I saw them at our local jazz club many moons ago - loved them!
“Soul Food” and “Nightingale” are great MT songs and the latter is hauntingly beautiful.
But my all time favorite is “Birdland” - great music and amazing lyrics performed perfectly by MT. The musicians on the studio track were not too shabby either...not Weather Report w/Jaco but they do a GREAT job. Jeff Porcaro was truly underrated as a drummer.
Jeff Porcaro - drums
Ralph Humphrey - drums
Janis Siegel - vocal arranger
David Hungate - bass
Michael Boddicker - synthesizers
Richie Cole - alto sax
Michael Omartian - rhythm arranged, piano
Lucky you. I’ve never seen Manhattan Transfer live, but did see Weather Report do Birdland, in Ann Arbor, IIRC, around 1980. I hear you on Jeff Porcaro. That dude had chops. Probably spent almost all his time behind his drum kit.
Manhatten Transfer’s “Birdland”
Music: Josef Zawinul
Lyrics: Jon Hendricks
But I’m still preachin’ the rythym
Long gone uptight years from Birdland
And I’m still teachin’ it with ‘em
Years from the land of the Bird
And I am still feelin’ the spirit
5000 light years from Birdland
But I know people can hear it
Bird named it, Bird made it
Bird heard it, then played it
Well stated Birdland
It happened down in Birdland
In the middle of that hub
I remember one jazz club
Where we went to pat feet
Down on 52nd Street
Everybody heard that word
That they named it after Bird
Where the rythym swooped and swirled
The jazz corner of the world
And the cats they gigged in there
Were beyond compare
Birdland, I’m singing Birdland
Birdland, old swingin’ Birdland
Hey man, the music really turns you on
Really? Ya turn me around and turn me on
Down them stairs, lose them cares
Where? Down in Birdland
Total swing, Bop was king there
Down in Birdland
Bird would cook, Max would look
Where? Down in Birdland
Miles came through, trane came too there
Down in Birdland
Basie blew, Blakie too
Where? Down in Birdland
Cannonball played that hall there
Down in Birdland, yeah
There will never be nothin’ such as that
No more, skoo be wah, no more
Down in Birdland, that’s where it was at
I know, ah ah ah ah ah, I know
Back in them days Bop was ridin’ high
Hello, heh heh heh heh heh, goodbye!
How well those cats remember their first Birdland gig
To play in Birdland is an honor we still dig
Yeah, that club was like in another world
Sure enough, yeah baby
All those cats were cookin’ on
People just sat and they were steady lookin’ on
Then Bird, he came and spread the word
Birdland
Yes indeed he did
Yes indeed he did
Yes indeed he did
Yes he did Parker played in Birdland
Yes he really did
Yes indeed he really did told the truth way down in Birdland
Yes indeed he did, Yard bird Parker played in Birdland
Yes indeed he really did, Charlie Parker played in Birdland
Bird named it, Bird made it
Bird heard it, then played it
Well stated Birdland
It happened down in Birdland
Everybody dug that beat
Everybody stomped their feet
Everybody digs be bop
And they’ll never stop
Down them stairs, lose them cares
Yeah, down in Birdland
Total swing, Bop was king
Yeah, down in Birdland
Bird would cook, Max would look
Yeah, down in Birdland
Miles came through, trane came too
Yeah, down in Birdland
Basie blew, Blakie too
Yeah, down in Birdland
Cannonball played that hall
Yeah, down in Birdland
Down them stairs, lose them cares
Yeah, down in Birdland
Total swing, Bop was king
Yeah, down in Birdland
Bird would cook, Max would look
Yeah, down in Birdland
Miles came through, trane came too
Yeah, down in Birdland
Basie blew, Blakie too
Yeah, down in Birdland
Cannonball played that hall
Yeah, down in Birdland
Down them stairs, lose them cares
Yeah, down in Birdland
Total swing, Bop was king
Yeah, down in Birdland
Bird would cook, Max would look
Yeah, down in Birdland