Man-Tora! Live in Tokyo [Live]

The Manhattan Transfer | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 9, 1996)
• Original Release Date: April 9, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B0000033RK
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #303,827 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Birdland

2. Route 66

3. Jeannine

4. Malaise en Malaisie

5. Trickle Trickle

6. Boy from New York City

7. This Independence

8. Foreign Affair

9. Body and Soul

10. Blue Champagne

11. How High the Moon

12. Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone

13. Four Brothers

14. Operator

15. Spice of Life

16. Tuxedo Junction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant quartet in a rare live recording, November 7, 2002

By 

Bruce Hodges (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Man-Tora! Live in Tokyo (Audio CD)

Few of the Manhattan Transfer's studio recordings have captured their magnetism as effectively as this terrific disc recorded live in Tokyo in 1983.

From the opening "Birdland," you can feel the energy and enthusiasm of the crowd. Almost every song here has been featured elsewhere, but not with the electricity here. Take "Jeannine," for example - one of their standards. Only here do we get the long, intricate improvisations that the singers added in live performances, totally trumping their studio version.

The early gospel-inflected hit "Operator" falls near the end of the program, and it's stunning - again with greater passion that makes the original track sound tame. Janis Siegel's voice is in soaring form, but all four musicians sound superb; either individually or together, they really know how to sing.

Deep thanks is due to Rhino for acquiring this treasure, and releasing it with their usual high production values. The Manhattan Transfer have produced some fine recordings, but I would never have imagined that such a vibrant document of their live performances existed. For fans of the group, or fans of fine jazz singing in general, it's an unexpected gift.