Search - Janis Siegel :: Night Songs

The Manhattan Transfer (1972 - Present)
Founding member of the world's pre-eminent vocal group, interpreting American music from
Swing to Rock and Pop to vocalese and Rhythm and Blues. Over the years, Janis has sung lead
on many of the Manhattan Transfer's biggest hits, including 'Operator,' 'Twilight Zone,' 'The
Boy from New York City,' 'Mystery,' 'Spice of Life,' 'Shaker Song,' 'Birdland,' 'Ray's
Rockhouse,' and the 5-million selling 'Chanson D'Amour.' Janis co-produced the group's
Pastiche album, and has arranged many of the vocals on the Transfer's 18 albums, yielding her a
Grammy for Best Vocal Arrangement for 'Birdland.' In 1991, Janis co-wrote and sang lead on
the Grammy-winning performance for 'Sassy.'


Solo Work
Janis has mounted regular solo singing projects and tours throughout the years when not
recording or touring with The Manhattan Transfer. She has toured all throughout the United
States, is eagerly anticipating her first solo European tour in Spring 2005, and has recently
performed in Panama. Her first solo album, Experiment in White, was released in 1981. At Home,
her second solo effort, garnered Janis a Grammy nomination for Best Female Jazz Vocal. In
1985, Janis joined Jon Hendricks, Bobby McFerrin, Dianne Reeves in a group called 'Sing, Sing,
Sing' and performed to raves at The Playboy Jazz Festival and The Great American Music Hall
in San Francisco. Other solo performances include the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Tri-C Jazz
Festival, The North Beach Jazz Festival and stints at Birdland in NYC and the Blue Note in
NYC and Tokyo. Janis has an ongoing duo collaboration with pianist Fred Hersch. Their first
album, Short Stories, earned another Grammy nomination in 1989. The second album with Fred
Hersch, Slow Hot Wind, was released in 1995 on Varese/Sarabande Records. Janis and Fred have
toured extensively in the U.S. and Japan, and have also done radio concerts, T.V. and private
dates. Her fifth solo album entitled The Tender Trap was released by Monarch Records in 1999,
was produced and arranged by Fred Hersch, and featured Russell Malone, Matt Wilson, Victor
Lewis, Michael Brecker and Hank Crawford. I Wish You Love, released in 2002, marked her first
CD for the Telarc label and a return to working with longtime collaborator and friend Joel Dorn.
Friday Night Special followed in 2003 featuring soul jazz and bluesy grooves with a first-rate
organ/tenor ensemble consisting of Joey DeFrancesco and Houston Person. Her most recent
Telarc release, 2004's Sketches of Broadway, was produced and arranged by longtime friend Gil
Goldstein. Janis will be touring on Night Songs in 2013.