It’s fairly safe to say that since its formation well over 50 years ago, jazz vocal band The Manhattan Transfer has not really been concerned with personnel. Founding member Tim Hauser died in 2014, and though his presence is felt at every gig since, there haven’t been many issues going forward without him.
But time has caught up with the remaining band members, and a farewell tour coincides with the release of the group’s latest record Fifty, which closes with a cover of The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows,” featuring layered harmonies in a key that makes it sound like one of the most bittersweet goodbyes ever to happen.
It hasn’t been said if Fifty will be the Manhattan Transfer’s final record, but for now, it’s best to act like it is.
This article appears in Jan 5-11, 2023.
