Posted on 10/28/2014 2:32:59 PM PDT by grundle
Tim Hauser, a singer and showman who founded the Manhattan Transfer, a Grammy-winning vocal group that brought four-part harmonies to several decades’ worth of American popular songs, died on Thursday in Sayre, Pa. He was 72.
The cause was cardiac arrest, said his sister, Fayette. She said he had been taken to a hospital in Elmira, N.Y., with pneumonia shortly after arriving in nearby Corning for a scheduled performance and was later moved to a hospital in Sayre, where he died.
Begun in 1972 when Mr. Hauser was making ends meet as a New York City cabdriver, the Manhattan Transfer became known for its jazzy treatment of a wide spectrum of musical styles, from gospel and swing to doo-wop, pop and rhythm and blues; for stylish and sophisticated arrangements; and for a razzle-dazzle stage presence featuring slick costuming and arch choreography.
The group’s wide repertoire embraced different eras. It included Louis Armstrong numbers from the first half of the 20th century; “Tuxedo Junction,” which had been a hit for Glenn Miller in 1940; “Route 66,” Bobby Troup’s 1946 paean to the great American highway, which had been covered by Nat King Cole, Chuck Berry and others; the gospel tune “Operator,” recorded by the Friendly Brothers in 1959; the Rascals’ 1967 pop hit “Groovin’ ”; and soul songs like “The Boy From New York City,” a remake of a 1965 hit by the Ad Libs that was the group’s only Top 10 single.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Sad news, love that group.
One of my favorite songs!
Was humming it just yesterday!.
RIP......................
Manhattan Transfer made music that helped me survive some of the worst times of my life.
Not too many groups with their wide range of vocals.
And the harmony was spot on.
The female singer in that song is the ultra-flexible Janis Siegel.
One of my favorite groups. RIP
R.I.P.
The closer I get to that age, the more it seems too young to die.
Tim Hauser, rest and peace in the Lord.
I love Coffee, I love Tea, I love the Java Jive and It Loves Me.
I was never much of a fan of their music, but was very appreciative of their harmony. As a guitarist and pedal steel player, I’ve always been into harmony, very deeply, as opposed to single note playing. Double and triple stops made my playing stand out. So, even though I wasn’t interested in their musical choices, I was very interested in their use of harmony!
I remember seeing them in the Village in the early 70’s.
Saw them live in Spokane in 1982 for my birthday. I love their version of “Trickle, Trickle”.
I know Mr. Hauser used to play an ‘alternate character’ that occasionally appeared in Manhattan Transfer concerts named “L. Dorado Caddy”. He’d come out in a zoot suit with a wide-brimmed hat and do a kind of a comedy-jazz-riff.
RIP Mr. Hauser.
I saw them perform at Houston's Arena Theater in the early 1980s.
-PJ
A beautiful rendition.
Sorry to hear this. I saw them live in concert in 1980, they were all truly memorable.
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