On this continually interesting CD, the Manhattan Transfer revisits tunes from the swing era, in some cases re-creating (through vocalese) specific recordings. Benny Goodman's 1935 version of "King Porter Stomp," Bennie Moten's 1932 recording of "Moten's Swing," Glenn Miller's "I Know Why," Charlie Barnet's "Skyliner," and Fletcher Henderson's exciting arrangement of "Down South Camp Meetin'" are among the many highlights. The vocals are superb (particularly Janis Siegel and Cheryl Bentyne), although one wishes that the individual members had more of a chance to improvise within the style. The backup groups are different than one would expect, including the Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel, violinist Mark O'Connor (Stéphane Grappelli makes a special appearance on "Clouds"), and steel guitarist Buddy Emmons. Recommended.
The Manhattan Transfer first came to the general public's attention as a retro act, a nostalgic throwback in a era consumed with nostalgia – the early/mid-'70s – and their debut Atlantic album, as well as their 1975 summer replacement TV series, catered unashamedly to that market. As a result, this record seemed old when it came out, and it still sounds more than a little sappy, especially when one considers the astonishing growth of the Transfer since…
Extensions was released on October 31, 1979 and debuted on Billboard’s Top Pop Album charts on December 8, 1979. Extensions began what Alan recalls as “a new chapter for the group.” Artistically and commercially, their fourth studio album was one of several new levels: It was the first one with Cheryl Bentyne, who had replaced Laurel Massé. Cheryl proved to be the perfect complement to the group’s already dynamic style and performance. It was also the first album that contained hits in both the jazz and pop categories. “Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone” went to #30 and “Trickle, Trickle” went to #73 on the Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Overall, the album peaked at #55 on the Billboard Top LP’s chart. “A very exciting time,” Janis remembers.
As the Manhattan Transfer went on, so did the legacy of the jazz vocal ensemble. In that regard, though the competition was scarce, this group did elevate the art form to a higher level without much compromise. This two-CD, 39-track compilation represents many of the high points of the group. If anything is missing, some of the vocalese influenced by Eddie Jefferson should have been included. Still most fans will recognize "Ray's Rockhouse," "Route 66," "Four Brothers," "Tuxedo Junction," "That Cat Is High," "(Sing) Joy Spring," and their immortal take of the Jon Hendricks lyric to "Birdland." Unless it is a complete collection, you'd be hard pressed to find a better grouping of the Manhattan Transfer's prime body of works.
Many of the Manhattan Transfer's recordings up to the point of Vocalese showed off their diversity and covered a wide variety of music, including jazz. This set was quite a bit different, for it is dedicated to the vocalese of the great Jon Hendricks. The Manhattan Transfer (singers Cheryl Bentyne, Tim Hauser, Alan Paul and Janis Siegel) perform a dozen songs using Hendricks' lyrics, including "That's Killer Joe," "Rambo," "Ray's Rockhouse" and "Sing Joy Spring." Utilizing their regular band of the period (which includes guitarist Wayne Johnson), the Count Basie Orchestra (directed at the time by Thad Jones), the Four Freshmen (on "To You"), tenorman James Moody, Bobby McFerrin (guesting on "Night in Tunisia"), McCoy Tyner, Dizzy Gillespie (on "Sing Joy Spring"), altoist Richie Cole, and Hendricks himself, among many others, the Transfer give these boppish tunes definitive vocal treatments. This is one of their finest jazz recordings and a classic of its kind.
This album took the Manhattan Transfer in a different direction from their previous releases, offering a new, revised style of their music. There were several collaborations on this album, including Stevie Wonder, Rod Temperton, and Jeremy Lubbock. Also appearing as a guest artist on the album was Frankie Valli, who appears on the song "American Pop". The final track on the album, "The Night That Monk Returned to Heaven", is a tribute to American jazz pianist Thelonious Monk.
FM Tokyo recorded these live performances, Westwood One broadcast them in the States, and Bop Doo-Wopp included five of the tracks, but the rest weren't made available to the public until 1996. Backed by their touring sextet of the time, Man-Tora!: Live in Tokyo is certainly a more spontaneous Manhattan Transfer CD than that of their carefully produced recordings, genuinely overflowing with the joy of singing with each other. Listen to their ebullient interplay on "Jeannine," with Cheryl Bentyne's chirping voice way up top for a charge that the group only delivers live.
This fourth album from Manhattan Transfer was the first for Cheryl Bentyne, who replaced Laurel Masse after the original singer's auto accident and subsequent decision to leave the group. Though replacing Masse was difficult, Bentyne's energy and style proved to be the perfect complement to the group's already dynamic performance…
Although Manhattan Transfer have released other live albums, the collections were scattershot affairs that mainly focused on their '80s pop experiments or Vocalese-era jazz numbers that never really coalesced into one solid, perfectly performed concert recording. Twenty-eight years after their debut album, Manhattan Transfer finally capture the magic of their live performances on disc with the appropriately titled Couldn't Be Hotter. This generous 16-track collection, culled from concerts recorded at Tokyo's Orchard Hall in 2000, focuses on the pure vocal jazz that initially brought attention to the group back in the early '70s.