Search - Manhattan Transfer :: Down in Birdland - Anthology

Material too diverse for a 2-CD set

John S. Harris | Memphis, TN | 04/04/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"An earlier reviewer was exactly right; the musical styles the MT have covered over the years are so diverse and all over the map that this anthology gives a hint of all of it but not a satisfying dose of any of it. Mind you, dear readers, that is not necessarily a criticism. The Transfer are the absolute masters of vocal harmonizing. Nobody, I mean NOBODY does it better (makes you feel sad for the rest). But just as you are settling in to listening to some of their swing jazz or doo-wop, the track selection changes gears on you and you are hearing Brazilian music or any one of a half dozen other styles. This collection is scratch on the surface of their vast and very impressive catalog, but if this is your introduction to them then you are only getting a teasing glimpse. There may not be enough tracks of the style(s) you like best to sustain your interest in the entire collection, even though it is all good. There is just so much ground being covered that the breadth of it all overshadows the depth of the individual records in their catalog. (Did that make sense or was I just being too wordy again?)
For those of us who are already MT fans and have most or all of their back catalog, the absolute BEST reason to buy this anthology is for the booklet insert. It provides a relatively thorough timeline history of the group, and extensive track-by-track notes on all the tunes, down to the musicians who played on them, and much more."

Good stuff! But if you like this, then you'll love LHR.

shead8 | Rome, GA USA | 07/19/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I fell in love with the Transfer as a teenager in the '70s and thought they were the most unique thing going. What I found out later though was that the true artists of "vocalese" are Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross. If you like MT you should definitely give Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross a spin. They started in the 50's and were truly a high wire act."

Without a doubt, the masters of vocal jazz ensemble

12/10/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My first Transfer exposure was Boy from New York City, and I enjoyed it, but as I got older, I began to appreciate just how special their talent was (and is) Tim Hauser & Janis Siegal do some great arrangements, and I just love how well their voices blend. Their collaborations with Djavan are great examples of how well this band can expand thie repertoire. If I had only two words to describe this 2 disc set, it would simply be, "Buy it!""