July 23: The Manhattan Transfer

Janis Siegel of the four-member vocal group The Manhattan Transfer was born in Brooklyn on this date in 1952. The quartet, which covers many styles of song from jazz to pop, is directed by Yaron Gershovsky, and the other three ongoing vocalists are Alan Paul (with whom Siegel has recorded Jewish music), Cheryl Bentyne, and founder Tim Hauser. (Some websites identify them all as Jewish, but Jewdayo has been unable to verify this.) Siegel has been with the group since she was 20 and has earned nine Grammy Awards for her music, both with the Manhattan Transfer and with other projects that have taken her all over the world. To see her singing lead on “The Boy from New York City,” look below. “Four-part harmony singing used to be part of popular music and we felt that it should stay there. I feel we’ve done a great service in keeping it alive and keeping the art of vocalese alive in particular. We definitely recognize that there are many young groups now all over the world that are picking up the torch and we’re very proud. We’re like proud parents.” —Janis Siegel