HIGH GEAR/JANUARY 1978

MANHATTAN TRANSFER

The Manhattan Transfer will be appearing at the Front Row on Saturday January 21. For nore information call the Front Row at 449-5000.

With the release of their second LP, THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER "COMING OUT", produced by Richard Perry and co-produced by the group's founder, Tim Hauser Janis Siegel, Laurel Masse, Alan Paul and Tim Hauser once again prove that they are capable of spanning many decades of music while at the same time staying just a step ahead of the times. With the new LP and

stage show, people will hear a

new breed of cat, as the group appears with their streamlined rhythm section and songs such as "Don't Let Go" (with guests the Brecker Bros.) that goes straight to the heart of rock 'n roll; "Zindy Lou" (with guests Ringo Starr and Dr. John), showing them as familiar with doo-wop as they are with the Motor City "Helpless" or their warm fireside version of the Kingston Trio's "Scotch and Soda." "Chanson D'Amour" adds continentai flavor, and Latin fire is breathed into the hot arrangement of "The Speak Up Mambo (Cuentame)." The hardrock of "S.O.S." is offset by the lush, tropical feeling of "Poinciana (The Song of the Tree)." Tim Hauser has delicious fun with "Popsicle Toes" (the song bequeathed by Frank Sinatra); Laurel is sultry on Todd Rundgren's "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference," and Alan's vocal carries away the brassy arrangement of the album's finale, "The Thought of Loving You."

Said the San Francisco Examiner of their new show, "All four members are fine singers, humorously agile dancers and plainly instinctual in choosing material, and if the new show is any indication, The Transfer is on its way to a longevity of its own."

Tim Hauser generally describes the new album as being "more contemporary in material and arrangement," openly expressing the opinion that the new LP is going to

(TOP) TIM HAUSER: (LEFT) LAUREL

break them wide open, far from the limited "nostalgia" image that has serviced them well.

Historicall speaking, Tim was singing at a very early age with an R&B group, The Criterions, was featured in the production of "Harlem Nocturne," (the top instrumental record of 1959) by the Viscounts, worked for four years as a disc jockey, formed a

FEVER, ETC. BY JON GILOY

Saturday Night Fever looks like it was put together by a computer. Combine the script of Rocky with the music that sells records and star one of televisions hot young idols. That such a pastiche should work is mostly due to the casting of John Travolta.

Travolta's portrayal of Tony Manero adds a cohesiveness that the rest of the production lacks. His acting is strong; his dancing is inspired. He seems an odds-on favorite for an Oscar. That this is as much due to the lack of competition to his performance does not lessen the impact he makes in the movie.

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The rest of the movie gets dragged along on the tails of his three piece white suit. The violence seems unnecessary and the death that changes Tony's life is a cliche from West Side Story and Rebel Without a cause. Karen Lynn Gorney does fairly well with a part that is unsympathetic and for which she seems a little old.

The disco life portrayed in Saturday Night Fever has little to do with the gay disco scene. The movie has far more to do with life in Brooklyn than at Studio One. But although there is little to do with the gay lifestyle, if such a thing exists, anyone, interested in an excel-

MASSE (MIDDLE) ALAN PAUL; (RIGHT) JANIS SIEGEL.

folk group, The Troubadors Three, and spent two years studying the Schillinger System of Musical Composition with jazz pianist Bob Bianco.

While driving a cab in New York City, one of his fares turned out to be Laurel, the Michigan-born European educated sultry redhead who was working as a cocktail

waitress and looking for a singing gig. It was 1972 and the taxi cab had become the catalyst.

Along came Janis, hailing the familiar word, "taxi!" and the arrival of the third member of the group. Janis' background, as does Tim's, goes back quite a few years. She had been part of an all-female group which was

lent performance in an adequate film will enjoy John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. Something to look forward to in the spring... We have the film version of A Little Night Music. Although rumor had this movie hidden in a vault, it recently played for a week in Los Angeles to qualify for the upcoming Academy Awards. Elizabeth Taylor's career could use a hit and casting her as an aging actress with love problems seems inspired. She does her own singing, including "Send in the Clowns." if this fabulous song survived Grace Jones, it can probably survive Liz.

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signed to Red Bird Records (under the direction of rock's legendary George Goldner, Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller), and produced, interestingly enough, by Richard Perry.

A friend introduced them to Alan Paul who was appearing on Broadway in the original hit production of "Grease." After hearing and seeing what Tim, Laurel and Janis were attempting to achieve musically and visually, Alan was conviced that his next adventure would be with The Manhattan Transfer. Alan's theatrical education began at an early age, and included roles in "Oliver," "The King and I," "A Hole In The Head," and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf." He studied voice with Dr. Annajean Brown and David Sorin Collyer; drama with Stella Adler, Borris Kaplan and James Murphy; and dance with Charles Lowe, David Winter and Baby Laurence. Alan holds

a B.A. in music and drama and was the recipient of the Epstein Scholarship Award for Musical Achievements.

Since the release of their first album on Atlantic Records, "THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER," the group has packed houses coast-to-coast and internationally as well. CBS-TV signed them for four summer replacement shows in 1975, and this excursion into prime-time left them with some pretty definite opinions about television. Said Tim, "We'd like to do a number of specials a year, just four or five, so we could have weeks to work on each one. Otherwise, there's never enough time and corners get cut, and we don't want anything to affect the quality of what we do."

Wrote Bob Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times in 1975, "The appeal of this act is enhanced by the distinctive, daring, even liberating nature of the visual image, and their music is timeless." More recently, Tim the dapper dandy of the group remarked, "The most valid of all musical concepts is change and we will continue to keep changing more and more all the time and evolving."

BALLET, CONTINUED

an elegant and crisp bravura ballet choreographed by Nahat in the grand Russian Imperial style to music of Glazounov.

Also, Miss Gregory will appear in a role created for her by Mr. Nahat in "Brahms Quintet". This ballet was first performed by American Ballet Theatre in 1969 and will receive its Cleveland and company premieres during the January performing series. Artistic Director lan Horvath will also appear in his original featured role in the "Brahms Quintet." Alan Rich of New York Magazine described "Brahms Quintet" as "one of the most distinguished ballets | have ever seen..., a thing of extraordinary beauty." Alternating with Miss Gregory in "Brahms Quintet" will be Cleveland Ballet's own much acclaimed Cynthia Graham.