(Vocal Jazz) Cheryl Bentyne - Let's Misbehave The Cole Porter Song Book - 2012, MP3, 320 kbps

When Cheryl Bentyne joined The Manhattan Transfer in 1979, everything became “just right.” It has been with her that the group has attained its status as the most successful harmony group of all time – each part coming together with an unmistakable chemistry that not only nurtures the group as a whole, but also lets the individual contributions of each partner come through. Cheryl’s are obvious: From her memorable solo in “Meet Benny Bailey” to her portrayal of Lucy in the “Blee Blop Blues” video to her exquisite voicing of Django Reinhardt’s guitar solo on “Clouds” (adapted from Nuages) on SWING, as well as the most recent critically acclaimed Miles Davis solo on TUTU, from Vibrate. Her talents are much of what is The Manhattan Transfer.
So how did it all get started?
In June of 1979, after having already paid plenty of dues, Cheryl was coming out of The Baked Potato, a small jazz club in LA, when her manager asked her if she would like to audition for a spot in The Manhattan Transfer. This was the chance she had been waiting for in her career. She remembers being ecstatic and says that her scream of excitement could be heard for blocks. She was even more excited when she later nailed the audition, and became a member of The Manhattan Transfer.
Cheryl’s energy and style turned out to be the perfect compliment to the group’s already dynamic image. Her debut album with the group was Extensions, which was a landmark album for the group. Cheryl has expanded her talent beyond singing to include composing and vocal arranging. She won a Grammy Award in 1985 with Bobby McFerrin for their vocal arrangement of “Another Night In Tunisia,” from Vocalese. She also co-wrote the lyrics to “Sassy,” from Offbeat of Avenues.
Today, Cheryl not only logs over 200 live performances per year with The Manhattan Transfer, but also wows listeners with her exquisite solo performances, as evidenced on her most recent solo release, The Gershwin Songbook (ArtistShare).
According to Christopher Loudon of Jazztimes:
“Tempting as it is to number Cheryl Bentyne’s The Gershwin Songbook among the most satisfying vocal albums of 2010, such praise is unfairly limiting. Instead it must be lauded as one of the year’s most accomplished albums, period.”
Similarly, jazz critic Don Heckman, in the International Review of Music described one of Cheryl’s recent solo performances, in support of The Gershwin Songbook, this way:
“Dynamic. Enchanting. High spirited. Entertaining. Hard swinging. Those were just a few of the words that came to mind during Cheryl Bentyne’s appearance at Vitello’s on Thursday night. And none of them were really adequate to describe her utterly mesmerizing performance….
Everyone knows Bentyne from her long tenure with the Manhattan Transfer, of course. But, like her other partners in that remarkable quartet, she is less familiar as a solo artist. Which is regrettable. Because Bentyne uses all the sophisticated dramatic artistry she has developed in her decades with the Transfer as the foundation from which to build her unique presentations in the spotlight.”
This wasn’t the first time Don Heckman sang Cheryl’s praises as a live performer. Writing for the Los Angeles Times several years ago, Heckman had this to say about a local performance by Cheryl:
“[T]he evening also included other, more personal facets of Bentyne’s considerable performing talents, particularly evident in ballad numbers such as “Everything Happens to Me,” “Little Girl Blue,” “Sophisticated Lady” and “Black Coffee.” It was in songs such as these that her very real skills as a solo artist were most apparent. Beautifully shaping her melodic lines, finding the inherent drama in harmonic progressions and, above all, singing the lyrics with a clear understanding of their storytelling nuances, Bentyne became much more than a member of a well-known vocal quartet.”
Cheryl enjoys her “underrated” status as a solo musician and performer; it allows her the freedom to focus on her craft as an art form. Recent evidence of such work includes not only her remarkably nuanced interpretations of Gershwin compositions on her latest album, but also a series of vocal delightful collaborations with Mark Winkler in their acclaimed live “West Coast Cool” shows. The San Francisco Bay Times’ 2010 year-end issue called the “West Coast Cool” show among the very top performances of the year by a duo in the Bay Area, adding: “These two blend beautifully & are among the finest in the art of West Coast Cool jazz.”
Cheryl has also added her vocal talent to other artist’s recordings. She appeared on bassist Rob Wasserman’s highly acclaimed Duets album in 1989. Her voice can also be heard on the score of 1991′s hit film, “Mortal Thoughts.”

“Her voice is full of light, but that doesn t mean lightweight. Bentyne s a wise stylist and there s nothing chilly about her soprano; she has an inviting warm vocal tone.” – Billboard
“The results are glowing … Bentyne has created a song cycle here as warm and luxurious as an inviting bath.” – Atlanta Journal Constitution
“Cheryl has one of the best voices in the business, possessing a musical intelligence with an abundance of heart which makes her sound compelling.” – JazzNow
“The results are glowing … Bentyne has created a song cycle here as warm and luxurious as an inviting bath.” – Atlanta Journal Constitution

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