Tim Hauser (1941-2014)

They [Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers] sang “I Promise to Remember” a cappella. I swear that was my turning point. That was God's way of saying, “Here's your gig, son, and if you don't get it, it's not my fault”

Tim Hauser, the founding member of Manhattan Transfer, has died at age 72. He was taken ill with pneumonia while preparing for a performance in Elmira, NY, and passed away in the hospital of cardiac arrest on October 16. Manhattan Transfer—Janis Segal, Cheryl Bentine, Alan Paul and Tim Hauser—was the most successful jazz vocal group of the last four decades, recording over 20 albums and winning 10 Grammy Awards in both the jazz and pop categories.

Timothy DuPron Hauser was born December 12, 1941 in Troy, NY, and grew up in Ocean Township, near Asbury Park, NJ. As a teenager, he listened to Alan Freed's radio program and was attracted to R&B vocal groups, especially Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. (The opening quote describes a time he overheard them rehearsing.) Along with his friend Thomas Picardo, aka Tommy West, he formed a vocal group of his own, the Criterions, who had two releases on the Cecilia label in 1959, and toured with Dion and the Belmonts.

While he was studying economics at Villanova University, Hauser and Picardo/West formed a folk trio, the Troubadours Three. After graduating from college in 1963 and spending some time in the Air National Guard, he went to work in advertising in New York City, while continuing to pursue his musical interests. He formed the first Manhattan Transfer group in 1969. The name is the title of a 1925 novel by John Dos Passos. The group, which included Erin Dickens, Marty Nelson, Pat Rosalia, and later Gene Pistilli, released an album, Jukin', on Capitol in 1971, and lasted until 1973.

The second Manhattan Transfer was formed in 1973 when Hauser met Laurel Masse while driving a cab. She introduced him to Segal and Paul, and their night club performances developed a following in New York. Ahmet Ertegun heard and signed them, and they recorded their first Atlantic album, Manhattan Transfer, in 1975. It included the pop hit “Operator,” a gospel tune. They also had a summer TV series on CBS in 1975. They recorded three more albums with this lineup. In 1978, Laurel Masse was injured in a car accident and left the group. She was replaced by Cheryl Bentine, and the third Manhattan Transfer has remained intact ever since. Here's a video of the group doing “Java Jive,” featuring Laurel Masse (on the right).

The group recorded in virtually all vocal group genres, including the pre-war pop styles of the Ink Spots and the Andrews Sisters, gospel, '50s R&B, and girl groups of the '60s. A highlight of their live performances was their version of “Gloria,” originally by the Cadillacs. Their biggest hit, “The Boy From New York City” (1981), a cover of the Ad Libs' 1965 girl group song, made the Top 10 of the Billboard pop charts. Here's another of my favorites from among their R&B covers, “Baby, Come Back to Me,” (aka, “Morse Code of Love”), originally by the Capris. It's a lip sync, but at least you can see who sang what part.

However, the dominant style in which Manhattan Transfer performed was vocalese, a style of jazz singing popularized by the trio of Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross in the '50s, in which new lyrics are written to fit jazz instrumentals, including classic solos. The Transfer's 1979 album Extensions included “Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone,” and their classic, “Birdland,” by Joe Zawinul of Weather Report, with lyrics by Jon Hendricks.

Their greatest success occurred during the '80s. They won the Downbeat poll as best jazz vocal group every year of that decade. Check out Bodies and Souls (1983) and Bop Doo-Wopp (1984). In my opinion, their best album was Vocalese (1985), which included “Killer Joe,” “Joy Spring” and “Ray's Rock House” (Ray being Ray Charles). Their 1987 album, Brasil, featured songs from that country, including “Soul Food to Go.” Although the fidelity is not great, this 80-minute concert from 1986 features Manhattan Transfer during their heyday.

Manhattan Transfer continued to record and perform up to the present. One of their latter-day successes was Tonin' (1994), a collection of '50s and '60s hits with guests stars such as Ben E. King, Smokey Robinson and Frankie Valli. Here they are doing “The Thrill is Gone” with Ruth Brown and B. B. King.

Tim Hauser recorded a solo album, Love Stories, in 2010, which is probably best forgotten. Manhattan Transfer was in the first class inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. Here's a recent version of “Birdland” from about 2007.

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