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| The Manhattan Transfer | Primary Artist, Primary Artist, Primary Artist, Primary Artist, Primary Artist |
| Ray Kelley | Cello |
| Pete Christlieb | Reeds, Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Soloist |
| Bob Cooper | Reeds, Saxophone |
| Art Davis | Bass |
| Harry "Sweets" Edison | Trumpet, Soloist |
| Gary Foster | Reeds, Saxophone |
| Steve Kujala | Reeds, Saxophone |
| Marshall Royal | Reeds, Saxophone |
| Bobby Shew | Trumpet |
| Janis Siegel | Vocals |
| Ronnie Lang | Reeds, Saxophone |
| Cheryl Bentyne | Vocals |
| Rick Todd | French Horn |
| Marilyn Baker | Viola |
| Rick Baptist | Trumpet |
| Arnold Belnick | Violin |
| Samuel Boghossian | Viola |
| George Bohannon | Trombone |
| Mari Tsumura | Violin |
| Oscar Brashear | Trumpet |
| Larry Bunker | Percussion |
| Kenneth Burward-Hoy | Viola |
| Gerald Cinci | Violin |
| Ronald Clark | Violin |
| Jon Clarke | Reeds, Saxophone |
| Larry Corbett | Cello |
| Isabelle Daskoff | Violin |
| Joel Derouin | Violin |
| Chuck Domanico | Bass |
| Assa Drori | Violin |
| Ernest Ehrhardt | Cello |
| Henry Ferber | Violin |
| Chuck Findley | Trumpet |
| Frederick Seykora | Cello |
| Yaron Gershovsky | Piano, Soloist |
| Dan Greco | Percussion |
| Sol Gubin | Percussion, Drums |
| Diana Halprin | Violin |
| Peter Hatch | Viola |
| Tim Hauser | Vocals |
| Igor Horoshevsky | Cello |
| Jim Hughart | Bass |
| Ralph Humphrey | Drums |
| Jack Sheldon | Trumpet, Soloist |
| Marni Johnson | French Horn |
| Anne Karam | Cello |
| Eddie Karam | Conductor |
| Roland Kato | Viola |
| Peter Kent | Violin |
| Randy Kerber | Keyboards |
| Brian Leonard | Violin |
| Linda Lipsett | Viola |
| Charles Loper | Trombone |
| Warren Luening | Trumpet |
| Margot MacLaine | Viola |
| Johnny Mandel | Vocals |
| Gordon Marron Strings | Violin |
| Quincy McCrary | Choir, Chorus, Children's Chorus |
| Dick Mitchell | Reeds, Saxophone |
| Dick Nash | Trombone |
| Buell Neidlinger | Bass |
| Jack Nimitz | Reeds, Saxophone |
| Bobbi Page | Choir, Chorus, Children's Chorus |
| Don Palmer | Violin |
| Alan Paul | Vocals |
| John Pisano | Guitar |
| Debra Price | Violin |
| Carol Robbins | Harp |
| Mark Sazer | Violin |
| David Shamban | Cello |
| Haim Shtrum | Violin |
| Amy Shulman | Harp |
| Jeff Smith | Children's Chorus |
| Marc Smollin | Children's Chorus |
| Sally Stevens | Children's Chorus, Children's Choirmaster |
| Susan Stevens | Choir, Chorus, Children's Chorus |
| Margaret Storer | Bass |
| Robert Sushel | Violin |
| Bob Tricarico | Reeds, Saxophone |
| Ian Underwood | Keyboards |
| Gerald Vinci | Violin, Concert Master |
| Brad Warnaar | French Horn |
| James Walker | Reeds, Saxophone |
| Chauncey Welsch | Trombone |
| Hershel Wise | Viola |
| John Wittenberg | Violin |
| Shari Zippert | Violin |
| Gayle Levant | Harp |
| Leslie Woodbury | Violin |
| Ann Atkinson | Bass |
| Ray Kelly | Cello |
| Joe Goodman | Violin |
| Jeff de Rosa | French Horn |
| Suzie Katayama | Cello |
| William Frank "Bill" Reichenbach Jr. | Trombone |
| Marc Schillinger | Choir, Chorus, Children's Chorus |
| Jules Chaikin | Conductor, Performing Ensemble |
| Charlie Davis | Trumpet |
| Jeffery Smith | Choir, Chorus |
| Ken Barward Hoy | Viola |
| Fred Seykoura | Cello |
| Josh Weiner | Choir, Chorus, Children's Chorus |
| Annette Atkinson | Bass |
| Arielle Paul | Vocals, Children's Voices |
| Basie Hauser | Vocals, Children's Voices |
| Don Shelton | Reeds, Saxophone |
| George Bohanon | Trombone |
| Nicolas Nackley | Choir, Chorus, Children's Chorus |
| Jonathan Redford | Choir, Chorus, Children's Chorus |
| Keely Pickering | Vocals, Children's Voices |
| Don Shelton | Reeds, Saxophone |
| Michael Nowak | Viola |
| Tony Bennett | Contributor |
| Janis Siegel | Contributor, Vocal Arrangements |
| Mel Tormé | Composer |
| Cheryl Bentyne | Contributor, Vocal Arrangements |
| Franz Gruber | Composer |
| Corey Allen | Vocal Arrangements |
| Bernie Grundman | Mastering |
| Tim Hauser | Producer, Vocal Arrangements |
| Jimmy Joyce | Vocal Arrangements |
| Johnny Mandel | Arranger, Producer, Liner Notes, Vocal Arrangements, Orchestral Arrangements |
| Alan Paul | Contributor, Vocal Arrangements |
| Gene Puerling | Vocal Arrangements |
| Dave Reitzas | Engineer, Vocal Engineer |
| Al Schmitt | Engineer |
| Sally Stevens | Director |
| Robert Wells | Composer |
| Suzie Katayama | Supervising Copyist |
| Nancy Donald | Art Direction |
| Richard Storrs Willis | Arranger, Composer |
| Joseph Mohr | Composer |
| Edmund Hamilton Sears | Composer |
| Basie Hauser | Producer |
| Jack Schrader | Arranger |
| Alfred S. Burt | Composer |
Anonymous
Posted October 1, 2010
When I first listened to this CD, I knew I was going to give it to my best friend for Christmas. How about you: Do you like the Andrews Sisters for one and the Four Freshmen for another? Then the Manhattan Transfer, with their two female and two male harmonists, will give you the best of both worlds: On this CD, they present themselves as the legit heirs of the two abovementioned swing era greats. But they go beyond that, with symphonic orchestral arrangements that stretch harmonies and progressions in a way Claude Thornhill would not have in his day. Now why Claude Thornhill for an historical reference? Because it is his signature piece, "Snowfall," that opens this CD. A dessert for an appetizer--unusual, but it does set the mood. All in all, the CD presents a neat cross-section of Holiday favorites in America during the 20th century. The Manhattan Transfer version of "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" is the present-day complement to the vintage Nat King Cole recording. "Have yourself a merry little Christmas" comes with the lyrics made popular by Judy Garland rather than the more wistful wartime lyrics sung by Frank Sinatra. The only disappointment is the concluding Lennon & McCartney pop ballad, "Goodnight," which is not up to the more sophisticated standards set by the other pieces. The spoken fill-in children's voices cannot salvage this misfit. Oh well... but wasn't there a more refined dessert right at the beginning of the CD? There you go: Set the play mode to auto repeat, that'll work--it worked for my best friend.
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Editorial Reviews
All Music Guide - Scott Yanow
For their set of Christmas related material, the Manhattan Transfer welcome such guests as trumpeter Jack Sheldon on "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!", Tony Bennett "The Christmas Song", trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison and tenor saxophonist Pete Christlieb. With arrangements provided for the backing orchestra by Johnny Mandel on a few numbers, highlights of this disc include "Snowfall," a Santa medley and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." A pleasing set of jazz-influenced Christmas music.