Great Jazz for jazz lovers, by the way they sing

Review Score: (10/10)
Like so many here, the memory of getting this 20 years ago on tape then stays with me. I was very new to Jazz other than the classic initial bop sides back then. Now looking back on these recordings, and having heard most of the instrumental cuts these songs are modeled on is that this is a great contribution to improvisation and jazz, great solos taken, not simply great solos and arrangements copied. Also, I think the added words contribute to the jazziness, the memory,and the entire discourse of the tunes. After all, Jazz is more openly a discourse than much else, where one version, one solo even, of a song does not exist independently but only in dialog with the rest of the recordings and versions. The words here add to the general perception of these tunes that we all have, and I am sure soloists whether instrumental or vocal are talking with them too.

To put it more succintly: Manhatten Transfer is just an excellent Jazz group producing great Jazz arrangements and great solos. That they do happen to sing is not just a good trick, but their voices just happen to be their instruments.

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