RIP Tim Hauser of The Manhattan Transfer

[jazzboCR]

The Manhattan Transfer was the most successful, longest-lasting vocal group ever, especially when considering they had original members first to last (I disagree with the Wiki on this--they weren't really MT 'til Cheryl Bentyne came aboard in '78 though they had 3 OK albums with a previous singer). Whether high-art truly original offerings ('09s The Chick Corea Songbook) to down in the alley stuff and including off-trail albums (2 Christmas albums and a really fun kids' album), it was always class in the no-crap zone. Here's the discog: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-manha...iscography << My faves are '95s Tonin' (modern pop with the original artists when available, inspired fill-ins when not) and '97s Swing (revisiting that great Swing Era). The Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Manhattan_Transfer << NOTE: All members had solo albums but their careers, their commitment was MT.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa1khK65-V8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q9MTJokc4A << nice version; wack vid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ8Mp_08rwk << weak sound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F4mfIFgFWA << love this song so much, I'm including another version by another terrif group--forgive my self-indulgence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4NafK3NFhA << Ahmad Jamal takes this song to a special place too
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg76ZcZtB8I
2 from Tonin': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mg76ZcZtB8I << Laura Nyro just kills; Swing Out Sister has a nice version as well and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ActFeIl1hCk
3 from Swing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7EBkRQUEPI << with the Cincinatti Pops (Erich Kunzel) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF0AjMwymPo and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuwtmBkxUmQ << Gypsy jazz to bust those blues for sure

BONUS 1: Here in concert with the New York Voices (2011): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqh2zXGaVOI
BONUS 2: An earlier one (1986): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4ll0iYPyoY << all the best early stuff