The Art of Vocalese

We first met in 2005, when Era Jazzu presented the legendary quartet The Manhattan Transfer in Warsaw and Zabrze . A cult band with a legendary lineup: Janis Siegel, Cheryl Bentyne, Tim Hauser, and Alan Paul. " It was my first project right after The Manhattan Transfer ended," says Janis Siegel about the new album, "The Art of Vocalese." It's a tribute to The Manhattan Transfer and our work that's as powerful as anything else." Over the past five decades, Janis Siegel has become one of the most recognizable voices in contemporary vocal jazz. As vocalist, arranger, and the main musical force behind the ten-time Grammy Award-winning band The Manhattan Transfer, she helped popularize sophisticated, accessible vocals. And her Manhattan Transfer became one of the most ambitious vocal groups of its era, seamlessly moving between swing, bebop, R&B, Brazilian music, fusion, and vocals. The Manhattan Transfer was also the first vocal group to win Grammy Awards for pop and jazz in the same year, and their 1985 album "Vocalese" received 12 Grammy nominations.

The musical beginnings of Janis Siegel's career , however, predate the success of The Manhattan Transfer. Raised in Brooklyn, she absorbed a wide range of music through New York radio in the 1950s and 1960s: she discovered the voices of Frank Sinatra, Ellie Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong, and was fascinated by opera, rhythm and blues, instrumental pop, and the British Invasion of rock. She began recording at just 12 years old in an all-female folk trio, recording her first single live in a studio with a full orchestra and a single microphone. In the late 1960s, she immersed herself in the Greenwich Village folk scene, playing at clubs like The Gaslight, Folk City, Kenny's Castaways, and The Bitter End. This experience directly influenced the art form that is now a classic of American vocal art. Unlike scat singing , which uses improvised syllables, vocal singing overlays lyrics onto existing instrumental solos and arrangements while maintaining their phrasing and rhythmic flow. " Great vocalists bring emotion to it," says Janis Siegel. "You become a soloist without even noticing it ." The band's deep commitment to this style also stemmed from the close relationship between founder Tim Hauser, who was captivated by the vocals of Eddie Jefferson, and Jon Hendricks, whose work and musical philosophy became crucial to the band's evolution. Janis Siegel also played a key role in shaping the Manhattan Transfer's sound. She won a Grammy for her vocal arrangement of " Birdland," wrote five arrangements for the "Vocalese " sessions, and seven for "Brasil ." She was also the lead vocalist on such famous TMT hits as " Operator," "Chanson D'Amour," "Birdland," "Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone," "The Boy from New York City," "Spice of Life," "Mystery," and "Ray's Rockhouse." In addition to her work with The Manhattan Transfer, Janis Siegel has amassed an extensive solo discography, including " Experiment in White," "At Home," "Short Stories," "Slow Hot Wind," "The Tender Trap with Fred Hersch," "I Wish You Love," "Friday Night Special," "Sketches of Broadway," "Night Songs," "Honey & Air," "Mazel," "Cryin' in My Whiskey," and "The Colors of My Life." JazzTimes magazine named " Short Stories"one of the most graceful and moving works of contemporary music." The singer has recorded and performed with Bobby McFerrin's Voicestra, Renee Rosnes, Bob Dorough, Nils Landgren, Bobby Sanabria's Multiverse band, the Count Basie Orchestra, Enka singer Mika Shinno, Luciana Souza, and Raul Midón. She also performs brilliantly in an artistic duo with TMT pianist Yaron Gershovsky. In addition to her stage performances, Janis Siegel teaches at New York University alongside her New York Voices colleague Lauren Kinhan, co-hosts the program "Singers Unlimited" on WBGO with vocalist Lezlie Harrison, and hosts and sings with Lauren Kinhan in the vocal salon Vocal Gumbo.

" The Art of Vocalese" is a superb showcase and synthesis of Janis Siegel's vocal art. Written and produced in the tradition of Jon Hendricks, it presents a perfect blend of great standards and popular jazz songs: from " Bye, Bye Blackbird " to the upbeat, dance-worthy " Pick Up the Pieces ." The singer enlisted the elite of contemporary jazz to collaborate: pianist and arranger John Di Martino, bassist Lonnie Plaxico, guitarists Frank Vignola and Ed Cherry, saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, drummer Bobby Sanabria, percussionist Vince Cherico, vocalist Raul Midón, Lea DeLaria, and the vocal trio JaLaLa (with Janis, Laurel Massé, and Lauren Kinhan). Recorded at New York's Sear Sound and Bass Hit studios, the project draws from bebop, swing, Brazilian music, fusion, funk, and ensemble arrangement, utilizing one of jazz's most demanding traditions and the beautiful jazz vocals of Janis Siegel.