The Manhattan Transfer

Performer: Manhattan Transfer
Producer: Ahmet Ertegun; Tim Hauser
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: The Manhattan Transfer's self-titled debut shows off the vocal quartet's sterling chops to excellent effect. The album is self-consciously retro: everything from the cover art to the group's clean, jazzy harmonies evokes America's musical and cultural zeitgeist of the 1930s and '40s. But the Transfer cook up an original musical stew with their mix of be-bop, doo-wop, and swing, so while one can almost imagine the covers of "Candy" and "Tuxedo Junction" accompanied by the crackle of a wartime radio, the overall project is executed with contemporary style and postmodern panache. The group would, ultimately, go on to record better albums, but the seeds of their amazingly tight skills and cut-and-paste approach to jazz history are sown on this 1975 debut.

The Manhattan Transfer are one of the most popular and acclaimed vocal ensembles in all of contemporary music, with numerous platinum albums and eight Grammy Awards to their credit. While jazz is now only a part of their repertoire (pop, R&B, Brazilian, and doo-wop stylings have added to their far-reaching appeal), when the group first formed, the idea was to arrange their voices as if they were the saxophone section of the Basie Big Band. Their best work in the jazz realm also features the contributions of lyricist and fellow singer Jon Hendricks.

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