The Manhattan Transfer – Vocalese

upon first listen i kind of blocked it out of my brain because track one has drum machine backing. but upon further review and listening a few months later, i heard what sounded like the basie orchestra so i read the liner notes and lo & behold it was the basie orchestra on tracks A2 and B2.

Recorded at SEVEN different studios, the MT album serves up what they do best...harmonies...Dick Reynolds did the vocal arrangements and aboard for this session are Cheryl Bentyne, Tim Hauser, Alan Paul, and Janis Siegel...This LP scored a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance by a DUO or GROUP...

This is a fun collection of standards, translated to vocalese, as only Manhattan Transfer can do. If you know your Clifford Brown, Dizzy and Benny Golson solos, you will have fun hearing them put to words.

Oh, and Richie Cole plays a rippin' solo on "Move".

The production quality is very good and the pressing is excellent. Recommended.

What an album!

Vocaleses are basically instrumentals with lyrics added to them. Jon Hendricks of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross fame was a pioneering artist in this form of music, and for this album Cheryl, Tim, Alan and Janis performed eleven songs with his lyrics added to them... and sound fantastic doing it. There are so many good things on this album I can't exactly type 'em all up, but vocal jazz this good doesn't need further comment. Bottom line: If you ever express interest in this group, make Vocalese your entry point. You'll thank me later.