Vocalese

Performer: Manhattan Transfer
Artist: Bobby McFerrin; Dizzy Gillespie; Jon Hendricks; Count Basie & His Orchestra
Engineer: Elliot Scheiner
Producer: Tim Hauser
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: The Manhattan Transfer: Cheryl Bentyne, Tim Hauser, Alan Paul, Janis Siegel (vocals). Additional personnel: Bobby McFerrin, Jon Hendricks, The Four Freshmen (vocals); Wayne Johnson (guitar, banjo); Richie Cole (alto saxophone); Don Roberts, James Moody (tenor saxophone); Don Roberts (baritone saxophone); Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet); Dennis Wilson (trombone); Yaron Gershovsky (piano, synthesizers, keyboards); McCoy Tyner, Dick Hindman, Walter Davis Jr., Tommy Flanagan (piano); John Barnes (synthesizers); Marshall Hawkins, John Patitucci, Ron Carter, Richard Davis, Alex Blake (bass); Grady Tate, Philly Joe Jones, Ralph Humphrey, John Robinson (drums); Craig Harris, Casey Young (synthesizer programming); Bob Flanagan, Autie Goodman, Mike Beisner, Rod Henley (background vocals); The Count Basie Orchestra. 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. ~ Scott Yanow

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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