Ray Bryant born 24 December 1931

Raphael Homer "Ray" Bryant (December 24, 1931 – June 2, 2011) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger.

Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on December 24, 1931. His mother was an ordained minister who had taught herself to play the piano; his father also played the piano and sang. His brothers were the bass player Tommy, drummer and singer Len, 
and Lynwood. Ray began playing the piano around the age of six or seven, following the example of his mother and his sister, Vera. Gospel influences in his playing came from being part of the church at this stage in his early life. He had switched from classical music to jazz by his early teens, and played the double bass at junior high school. He was first paid to play when he was 12.  He turned professional aged 14, and immediately joined a local band led by Mickey Collins.

After three years working on and off in Collins's band, Bryant toured with guitarist Tiny Grimes (1948–49). He was then a solo pianist based in Syracuse, New York for a year. After returning to Philadelphia, he played Dixieland in Billy Kretchmer's club for around two years. He attracted more attention after becoming house pianist at the Blue Note club in Philadelphia in 1953. He was there until 1956, accompanying many leading players such as Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Sonny Stitt. Davis and Sonny Rollins both liked Bryant's playing enough to record with him in New York in 1955: on Quintet/Sextet and Work Time, respectively.

These albums were for Prestige Records,for whom Bryant "began a period as an occasional house pianist", also recording with Art Taylor (1957), Tiny Grimes and Coleman Hawkins (both 1958–9),  and as a leader (1957–8).  In this period, he was also the accompanist for singer Carmen McRae (1956–57).Bryant was also a member of trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie's small and big bands for four months in 1957. Bryant recorded under drummer Art Blakey for several studio-based albums in 1957–58.

Bryant settled in New York in 1959. There, he played both mainstream jazz and the newer hard bop. His earlier period at the Blue Note in Philadelphia helped him get work, as he already knew a lot of the musicians who were based in New York. For three months in 1959, Bryant was the pianist in singer Ella Fitzgerald's small band. Bryant recorded with "Hal Singer, Arnett Cobb, Benny Golson, Lem Winchester, and Oliver Nelson" in 1959.

For around ten years from this point, his own trio contained bassists including Tommy Bryant and Jimmie Rowser, and drummers including Walter Perkins, Mickey Roker, Grady Tate, and Freddie Waits. He formed his own trio and was signed by producer and talent scout John Hammond to Columbia Records in 1960.Their first album contained the hit single "Little Susie", a blues created when Bryant was with Jones. Signature Records responded immediately by releasing their own version of Bryant playing the same tune. This version, sold as "Little Susie (Part 4)", reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot R&B chart.

                             

Hammond also paired Bryant with singer Aretha Franklin for the album Aretha: With The Ray Bryant Combo in 1960. Bryant was in Baltimore with Hammond when the Madison dance craze was developing and, at the producer's suggestion, adapted an earlier composition for the dance – it was renamed "Madison Time".This reached No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1960. Another Bryant single – "Sack o' Woe" – appeared on the R&B chart in 1961.

In 1963 Bryant switched to Sue Records and recorded the first of four albums for the label. Three years later he was with Cadet Records. He had another top 100 hit with a cover version of Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe" in 1967.

A performance at the 1972 Montreux Jazz Festival led to Bryant also getting more work as a solo pianist. He also toured Europe frequently from the 1970s. Between 1976 and 1980 Bryant recorded five albums for Pablo Records. For the following seven years, he did not record as a leader.  This ended when an admiring producer for Japanese Polygram recruited him: Bryant recorded 10 albums for them between 1987 and 1995.

In the 2000s, most of his performances were in Europe and Japan, and he reduced his schedule. Solo piano recordings from performances at Rutgers University in 2004 and 2008 were released on the CD In the Back Room. Bryant died on June 2, 2011 at the age of 79 in Queens, New York, after a long illness.

(Edited from Wikipedia)

La Lupe born 23 December 1936

Lupe Victoria Yolí Raymond (23 December 1936 – 29 February 1992), better known as La Lupe, was a Cuban singer of boleros, guarachas and Latin soul, known for her energetic, sometimes controversial performances.

La Lupe was born in the barrio of San Pedrito in Santiago de Cuba. Her father was a worker at the local Bacardí distillery and a major influence on her early life. In 1954 she participated on a radio program which invited fans to sing imitations of their favorite stars. Lupe escaped from school to sing a bolero of Olga Guillot's, called "Miénteme" (Lie to Me), and won the competition. The family moved to Havana in 1955, where she was enrolled at the University of Havana to become a teacher. She admired Celia Cruz and like her, she graduated from teaching instruction before starting her professional singing career.

Lupe married in 1958 and formed a musical trio with her husband Eulogio "Yoyo" Reyes and another female singer. This group, Los Tropicuba, broke up along with her marriage in 1960. She began to perform her own act at a small nightclub in Havana, La Red (The Net), which had a clientele of distinguished foreigners. She acquired a devoted following, which included Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Marlon Brando. She recorded her first album, Con el diablo en el cuerpo, in 1960 for Discuba, the 

Cuban subsidiary of RCA Victor. On the album she was backed by two different groups directed by Felipe Dulzaides and Eddy 

Gaytán. Her first television appearance on Puerto Rican television caused a stir due to her frenzied, vibrant performance, which reportedly shocked some viewers.

In 1962 she was exiled to México. She approached Celia Cruz and asked for her support to get work, and in turn, Celia recommended her to Mongo Santamaría in New York. In New York City, Lupe performed at a cabaret named La Berraca and started a new career, making more than 10 records in five years. She married a second time, to salsa musician Willie García, with whom she had a son. That marriage also ended in divorce.

Lupe's passionate performances covered the range of music: son montuno, bolero, boogaloo, venturing into other Caribbean styles like Dominican merengue, Puerto Rican bomba and plena. It was her recordings which brought Tite Curet Alonso into prominence as a composer of tough-minded boleros in the salsa style. For a good part of the 1960s she was the most acclaimed Latin singer in New York City due to her partnership with Tito Puente. She did a wide variety of cover versions in either Spanish or accented English, including "Yesterday", "Dominique" by The Singing Nun, "Twist & Shout", "Unchained Melody", "Fever" and "America" from West Side Story. Fred Weinberg, who was her favourite audio engineer, and also worked with Celia Cruz, Mongo Santamaria, Tito Puente, and many more of the Latin American greats, and a producer on several of Lupe's albums, called La Lupe "A talent hurricane" in the studio due to her intense singing and enthusiasm.

                               

The quality of her performances became increasingly inconsistent. There were persistent rumours of her drug addiction and her life was "a real earthquake" according to statements of close friends, although Fred Weinberg, who engineered, and also produced a vast amount of her albums, stated that "In all the years I worked with Lupe, not once did I ever see her on drugs, or using drugs...Heck, she never even drank liquor due to her strong belief in religion." 

She ended some of her on-stage engagements being treated with an oxygen mask. Although she may have been poorly managed by her label Fania Records in particular, she managed and produced herself in mid-career, after she parted ways with Tito Puente. However, in the late 1960s her ephemeral career went downhill. The explosion of salsa and the arrival of Celia Cruz to New York were the determining factors that sent her into the background and her career declined thereafter.

A devout follower of Santería, she continued to practice her religion. Her record label Fania Records (which had previously acquired Tico) ended her contract in the late 1970s, perhaps simply because of her falling record sales. She retired in 1980, and found herself destitute by the early 1980s. 

In 1984 she injured her spine while trying to hang a curtain in her home; she initially used a wheelchair, then later a cane. An electrical fire made her homeless. After being healed at an evangelical Christian crusade, La Lupe abandoned her Santería roots and became a born-again Christian. In 1991, she gave a concert at La Sinagoga in New York, singing Christian songs.

On February 29, 1992, she suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while sleeping in a small apartment she shared with her daughter Rainbow in the Bronx. Many gathered to mourn one of the biggest stars they had ever seen or heard. And although she had accomplished more than most, there was still a feeling that perhaps the controversial icon had failed to reach her maximum potential. She had been a fighter all her life, overcoming racial, political, and personal obstacles along the way. She is interred in Saint Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx.  (Edited mainly from Wikipedia)

Here’s a few clips of Lupe Yoli. She was lesser known than Celia Cruz, but perhaps just as magnetic a performer- and certainly a lot more expressive: During some of her shows she'd end up taking off her scarves, her wigs, her high-heel shoes and even her fake eyelashes, throwing them at the public in fits of insanity even as she sang her lungs out.

Ronnie Ball born 22 December 1927

Ronald "Ronnie" Ball (December 22, 1927 – October 1984) was a jazz pianist, composer and arranger, born in Birmingham, England. He was an underrated pianist whose deep talent deserved, to many jazz fans, wider recognition.

Ronnie played local gigs from the age of fifteen before moving to London in 1948 with Tony Kinsey and worked with Reggie Goff's Sextet as well as leading his own trio. He joined Cab Kaye in 1949 
before working on the Queen Mary on the transatlantic cruise run to New York from 1949 to 1951, studying with Lennie Tristano on New York stopovers.

He had become fascinated with the individual approach to jazz development favoured by pianist Lennie Tristano and had actually had an opportunity to study with Tristano while working on the cruise liners.

In London he worked as part of the house trio at the Studio 51 club, where at one time or another, he accompanied virtually all of the leading British modern jazzmen. He recorded with many of them and made a few records under his own name.

                             

           Here's "Ronnies Tune" from his Memorial Album.

In 1952 he decided to leave the United Kingdom, following in the footsteps of George Shearing, for New York. He wanted to work with followers of Lennie Tristano who's piano playing was such a big influence on him. Ball was hospitalized in 1953 but by 1954 he was working and recording with alto player Lee Konitz, another Tristano follower. 

In 1956 he began to work with tenor sax player Warne Marsh, also a Tristano follower, and made several important records with Marsh in the period to 1960. In the late '50s he worked in the swing drummer Gene Krupa's Trio and the Roy Eldridge Quartet as well as touring with Jazz at the Philharmonic and Buddy Rich.

From 1961 to '63 he sometimes accompanied singer Chris Connor and recorded with her on several occasions.He made only a handful of records in London and very little of this is available on CD. However, his work with Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh is available in the UK on CD.

In the 1960s and '70s he worked mainly in New York before quitting playing to work doing transcriptions for a music publisher until his death in October, 1984, NYC; aged 56.

(Edited from henrybebop.co.uk)

Lorie Mann born 21 December 1931

Lorie Mann (December 21, 1931 – 1998) was a British singer who although a lesser known artist, appeared extensively on radio and television during the early 60’s.

Lorie was born Barbara Burke in Paddington, West London and attended St. Augustine's School in Kilburn. She was the eldest of five children born to William and Iris Burke and as a child undertook singing and dancing lessons.

Along with the rest of her family she was evacuated to Wales during the Second World War, and entertained the troops at the young age of twelve. Her family had no stage associations at all but Lorie soon gained valuable experience when she joined an acrobatic group called Oika Troika and later as a juvenile actress and singer.

Singers L-R: Matt Munro, Mike Preston, Lorie Mann 

and Frank Ifield are pictured at ITV's 1961  "Song Contest".

Whist working at a Butiln Holliday Camp in Scarborough , she met her future husband, Austin Newman who  later became her manager - he was also the manager of stars such as Helen Shapiro, Donovan, Nancy Whiskey, and the King Brothers to name a few.

Lorie appeared and sang in several advertisements for Timex watches and VP wine amongst others. She was a guest on the Dave King Show and appeared in Jazz Jamboree at the Gaumont State Theatre in Kilburn on Sunday 23rd June 1958 as vocalist with the Oscar Rabin Orchestra.

                              

Her most popular recording was a version of Brook Benton's 'So Many Ways/I Wonder' released in 1959 on Top Rank Records JAR 237. Other releases for that label included JAR 116 'A Penny A Kiss, A Penny A Hug' and 'Just Keep It Up/You Made Me Care' on JAR 148. In 1961 Lorie joined the Viscounts on their LP “Razzamatazz And All That Jazz” on the Pye label. This was a spin off from the lost ATV series “All That Jazz.”

'Oh boy' TV show (l-r rear) 2 Dallas Boys, Bill Forbes, 

Peter Elliot, Marty Wilde, Don Storer, Cliff Richard, Mike Preston,

 Billy Fury, Cuddly Dudley and Red Price (l-r front) 3 Dallas Boys, Cherry Wainer, 

Lorie Mann, Dickie Pride, Don Lang, Neville Taylor.

She appeared extensively on radio and television during the early 60’s but unfortunately her marriage failed and she and her husband were divorced. This is where Lorie’s Internet trail goes cold; but I did find this last entry on ohboy.org.uk…..Sadly, Lorie suffered a stroke and was never the same after that and died in 1998 at the age of 66.  (Mainly edited from ohboy.org.uk)

Footnote: If anyone has more information about Lorie, then please contact me. 



Here's  'OH BOY!' SHOW # 30 (Compered by Tony Hall) With Lord Rockingham's XI, Red Price, The Dallas Boys, Neville Taylor & The Cutters, Cherry Wainer, The Vernons Girls. Special guests include Brenda Lee, Chris Andrews, Dickie Pride, Dean Webb, Don Lang, Lorie Mann, Mike Preston and Tony Sheridan.

This is one of only two shows found in a search of the old ABC archives.

The other surviving show is the final edition from 30th May 1959, clips of which have been widely used on commercial television. The original 16mm telerecordings of both shows are retained in the archives of Canal Image Plus who now own the copyright to ABC material. During the sixties it is believed ABC retained 13 titles of “Oh Boy!” on it shelves (given catalogue numbers 1- 13, these originals were then copied for export to America.)

In the intervening years, eleven of the original 13 have disappeared, (leaving just shows 5 and 13) much to the chagrin of John Heron, head of British sales at Canal Image, who would dearly love to see the missing shows returned. “They are one of the most popular titles requested from our catalogue,” said John, “ Television researchers making documentaries are having to re-use the same old clips time and time again due to the scarcity of material available.”

Fletcher Henderson born 18 December 1897

Fletcher Hamilton Henderson, Jr. (December 18, 1897 – December 28, 1952) was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. He was often known as "Smack" Henderson.

An early pioneer of the swing beat, Fletcher Henderson led one of the most successful African-American jazz bands of the 1920s. Henderson's orchestra was certainly the most influential. Both he 
and arranger Don Redman developed many of the techniques that later came to be employed by the big bands of the 1930s and 1940s. Their careful arrangements and emphasis on interplay between 
horns and reeds, along with the division of the band into instrument sections with identifiable leads, all laid the groundwork for the emergence of swing in the mid-1930s.

Born to a wealthy, middle-class African-American family, Henderson grew up in isolation from popular black culture. Both he and his brother Horace learned piano from their mother at an early age, studying the classics. Fletcher went on to earn a degree in chemistry from Atlanta University and in 1920 moved to New York to find work as a chemist and pursue post-graduate studies.

Due to his skin colour Henderson found all doors closed to him in his chosen profession. Instead he took a job as a song demonstrator for the music publishing company owned by William C. Handy and Harry Pace. When Pace left to form the Black Swan record label he hired Henderson as musical director. While at Black Swan Henderson put together several studio bands and backed blues singer Ethel Waters on her recording debut and on tour.

In 1922 Henderson formed an orchestra of his own. The band held residency at the Club Alabam in 1923 and 1924 and the Roseland Ballroom from 1924. Early members included saxophonists Redman and Coleman Hawkins. At first Henderson's outfit featured selections more typical of a dance band rather than a jazz outfit, partly due to Henderson's 

unfamiliarity with the genre. Redman's arrangements improved over time, and Henderson, in an effort to infuse the group with more of a jazz sound brought in Louis Armstrong from Chicago. Armstrong's presence in New York caused great excitement, as the city's jazz patrons had so far been unfamiliar with his emerging style. During his thirteen-month stay Armstrong left an indelible impression on Henderson's band, which by 1925 had solidified into a top-notch jazz outfit.

                              

Redman's progressive arrangements kept the orchestra popular for the next several years, with recordings on a variety of labels under several different pseudonyms. When Redman left in 1927, Henderson himself took over the job of writing book. The band remained strong until 1929 when a dispute over the role of white musicians during a Philadelphia musical revue in which the group was to perform caused many of Henderson's best musicians to 

leave. Henderson regrouped, but though his new line-up featured at times such talent as Lester Young, Benny Carter, and Chu Berry his new band never managed to achieve the same level of success as his previous outfit.

Henderson's orchestra continued until 1934, when it disbanded. His greatest direct influence on swing came that same year when in need of money he sold a few of his best arrangements to Benny Goodman, who had just formed his own orchestra. Several of those numbers, including ''King Porter Stomp,'' ''Blue Skies,'' ''Sometimes I'm Happy,'' and ''Down South Camp Meeting,'' became big hits for the early

Goodman band serving as an influence on the developing swing style which Goodman made popular.

In 1935 Henderson formed a new orchestra. It too failed to capture the public's attention, and in 1939 he disbanded and went to work for Goodman as staff arranger. He also spent several months as the band's pianist, becoming the first black musician to appear onstage with a white orchestra. He soon quit that role, however, to work as arranger full-time.

Henderson left Goodman in the early 1940s to start a new orchestra of his own. Throughout the decade he organized a string of successive groups for various occasions and also worked as a freelance arranger. He returned to Goodman as staff arranger in 1947. In 1948 and 1949 he toured as an accompanist for Ethel Waters and in 1950 lead an orchestra for the Jazz Train revue, which he co-wrote with J.C. Johnson. Henderson's last public appearance was leading a sextet at Cafe Society in New York in December 1950. A few days later he suffered a debilitating stroke leaving him partially paralyzed and unable to perform. Fletcher Henderson passed away in 1952.
(Edited from parabrisas.com)

André Claveau born 17 December 1911

André Claveau (17 December 1911 – 4 July 2003) was a popular actor and was ranked among his homeland's most popular singers during the 1940s to the 1960s. A true French crooner, Claveau recorded more than 1,500 songs. Charlie Chaplin himself would compare him to famous American singer and actor Bing Crosby.

André Claveau was born in Paris, France in 1911 (some sources say 1915). He was the only son of an upholsterer and as a young boy decided to become a cabinetmaker. In 1919, he became an apprentice to the French Compagnie des Arts, founded by André Mare and Louis Süe. He studied woodworking and cabinetmaking, and later continued his training at the Ecole Boulle.

André worked as a graphic artist and jewellery designer. He created theatre sets (including for L'Hermine by Jean Anouilh), and playbills for such artists as Damia and Jean Lumière.

His singing career began in 1936, when he participated in the amateur contest Premières Chances (First opportunities) organized by the radio station Le Poste Parisien. He won with the song Chez moi. He was accompanied by the pianist and composer Alec Siniavine who went on to accompany him at subsequent performances.

During the next six years, Claveau moved on from the third, to the second and to the first part of the program in various music halls. In 1938, he had a hit with the song Quand un Petit Oiseau (When a little bird) and he made his film debut in Champions de France (Willy Rozier, 1938).

In 1942, during the occupation of France by the Nazis, Claveau was spotted by impresario Marc Duthyl and his reputation grew. He had smash hits with Ah! C'qu'on s'aimait (1941) and Mon chemin n'est pas le votre (1942). His warm voice and charisma allowed him to become the host of a variety show on Radio Paris.

After the war he was banned for two years off the radio, because of his activities during the war. Claveau returned to the radio as a singer and had several successes such as Une Chanson à la Diable (1949), Marjolaine and Deux petits chaussons.

Claveau was called the Prince de la chanson de charme (Prince of the charm song). He was also the first to interpret the evergreen Bon anniversaire (Happy birthday), written by Jacques Larue and composed by Louiguy. The song was part of the soundtrack of the film Un jour avec vous/A day with you (Jean-René Legrand, 1951).  Between 1947 and 1955, André Claveau appeared in numerous French films in which he sang his hit songs. Among them were Le destin s'amuse/Fate has fun (Emil E. Reinert, 1947) with Dany Robin, Sous le ciel de Paris/Under the Sky of Paris (Julien Duvivier, 1951) and Cœur-sur-Mer (Jacques Daniel-Norman 1951) with Armand Bernard.

He also starred in such film comedies as Pas de vacances pour Monsieur le Maire/No Vacation for Mr. Mayor (Maurice Labro, 1951), with Grégoire Aslan and Louis de Funès, and the short film Le Huitième Art et la Manière/The Eighth Art and Way (Maurice Regamey, 1952) with Christian Alers and Louis de Funès.

                               

Songs like Moulin Rouge (1953), and La Complainte de la Butte (1955) maintained his popularity through the 1950s. Claveau also performed the song Je t'aime bien pourtant in the classic musical French Cancan (Jean Renoir, 1955) starring Jean Gabin and Françoise Arnoul.

In 1958, he won the third edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. He sang Dors, mon amour (Sleep, My Love) with music composed by Pierre Delanoë and with lyrics by Hubert Giraud. The Swiss entry, Lys Assia came in second. In later years, Claveau was a few times the French vote announcer.

His final film was Prisonniers de la brousse/Prisoners of the jungle (Willy Rozier, 1960) with Georges Marchal.

The Yé-yé music wave in the early 1960s affected Claveau’s popularity and his successes diminished.So at the end of the 1960s Claveau decided to finish his career. He retired completely and never performed again, although he did appear on the television in the 1970’s, but enjoyed a very peaceful life till his death at the age of 91, in Brassac, France in 2003. He was not married and had no children.

(Edited mainly from Wikipedia & bio by Paul van Yperen)

Tim Hauser born 12 November 1941

Timothy DuPron Hauser (December 12, 1941 – October 16, 2014) was a singer and founding member of the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer. He won ten Grammy Awards as a member of The Manhattan Transfer.

Hauser was born in Troy, New York. When he was seven he moved with his family to the Jersey Shore. He lived in Ocean Township, New Jersey, and Asbury Park and attended St. Rose High School in Belmar, where an award in his name has been given every year since 1989 to students who excel in theater arts.

When he was fifteen, he began to sing professionally. He founded a doo-wop quartet named The Criterions.For the Cecilia label the Criterions recorded two singles: "I Remain Truly Yours" and "Don't Say Goodbye". The group appeared on the Big Beat Show hosted by Alan Freed

In 1959, Hauser entered Villanova University. With Tommy West and Jim Ruf, both from The Criterions, he formed the folk group the Troubadours Three. He was a member of the Villanova Singers and the Villanova Spires/Coventry Lads with classmate Jim Croce. He spent four years on the staff of college radio station WWVU. In 1963, he graduated from Villanova with a degree in economics.

In 1964, Hauser served in the United States Air Force and the New Jersey Air National Guard. In 1965, he began his career in marketing. From 1965–66, he worked as a market research analyst with the advertising agency Sullivan, Stauffer, Colwell, and Bayles. His accounts included Pepsodent Toothpaste (Lever Bros.), Micrin 

Mouthwash (Johnson & Johnson), and Rise Shaving Cream (Carter Products). From 1966–1968, he worked as manager of the Market 

Research Department for the Special Products Division of Nabisco. His accounts included cereal and pet food.

In 1969, he formed the first version of The Manhattan Transfer with Gene Pistilli, Marty Nelson, Erin Dickins and Pat Rosalia. The group had a country/R&B sound. Together they recorded one album, Jukin’, on the Capitol label. However, they differed in ideas on direction: Pistilli leaned more toward a country-western, “Memphis” R&B sound, whereas Tim was interested in a jazz/swing sound. The group dissolved in the early 70’s.

Hauser drove a cab to support him-self while pursuing a music career. Through this job, he met Laurel Massé, a waitress and aspiring singer. He was again driving his cab when he picked up the conga player for the group Laurel Canyon who invited him to a party where he met Janis Siegel. They needed a male singer, so they contacted Alan Paul. The four became The Manhattan Transfer on October 1, 1972.  From that point on, Tim Hauser’s dreams of a musical career had turned into a very successful reality.

                                

After a car accident, Massé decided to leave the group and pursue a solo career, and in 1978 Cheryl Bentyne was hired to replace her. From then until Hauser's death, the line-up was mostly unchanged with only occasional substitutions due to illness. After his death, he was replaced by Trist Curless.

The Manhattan Transfer won the Downbeat and Playboy Readers' Polls every year in the 1980s for best vocal group. As the founder of The Manhattan Transfer, Tim always strived to have their image dovetail with their music. In the early days, that image helped them gain recognition. In almost every early review that was written about the group, their classy appearance was noted. It made them unique, it got them noticed, and when they performed – it was obvious they were talented. The combination of talent and attention to image, and evolving that image as the group has developed, has given them longevity.

Tim was a gifted producer as well. He took the whole concept of an album idea from beginning to end and by interweaving their talents in arranging and performing along with their image, he successfully brought it all together in the albums he produced. He also used his producing skills with other artists, including Richie Cole’s Pop Bop, and the last session of Eddie Jefferson.

In 2007, Manhattan transfer won the JazzTimes Readers' Poll for best vocal group. When Ahmet Ertegün founded the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he selected Hauser to serve on the voting committee, a position he held for three years (1986–89). In 1993, Hauser was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from the Berklee College of Music.

Hauser died of cardiac arrest at the Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania, on October 16, 2014, at the age of 72. He had been admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. (Edited from Wikipedia & New York Times)

Here’s a compilation of various performances of Java Jive done by The Manhattan Transfer in honour of Tim Hauser posted on YouTube by Alan Paul.