''Swing'' is the seventeenth studio album released by

The Manhattan Transfer The Manhattan Transfer was an American vocal group founded in 1969 in New York City, performing music genres like a cappella, Brazilian jazz, Swing music, swing, vocalese, rhythm and blues, Pop music, pop, and standards. They have won eleven G ...

in 1997 on the

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

label. This album is a collection of 1930s and 1940s swing music with The Manhattan Transfer's jazz twist. The album also features a guest appearance by

Stéphane Grappelli Stéphane Grappelli (; 26 January 1908 – 1 December 1997) was a French jazz violinist. He is best known as a founder of the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands. ...

, one of his last recordings before his death.

Track listing

Guest artists

*''Sing Moten's Swing'', ''A-Tisket, A-Tasket'', and ''Java Jive'' were recorded with

Asleep at the Wheel Asleep at the Wheel is an American country music, Western swing music group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, in 1970, and is based in Austin, Texas. The band has won nine Grammy Awards, released over 20 albums, and has charted more t ...

. *''Sing a Study in Brown'', ''Topsy'', and ''Nuages'' were recorded with The

Rosenberg Trio The Rosenberg Trio is a Dutch jazz band consisting of lead guitarist Stochelo Rosenberg, rhythm guitarist Nous'che Rosenberg and bassist Nonnie Rosenberg. The band is influenced by Django Reinhardt, the gypsy jazz guitarist of the 1930s. The ...

. ''Nuages'' also features

Stephane Grappelli Stephane may refer to: * Stéphane, a French given name * Stephane (headdress) A stephane (''ancient Greek'' στέφανος, from ''στέφω'' (stéphō, “I encircle”), '' Lat.'' Stephanus = wreath, decorative wreath worn on the head; cr ...

. *

Ricky Skaggs Rickie Lee Skaggs (born July 18, 1954), known professionally as Ricky Skaggs, is an American neotraditional country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, ma ...

is featured on ''Skyliner'' and ''It's Good Enough to Keep''. *

Mark O'Connor Mark O'Connor (born August 5, 1961) is an American fiddle player, composer, guitarist, and mandolinist whose music combines bluegrass, country, jazz and classical. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he has won six Country Music Association Mu ...

is featured on ''I Know Why'', ''It's Good Enough to Keep'', and ''Choo Choo Ch' Boogie''. *Many of the tracks feature lyrics by

Jon Hendricks John Carl Hendricks (September 16, 1921 – November 22, 2017), known professionally as Jon Hendricks, was an American jazz lyricist and singer. He is one of the originators of vocalese, which adds lyrics to existing instrumental songs and re ...

. The re-mix engineer was

Ed Cherney Edward Cherney (1950 – October 22, 2019) was an American recording engineer and record producer, based in Los Angeles, California, United States. Over his career, he earned four Grammy Awards, one Emmy Award, and five TEC Awards. Cherney was ...

and the album was produced by

Tim Hauser Timothy DuPron Hauser (December 12, 1941 – October 16, 2014) was a singer and founding member of the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer. He won 10 Grammy Awards as a member of The Manhattan Transfer. Early life Hauser was born in Troy, New Y ...

Cover Art

The cover art for ''Swing'' comes from a matchbook cover advertising "Hollywood's Jitterbug House" which was located at 875 North Vine Street in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

. This venue featured

Louis Prima Louis Leo Prima (; December 7, 1910 – August 24, 1978) was an American trumpeter, singer, entertainer, and bandleader. While rooted in New Orleans jazz, swing music, and jump blues, Prima touched on various genres throughout his career: he ...

and his band.

Personnel

* Adapted from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

: The Manhattan Transfer *

Cheryl Bentyne Cheryl Bentyne (born Cheryl Benthien; January 17, 1954) is a jazz singer who spent much of her career with The Manhattan Transfer. Early years Bentyne started singing at age 13 with her father's Dixieland and swing band. Following graduation fr ...

– vocals, vocal arrangements (7) *

– vocals, vocal arrangements (2, 7) *

Alan Paul Alan Paul Wichinsky (born November 23, 1949) is an American Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstan ...

– vocals, vocal arrangements (5, 7, 12) *

Janis Siegel Janis Siegel (born July 23, 1952) is a multiple grammy-winning American jazz singer, best known as a member of the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer. Musical career In 1965, Siegel made her recording debut with a group called Young Generation ...

– vocals, vocal arrangements (1, 3, 4, 6–9, 13) Additional personnel * Yaron Gershovsky – acoustic piano (1-9, 11–12), musical arrangements, musical director, vocal arrangements (2, 11) * Gary Smith – acoustic piano (13) *

John Pisano John Pisano (February 6, 1931 – May 2, 2024) was an American jazz guitarist. Biography John Pisano was born in Staten Island, New York, on February 6, 1931. Pisano worked with Herb Alpert, Billy Bean, Chico Hamilton, Peggy Lee, and Joe Pass. ...

– rhythm guitar (1) * Nous'che Rosenberg – rhythm guitar (2, 9–10) *

Stochelo Rosenberg Stochelo Rosenberg (born 19 February 1968) is a Gypsy jazz guitarist who leads the Rosenberg Trio. Biography Rosenberg started playing guitar when he was ten years old. A member of the Sinti, he heard music often at home and from relatives. Wit ...

– lead guitar (2, 9–10) *

Ray Benson Ray Benson Seifert (born March 16, 1951) is an American musician, actor, and voice actor who is the frontman of the Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel. Biography Benson was raised Jewish. In 1970, Benson, a native of Philadelphia, formed ...

– guitar (3–4, 7) *

Cindy Cashdollar Cindy Cashdollar (born May 25, 1956) is an American musician specializing in steel guitar and Dobro. She grew up in Woodstock, New York, where she perfected her skills by playing with bluegrass music, bluegrass musician John Herald, blues musi ...

–

steel guitar A steel guitar () is any guitar played while moving a steel bar or similar hard object against plucked strings. The bar itself is called a "steel" and is the source of the name "steel guitar". The instrument differs from a conventional guitar i ...

(3–4, 7) *

David Hungate David Hungate (born August 5, 1948) is an American retired bass guitarist noted as a member of the Los Angeles pop-rock band Toto from 1976 to 1982 and again from 2014 to 2015, and the son of judge William L. Hungate. Along with most of his ...

– rhythm guitar (5–6, 8, 11–12), bass (13) *

Buddy Emmons Buddy Gene Emmons (January 27, 1937 – July 21, 2015) was an American musician who is widely regarded as the world's foremost pedal steel guitarist of his day. He was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1981. Affectionately known ...

–

pedal steel guitar The pedal steel guitar is a console steel guitar with pedals and knee levers that change the pitch of certain strings, enabling more varied and complex music to be played than with other steel guitar designs. Like all steel guitars, it can play ...

(5, 11) *

– rhythm guitar (8, 11, 13),

mandolin A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...

(11–12) *

Jack Wilkins Jack Rivers Lewis (June 3, 1944 – May 5, 2023), known professionally as Jack Wilkins, was an American jazz guitarist. Career A native of New York City, Wilkins grew up listening to his parents' music, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, a ...

– electric guitar (11) *

Brent Rowan Brent Rowan (born May 28, 1956, in Waxahachie, Texas) is an American session musician and record producer who works primarily in country music. Active since the 1970s, Rowan began working with John Conlee through the recommendation of record produ ...

– electric guitar (13) * Steve Hinson – pedal steel guitar (13) * Tony Dumas – bass guitar (1) * Ray Brown – bass guitar (2, 9, 11–12) * Tony Garnier – bass guitar (3–4, 7) * Robert Burns – bass guitar (5–6, 8) * Nonnie Rosenberg – bass guitar (10) * Ralph Humphrey – drums (1), washboard (1) *

Duffy Jackson Duff Clark "Duffy" Jackson (July 3, 1953 – March 3, 2021) was an American jazz drummer. Career Born in Freeport, New York, Jackson was the son of jazz double-bassist and band leader Chubby Jackson. He played drums as a young child, makin ...

– drums (2, 8-12) * David Sanger – drums (3–4, 7) *

Paul Leim Paul William Leim (born December 29, 1950) is an American drummer and recording session musician based in Nashville. Biography Leim was born in Port Huron, Michigan and raised in Troup, Texas. He was inspired to take up drumming as a child a ...

– drums (5–6) * John Freeman –

vibraphone The vibraphone (also called the vibraharp) is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using Percussion mallet, mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone ...

(11) * Michael Francis – alto saxophone (3–4, 7) * Chris Booher –

fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...

(3–4, 7) * Jason Roberts – fiddle (3–4, 7) *

– violin solo (5), violin (12, 13) * Conni Ellisor – violin (5) * Carl Gorodetzky – violin (5) * Lee Larrison – violin (5) * Pamela Sixfin – violin (5) *

– violin (10) *

Fletcher Henderson James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson (December 18, 1897 – December 29, 1952) was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was one of the most prolific black musical ...

– original arrangements (1–2, 6, 8) * Carl Marsh – string arrangements (5) *

Kurt Elling Kurt Elling (born November 2, 1967) is an American jazz singer and songwriter. Born in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Rockford, Elling became interested in music through his father, who was Kapellmeister at a Lutheran church. He sang in cho ...

– vocal arrangements (6) *

Gene Puerling Eugene Thomas Puerling (March 31, 1929 – March 25, 2008) was an American vocal performer and arranger. Puerling created and led two prominent vocal quartets, The Hi-Lo's and The Singers Unlimited. He was nominated for 14 Grammys and awarded the ...

– vocal arrangements (10) * Jack White and His All-Stars – chorus choir (4)

Production

* Tim Hauser – producer * Ray Benson – associate producer (3–4, 7) * Jeff Levine – tracking engineer * Emmanuel Payet – tracking engineer * Alan Schuman – tracking engineer * Larry Seyer – tracking engineer * Michael Eric Hutchinson – vocal tracking * Terry Becker – additional recording, mixing (13) * Tom McCauley – additional recording * Kent Bruce – assistant engineer * Paul Dicato – assistant engineer * Steve Lowery – assistant engineer * Tony Rambo – assistant engineer * Brent Reilly – assistant engineer *

– mixing (1-12) *

Doug Sax Doug Sax (April 26, 1936 – April 2, 2015) was an American mastering engineer from Los Angeles, California. He mastered three The Doors' albums, including their 1967 debut; six Pink Floyd's albums, including '' The Wall''; Ray Charles' multiple ...

– mastering * Thomas Bricker – art direction, design * Michael Tighe – photography * Jack White –project coordinator, management Studios * Tracks 1-12 recorded at Red Zone Studios (Burbank, California); Goldmine Studio (Tarzana, California); Moving Hands Studios (Los Angeles, California); Sound Emporium (Nashville, Tennessee); Bismeaux Studios (Austin, Texas);

Unique Recording Studios Unique Recording Studios was a five-room recording studio operating near Times Square in New York City from 1978 until 2004. Founders and co-owners Bobby Nathan and Joanne Georgio-Nathan installed the first Otari 24-track tape deck in New York. ...

(New York City, New York); Studio Acousti (Paris, France). Venue * Track 13 recorded live at The Ryman Auditorium (Nashville, Tennessee). * Mixed at

Record Plant The Record Plant was a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and last operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it produced highly influential albums, including the New York ...

(Los Angeles, California) and Andora Studios (Hollywood, California). * Mastered at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California).

References / Sources

The Manhattan Transfer Official Website
;Specific The Manhattan Transfer albums 1997 albums Atlantic Records albums {{1990s-jazz-album-stub