Some of the later tracks they did with Cheryl were among my favourites .. 'Trickle Trickle', 'The Boy From New York City', 'Route 66'.
Between 1980 and 1992 The Manhattan Transfer won 11 Grammy's and were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998.
In 2014 founder member Tim Hauser passed away and Trist Curless stepped in to continue performing with Cheryl, Alan and Janis.
If you missed them the first time around, listen to the links below and enjoy a bit of music the way it was, is, and thanks to The Manhattan Transfer, will always be.
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