The Manhattan Transfer is an American music group. There have been two manifestations of the group, with the late Tim Hauser being the only person to be part of both. The name comes from John Dos Passos' 1925 novel Manhattan Transfer and refers to the group's New York origins.

Founding

The first manifestation of the group was established in 1969 in New York City by Tim Hauser, Erin Dickins, Marty Nelson, and Pat Rosalia. Gene Pistilli, a good friend, soon became an integral component and composed for and recorded with the group. They contracted to Capitol Records, recorded several tracks and issued their first album, Jukin', in 1971. The album was later reissued in the United Kingdom by EMI's Music for Pleasure label under the title The Manhattan Transfer and Gene Pistilli. Pistilli had been best known for his performing and songwriting collaborations with Terry Cashman and Tommy West. This team lasted until 1973. According to Hauser, "Gene and I were in two different places. He was more into R&B, and the Memphis sound, and by then I'd become more interested in jazz and swing..."