The Chick Corea Songbook is the twenty-second studio album released by The Manhattan Transfer on September 29, 2009.[1] The album features The Manhattan Transfer’s interpretations of several Chick Corea compositions, including a song written by Corea for this album.[1][2] The executive producer was Yusuf Gandhi. It was the final album with Tim Hauser, who died in between the release of this album and their subsequent album.[3]
Reviews
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| All About Jazz | [2] |
| Allmusic |    [4] |
| DownBeat | [5] |
All About Jazz editor Jerry D’Souza stated regarding this album, “Manhattan Transfer is back, and in top-notch form with a marvelous blend of melody and song.” Regarding individual songs, he added, “Spain” is magical. The snap and crackle are done to a nicety, the arrangement opening the door to gently cascading harmonies and embracing solo singing,” “The Story of Anna & Armando (Armando’s Rhumba)” is flamboyant, the vocals swaying and resounding in harmony within the balmy atmosphere of the lyrics”.[2]
DownBeat reviewer Philip Booth awarded 3.5 stars to the album.[5] He wrote, “it’s difficult to deny the appeal of these voices, cascading and leapfrogging on ‘Another Roadside Attraction (Space Circus)’ and illuminating a story-song about Corea’s parents on ‘The Story Of Anna & Armando (Armando’s Rhumba)’ “.[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | “Free Samba” | Corea | 5:15 |
| 2. | “Spain (I Can Recall) Prelude” | Joaquín Rodrigo, Al Jarreau, Artie Maren, Corea | 3:11 |
| 3. | “Spain (I Can Recall)” | Rodrigo, Jarreau, Maren, Corea | 6:37 |
| 4. | “One Step Closer (The One Step)” | Van Dyke Parks, Corea, Tim Hauser | 5:16 |
| 5. | “Children’s Song #15” | Corea | 1:16 |
| 6. | “500 Miles High” | Corea, Neville Potter | 6:52 |
| 7. | “Another Roadside Attraction (Space Circus)” | Parks, Corea, Hauser, Basie Hauser | 4:21 |
| 8. | “Time’s Lie” | Corea, Potter | 3:55 |
| 9. | “La Chanson Du Bébé (Children’s Song #1)” | Janis Siegel, Corea, Cheryl Bentyne | 2:32 |
| 10. | “Ragtime in Pixiland (Pixiland Rag)” | Corea | 1:46 |
| 11. | “The Story of Anna & Armando (Armando’s Rhumba)” | Siegel, Corea | 6:15 |
| 12. | “Free Samba (Extended Version)” | Corea | 8:16 |
Personnel
The Manhattan Transfer
- Cheryl Bentyne – vocals
- Tim Hauser – vocals
- Alan Paul – vocals, synthesizers
- Janis Siegel – vocals, arrangements
Additional personnel
- Chick Corea – keyboards, Yamaha Motif XS8, arrangements
- Yaron Gershovsky – keyboards, Fender Rhodes, acoustic piano, programming, arrangements, backing vocals
- Edsel Gomez – acoustic piano, arrangements
- Bais Haus – synthesizers, drum programming
- Fred Hersch – acoustic piano, arrangements
- Scott Kinsey – keyboards, arrangements
- Ramón Stagnaro – acoustic guitar
- Christian McBride – acoustic bass
- John Benitez – double bass, backing vocals
- Jimmy Earl – bass guitar
- John Herbert – acoustic bass
- Gary Wicks – acoustic bass, bass guitar
- Vince Cherico – drums
- Billy Drummond – drums
- Steve Hass – drums
- Gary Novak – drums
- Alex Acuña – percussion
- Airto Moreira – percussion
- Luis Quintero – percussion
- Joe Passaro – marimba
- Ronnie Cuber – baritone saxophone
- Steve Tavaglione – sopranino saxophone
- Lou Marini – flute, alto flute
- Don Shelton – whistle
- Conrad Herwig – trombone
- Mike Panella – trumpet
- Robert Rodriguez – trumpet
- Corey Allen – arrangements
- Michele Weir – arrangements
Production
- The Manhattan Transfer – producers
- Yusuf Gandhi – executive producer, album concept
- Bill Airey Smith – engineer, mixing
- Scott Noll – engineer, mixing
- Mark Wilder – mastering
- Brian Bacchus – album coordinator
- Burton Yount – art direction, design
References
- ^ a b “Chick Corea Songbook”. Amazon.
- ^ a b c D’Souza, Jerry (October 15, 2009). “The Manhattan Transfer | The Chick Corea Songbook”. allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
- ^ “The Chick Corea Songbook”. The Manhattan Transfer. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
- ^ Nastos, Michael G. “The Chick Corea Songbook – The Manhattan Transfer | AllMusic”. allmusic.com. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
- ^ a b c Booth, Philip (January 2010). “The Chick Corea Songbook”. DownBeat. 77 (1): 78.
External links
- The Manhattan Transfer Official Website Archived December 25, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
