Originally formed in 1969, The Manhattan Transfer were, and arguably still are, the most popular jazz vocal group of their time, and the most talented of any since the heyday of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross during the early '60s.
After Hauser met vocalists Laurel Masse and Janis Siegel in 1972, the trio formed Manhattan Transfer later that year with the addition of Alan Paul. The group became popular after appearances at a few New York hotspots, and recorded their own debut, an eponymous LP recorded with help from the jazz world (including Zoot Sims, Randy Brecker, Jon Faddis and Mel Davis). Featuring vocalese covers of "Java Jive" and "Tuxedo Junction" as well as a Top 40 hit in the aggressive gospel tune "Operator," the album rejuvenated the field of vocalese (dormant since the mid-'60s) and made the quartet stars in the jazz community across Europe as well as America.
The Manhattan Transfer's next two albums, Coming Out and Pastiche, minimized the jazz content in favor of covers from around the music community, from Nashville to Los Angeles to Motown. A single from Coming Out, the ballad "Chanson d'Amour," hit number one in Britain. Though Masse left in 1979 for a solo career, Cheryl Bentyne proved a capable replacement and that same year, Extensions introduced their best-known song "Birdland," the ode to bop written by Weather Report several years earlier.
Throughout the 1980s, the group balanced retreads from all aspects of American song. The 1981 LP Mecca for Moderns gained Manhattan Transfer their first American Top Ten hit with a cover of the Ad Libs' 1965 girl-group classic "The Boy from New York City". The album also earned Manhattan Transfer honors as the first artist to receive Grammys in both the pop and jazz categories in the same year.
The group's 1985 tribute to vocal pioneer Jon Hendricks, titled Vocalese, marked a shift in Manhattan Transfer's focus. Such records as 1987's Brasil, 1994's Tubby the Tuba (a children's record), 1995's Tonin' ('60s R&B), and 1997's Swing may not have found the group at their performance peak, but were much more easily understandable for what they are. Spirit of St. Louis was issued three years later. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

Contact a Manhattan Transfer Agent now to book The Manhattan Transfer to appear at your next corporate, private or special event!

Previous | Next

*Please Note: Headline Entertainment will not respond to inquiries related to any of the following (sorry, no exceptions):

• Upcoming public appearances of artists on this site.
• Contact info for artists or requests to fwd messages.
• Artist's TV, stage or film projects or representation.
• Invitations to appear to accept awards, etc.
• Requests for artists to donate items for auctions, etc.
• Media requests for print, radio or TV interviews.
• Non-paying or expenses only fundraisers.
• We will not forward jokes, songs, screenplays, etc.

*Headline Entertainment, LLC, the booking agent working on your behalf, acts only as an entertainment broker/producer for corporate functions, private engagements and special events and does not claim or represent itself as the exclusive booking agent, booking agency or management of any artist on this website.

___________________________________