The Manhattan Transfer – Live (LP version – ENG review)

Atlantic Records – 1987
Soul Jazz
The Manhattan Transfer –Live (LP version)

This live album is the second from this prodigious vocal group, who had produced their first live album in 1978. It includes all the hit songs that graced their concerts in the 80s. This recording was made at the Nakano Sun Plaza Hall in Tokyo, Japan, on February 20 and 21, 1986, and was released in 1987, featuring singer Cheryl Bentyne for the first time.

If you enjoy their songs like “Rambo,” “Killer Joe,” “Ray’s Rock House,” etc., all the tracks on this album have a much more special and fun flavor than the studio versions. One can appreciate the vocal qualities of each artist, feeling the joy they have in being on stage and singing their hits. The analog recording of the time just lacks a bit of bass, but you only need to add some on your amplifier, and you’re good to go. This was also the era when Manhattan Transfer was directed by John Hendricks, whose immense talent allowed them to achieve international fame. There are many vocal groups in the USA, especially in soul music, but far fewer in jazz, probably due to the musical format.

Certainly, some will say that this group is too technical, but that’s definitely not the case if you listen closely, as the sensitivity they have always put into their performances proves the exact opposite. Indeed, beyond the vocal techniques of these artists, there are true performers who make every concert an unforgettable experience for their audience. You can find them in all components of jazz, from the more contemporary “The Chick Corea Songbook” to the Swing album, the very 80s and certainly one of their best-selling albums, “Vocalese,” on which you can hear their incredible version of “Another Night in Tunisia.” I only mention a few examples here as I have always been very admiring of their work. Their latest album, “Fifty,” crowns their 50-year career. “We have always been very eclectic musically,” explains Paul, “and we didn’t want to be limited or confined to just one style of music. We wanted to make great records and thought excellence existed in all genres of music. We have always had the freedom to explore and put our harmonic stamp on everything we did. Siegel emphasizes the group’s unparalleled ability to excel in a wide variety of music. ‘We didn’t say we were a pop group. We didn’t say we were a jazz group. We are a vocal group.'”

As I write these lines, this album is playing in the background, and “Killer Joe” is as magical as ever. This song alone is a real cinematic experience, so expressive with their harmonious voices. And to entice you to discover this fabulous vocal group if you don’t know them yet, know that Bentyne made her debut on the 1979 album “Extensions,” which won two Grammys for their cover of Weather Report’s “Birdland” (with lyrics by Jon Hendricks): Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental; and Siegel won the award for Best Arrangement for Voices. “It was mind-blowing,” recalls Bentyne.

Mind-blowing is indeed the word that summarizes these artists throughout their careers, and this album definitely deserves to be among our “Essentials.”

Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News

PARIS-MOVE, July 28th 2024

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