This week, I’ve had The Manhattan Transfer’s “Java Jive” #OnRepeat. While doing some research for the topic, vocalese, I came across this group and this song, which is actually an arrangement that my choir sang back in high school. Even just thinking about the title makes me automatically sing through my second alto part in my head because I love this song so much and there are so many fond memories attached to it.
The Manhattan Transfer is a Jazz vocal group that was founded in 1969. Interestingly enough, the group initially disbanded after their first album had poor commercial success and a bad creative approach that wasn’t well received. Then, in 1972, another version of the group formed and recorded the album, The Manhattan Transfer. The group’s music consists of Jazz standards, A Cappella, Vocalese, Swing, R&B, Pop, and Brazilian Jazz. They have received several Grammy Awards and nominations for their work, and were even inducted in the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. Some of their most well-known songs are “Tuxedo Junction,” “Route 66,” “Mystery,” and “Sassy.”
“Java Jive” is a song written by Ben Oakland and Milton Drake in 1940. The song was originally performed by The Ink Spots, a Pop vocal group that was popular during the 1930s and 1940s. “Java Jive” is an upbeat song expressing love for coffee that uses common phrases and cultural references from the 1940s. The Manhattan Transfer’s version of this song is the sound you think of when you think of this group: tight, four-part harmony, precise phrasing and Jazz riffs reminiscent of the 1930s and 1940s. Each voice alone is bright and strong, but together creates a warm, full sound that you look for in a vocal group with just the right amount of swing.
Take a listen below:
Do you have a singer or group that you can’t stop listening to? Leave a comment below!