FRANK RIZZO

frizzo@antonmediagroup.com

How about this conjoining: The Manhattan Transfer and Michael Jackson.

Sure, the vocal quartet never achieved the widespread popularity of the one-gloved one, but they have earned the appreciation of their musical peers over the course of half a century. And about that odd coupling: Their 1984 Vocalese release is tied with Jackson’s Thriller (1982) with the most Grammy album nominations (12), winning two.

In all, the group won 10 Grammys and garnered acclaim for their innovative arrangements of pop and jazz standards. They have drawn a dedicated, multi-decade fan base, with 10 of their albums making the top 10 in the Billboard Jazz charts, including a number one with Swing (1997). They have appeared on stage/recorded with A-listers such as Tony Bennett, Bette Midler, Smokey Robinson, Laura Nyro, Phil Collins, B.B. King, Chaka Khan, James Taylor and Frankie Valli.

Their 50th anniversary farewell tour will bring the quartet to The Space at Westbury on Thursday, March 30 at 8 p.m. It will benefit Long Island Cares–The Harry Chapin Food Bank.

The Long Island Weekly spoke with Trist Curless, a baritone/ soprano who replaced founding member Tim Hauser in 2014, following the latter’s death. He will be joined by Janis Siegel and Alan Paul, who were recruited by Hauser back in 1972, along with Cheryl Bentyne, who replaced Laurel Massé in 1979.

Curless, 51, observed, “I was a fan [of the group] for most of my life, and then I was a part of it.”

He has been involved with two recordings, The Junction (2018) and Fifty (2022), a retrospective. One of his contributions to the former is an arrangement of XTC’s “The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul.”

Q: you describe your music to someone who has not heard of or heard the group?

A: would say it is infusing four-part harmony in as many styles of music as possible, largely jazz and pop musics, and exploring harmony in those. A lot of times it’s either replicating the old vocal groups from the big band era or emulating an entire sax section from the big bands.

Q: Have the last two releases been on CD? That era seems to be over.

A: They are available on all the streaming platforms. While the CD has waned, there were physical CDs released worldwide and we still do carry them on tour. A lot of times, people like taking a tangible thing, especially if we’ve signed them.

What helps is that the fans have been around throughout the history of the group. It’s nice that you see them bringing relatives, bringing their kids.

Plus, the music of the Manhattan Transfer has been a staple in high school and college vocal programs for many years. So there are students that are excited to come and see the origins of what they studied and performed.

Q: Do you have musical training? Did your parents make you learn the piano?

A: I kind of wish they had forced me to practice more, to be honest. I’m not great at the piano, just know enough to learn my parts. I grew up in Cheyenne, Wyoming and was fortunate enough to have some great music teachers that helped me see that I could take something that was just a hobby I enjoyed very much and understand that I could do [more with it]. So I did study in high school and in college as well.

Q: Plenty of people can read music, but aren’t necessarily creative. Have you been able to use your musical knowledge?

A: It’s been helpful to develop those skills, the ability to read and understand the printed music. But it’s not really 100 percent necessary to create. I’ve expanded my ability to do things by ear without necessarily reading [sheet music]. But being able to read gives me the opportunity if someone wants to hire me for a studio session and I need to read. So it’s just good to have both. They’re all tools for the toolbox.

The 8 p.m. show at The Space at Westbury also features comedian Bobby Collins. The venue is at 250 Post Ave., Westbury. Tickets are on sale at LICares.org/events/ Manhattan-concert. Prices range from $65 to $175.

Read a longer story at www. longislandweekly.com.