Swing

Too often vocal groups attempting swing get too cutsy, and tend to emphasize the pop aspects of Swing. This is not that. This is the vocalese heirs of Lambert Hendricks and Ross blowing hard with their singing on all of these swing tunes as a great vocalese group. They mimick the arrangements, or create their new ones in the ensemble singing here. If that isn't enough they have not the usual studio groups that accompany them, but a bunch of Swing stars and neoswingers accompanying them. My favorite here is Stephen Grappelli who does some nice work here. No less than Mark O'Conner, the great classical and bluegrass fiddler and composer, and Buddy Emmons join the Transfer for a live cut. It is also interesting that Ricky Scaggs does a lot of the rhythm guitar playing on this CD. Of course, my friends in Asleep at the Wheel who would be terrific if they presented themselves as a jazz group, add an excitement I adore. On most selections, Asleep at the Wheel provides the basic band along with the Transfer's rhythm section. They also add to the harmony of the Transfer in several places. If you are a deep ASAW fan, you will be happy to know that this CD was made when the great Cindy Cashdollar was still with the band. She does some very nice fills and obligatoes on a number of the slower tunes. Working with the Transfer adds just like working with any good soloist or combo does. If you are into chord rhythm guitar playing, a sometimes lost and forgotten art, you will delight in the standout work that is done on every cut of this album. Myself, I am thrilled with the work that Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel does on the selections he plays on. In the Wheel he usually ends up having to carry a big burden of both the singing and solo work, or is playing the kind leads and fills that typify Western Swing. Here, on the selections with Asleep at the Wheel, Ray is often the only guitarist, but creates a wonderful solid rhythm that matches what comes on other cuts where there are several guitarists.The Transfer is not just a group that does a cute trick singing words to Jazz solos, but important improvisers, arrangers and soloists in their own right. They add somethign new musically, not just vocally! All in all, this is about 500 times more swinging and useful than all the sad, pretentious, unswinging and musically ignorant neoswing that got served up in the 1990s. This is the real thing, the real swing

I have many MT recordings; this is a little different in that many super musicians appear in the band

Outstanding collection of songs by the best vocal group in the last 40 years

I love The Manhattan Transfer. But there is one song that blows me away only on this album. "I know why and so do you"

no comment

I have pretty much everything they've produced. Bought this to back fill some of the older stuff I'd missed.

Some good stuff

Another gem from mantran .... devastated they will prolly produce no more new music, so can be thankful for all that currently exists. I'm filling in my blanks in their catalouge