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The Manhattan Transfer

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The Manhattan Transfer was an American vocal group, founded in New York in 1969 by Tim Hauser and named after the novel by John Dos Passos. The first line-up made one album, Jukin' in 1971, and broke up in 1973. Hauser then formed a new group with Alan Paul, Janis Siegel and Laurel Massé. This one leaned more towards vocal jazz and swing, and signed with Atlantic Records. The debut album The Manhattan Transfer was released in 1975, with Operator and a vocalese version of Tuxedo Junction. Coming Out followed in 1976, with Chanson d'Amour, a number one in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Music and breakthrough

After a car accident involving Massé, Cheryl Bentyne took her place in 1979. The album Extensions brought Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone and a version of Birdland, an instrumental piece by Weather Report, with lyrics by Jon Hendricks of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross. Birdland became one of the most popular jazz records of the year in 1980 and won a Grammy. Later came, among others, Mecca for Moderns in 1981, Vocalese in 1985 and Brasil in 1987. In total they won eleven Grammys. The group brought its career to an end in 2023.

Influence

The Manhattan Transfer showed how a vocal group can take over a jazz piece: the voices play the instrument parts, and put lyrics beneath them. That is called vocalese. They combined jazz, swing, rhythm and blues and pop, and in this way brought jazz to a wide audience.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Birdland by The Manhattan Transfer. Notice how the four voices take over the parts of a band, and how the lyrics follow the melody of the original.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Categories: Artists