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Cheryl Bentyne

While much of the world knows Cheryl Bentyne as one-quarter of the multi-Grammy-winning Manhattan Transfer, this compelling vocalist has a story all her own - one that includes a solo career that encompasses a variety of musical styles.

Born and raised near Seattle, Washington, Bentyne was exposed to music at a very early age. Her father, a jazz clarinetist and bandleader, held his band's rehearsals at the family's home. It wasn't long before Cheryl was singing in her dad's band. After high school, she performed in Seattle area coffee houses where she met and joined a regional group called The New Deal Rhythm Band. The band combined campy comedy numbers with improvisation and “theatrical” swing. The New Deal served as a training ground for Bentyne to sharpen her performance technique and develop her own distinct style.

While on tour with The New Deal, Bentyne caught the attention of a talent agent who assured her that her singing ability could support a solo career and encouraged her to assemble material for her own show. Within a few months she moved to Los Angeles and was booked regularly at such legendary clubs as the Troubadour and the Bla-Bla Cafe.

In the spring of 1979, Bentyne’s manager told her about an audition that was to change her life. The Manhattan Transfer was searching for a new singer to replace the departing Lauren Masse. What they were looking for seemed like an impossible combination at the time - a soprano who was gifted and agile enough to immediately blend with the group’s unique four-part harmony sound, and yet who also possessed a strong individual musical personality which would contribute to the group's evolution. But Bentyne accomplished the impossible: she landed the job and made a vocal contribution that was immediate and decisive. The Manhattan Transfer won its first Grammy, for “Birdland,” a track from the 1979 album, Extensions (Best Jazz Fusion Performance). Since then, the Transfer has scored ten more Grammys.

Bentyne has sung some of the most memorable solos in the Transfer's repertoire: “Good-bye Love,” Benny Goodman's solo on “Down South Camp Meeting” (both on the 1983 release, Bodies and Souls) and “Meet Benny Bailey” (on their landmark 1985 recording, Vocalese). She won a Grammy (which she shares with Bobby McFerrin) for her arrangement of “Another Night In Tunisia” (also on Vocalese). Her hot performance in the video and single release “So You Say” (from Brasil, 1987) helped broaden the Transfer’s audience via frequent appearances on BET. She also wrote and co-wrote tracks for the Transfer’s 1992 release, The Offbeat of Avenues, including the Grammy winning “Sassy.”

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Liner Notes

Lorraine Feather's Language Turns A Witty Phrase

Read "Lorraine Feather's Language Turns A Witty Phrase" reviewed by Ken Dryden


I got to know Lorraine Feather through reviewing several of her CDs, amazed by her gifts as a lyricist and singer, who was equally at home with witty songs and tender ballads. I first met Lorraine when she was performing at the late lamented Manhattan club Danny's Skylight Room with pianist Shelly Berg. We would chat during IAJE conferences and I was delighted when she invited me to write the liner notes for this CD. This release stands the test ...

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Bailey's Bundles

Seven Women (Plus Three) 2018 – Part VIII

Read "Seven Women (Plus Three) 2018 – Part VIII" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Cheryl Bentyne (and Mark Winkler) Eastern Standard Time Café Pacific Records

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Album Review

Cheryl Bentyne / Mark Winkler: Cheryl Bentyne / Mark Winkler: West Coast Cool

Read "Cheryl Bentyne / Mark Winkler:  West Coast Cool" reviewed by Edward Blanco


In 2010, veteran Los Angeles singer/lyricist Mark Winkler joined forces with the Manhattan Transfer's lead singer, multi-Grammy Award-winning artist Cheryl Bentyne, playing the music of the '50s and '60s commonly known as West Coast Jazz at venues throughout California and elsewhere. West Coast Cool is this remarkable duo's music-only version of their live show, turning its passion for the music into a vocal tribute of one of the most important styles in jazz history.Defining the style may not ...

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Extended Analysis

Cheryl Bentyne and Mark Winkler: West Coast Cool

Read "Cheryl Bentyne and Mark Winkler:  West Coast Cool" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


In 2010, jazz vocal specialists Cheryl Bentyne and Mark Winkler began a collaboration that resulted in a live show entitled West Coast Cool that they presented at different venues on the West Coast and beyond. Summit Records commits this show to digital with an album of the same title that is something special. While programming a recording is always a major production responsibility, that responsibility is lessened when the recital is one well practiced and part of a previously conceived ...

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Live Review

Cheryl Bentyne & City of Hope All-Star Jazz Benefit: Hollywood, CA, August 11, 2012

Read "Cheryl Bentyne & City of Hope All-Star Jazz Benefit: Hollywood, CA, August 11, 2012" reviewed by Carl L. Hager


Cheryl Bentyne & City of Hope All-Star Jazz BenefitCatalina Jazz ClubHollywood, CAAugust 11, 2012After kicking off Saturday night's festivities with a hard-charging version of Cole Porter's “It's Alright With Me," a beaming Cheryl Bentyne welcomed Catalina Jazz Club's capacity audience by effusing over the wide array of talent that had assembled for the occasion. Event musical director Ted Howe was poised at the grand piano and ready to swing, with performers like singers Lorraine Feather, ...

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Bailey's Bundles

Cheryl Bentyne Sings the Winners

Read "Cheryl Bentyne Sings the Winners" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


It is not so hard to sing jazz music, at least, if such is measured by the glut, deluge, plethora or superabundance of jazz vocal recordings released each season. Where bandleader and composer Duke Ellington once opined that that there are only two types of music, good and bad, you could say that some of this music is good and some is superior. The vast majority of jazz vocal recordings are good. Very few, necessarily, are superior. So, while it ...

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Album Review

Cheryl Bentyne: The Gershwin Songbook

Read "The Gershwin Songbook" reviewed by Larry Taylor


Cheryl Bentyne's The Gershwin Songbook is among the best vocal albums of 2010. A member of The Manhattan Transfer since 1979, she frequently strikes out on her own to record, and has released eight albums in the past two decades. Perfecting her talent in vocalese with Manhattan Transfer, Bentyne performs jazz choruses with a pitch-perfect soprano in the tradition of Annie Ross, by way of Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. In this set of 15 Gershwin classics, she ...

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Recording

Mark Winkler And Cheryl Bentyne Team Up Again In Eastern Standard Time

Mark Winkler And Cheryl Bentyne Team Up Again In Eastern Standard Time

Source: Mouthpiece Music

Vocalists Mark Winkler and Cheryl Bentyne go together like champagne and caviar. Bentyne is a long-time mainstay of the iconic group The Manhattan Transfer. She is also a solo performer with over a dozen CDs under her own name. Winkler is a 2018 Downbeat Rising Male Vocalist and a popular lyricist. He has recorded 16 CDs, and his songs have been covered over 250 times by such artists as Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jane Monheit and Bob Dorough. Winkler ...

Performance / Tour

Mark Winkler and Cheryl Bentyne: West Coast Cool Coming Your Way!

Mark Winkler and Cheryl Bentyne: West Coast Cool Coming Your Way!

Source: Rob Lowe

Limited dates and a new CD! THE WEST COAST COOL SHOW! Mark Winkler platinum award-winning jazz vocalist/lyricist meets Cheryl Bentyne, member of The Manhattan Transfer, and sparks fly. This duo is intent on proving how cool the West Coast Cool Jazz scene of the 1950s still is. Together and separately they perform songs by Dave Brubeck, Chet Baker, Julie London and Bobby Troup (to name a few); all the while, weaving never before heard stories of the original cast of ...

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Contest

Enter the "Cheryl Bentyne - Let's Misbehave: The Cole Porter Songbook" Giveaway at All About Jazz!

Enter the "Cheryl Bentyne - Let's Misbehave: The Cole Porter Songbook"  Giveaway at All About Jazz!

Source: All About Jazz

All About Jazz members are invited to enter the Summit Records “Cheryl Bentyne - Let's Misbehave: The Cole Porter Songbook“ giveaway contest starting today. We'll select FIVE winners at the conclusion of the contest on December 24th. Click here to enter the contest

(Becoming a fan of Cheryl Bentyne at AAJ automatically enters you in the contest.)

Good luck! Your Friends at Summit Records About Let's Misbehave: The Cole Porter Songbook

…30 years - the reigning soprano with ...

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Recording

Illness, Recovery & Cole Porter: Bentyne's Joyous New CD With James Moody

Illness, Recovery & Cole Porter: Bentyne's Joyous New CD With James Moody

Source: Amy Blum

Los Angeles, CA—When soprano Cheryl Bentyne was recovering from cancer treatment and starting again to sing, it was to Cole Porter she first turned as her “saving grace.” With his songs fresh in her mind from recently recording Let’s Misbehave—The Cole Porter Songbook—Cheryl connected with Porter’s ability to “cover the human condition,” healing along with the music she calls “perfect, joyous and a thrill to sing!” Now, nearly a year after the diagnosis, followed by surgery and chemo, Cheryl—for 30+ ...

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Radio

The Manhattan Transfer's Cheryl Bentyne To Host New Radio Show!

The Manhattan Transfer's Cheryl Bentyne To Host New Radio Show!

Source: Paul Goldstein

Grammy Winner Cheryl Bentyne of The Manhattan Transfer to Host New Weekly Radio Show LOS ANGELES, CA—Paul Goldstein, Founder of the new jazz radio station, The Jazz Groove announced today that acclaimed artist Cheryl Bentyne of The Manhattan Transfer will host “The Cheryl Bentyne Show" a weekly radio program airing Sundays from 7pm to 10pm PST, debuting this coming Sunday, June 12th. The three hour program will feature Bentyne's exclusive interviews with straight ahead jazz artists as well as her ...

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Recording

Cheryl Bentyne's "The Gershwin Songbook"

Cheryl Bentyne's "The Gershwin Songbook"

Source: Clay Wilson


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Recording

Cheryl Bentyne's ArtistShare debut "The Gershwin Songbook"

Cheryl Bentyne's ArtistShare debut "The Gershwin Songbook"

Source: Clay Wilson

Grammy Winning vocalist and Manhattan Transfer member Cheryl Bentyne has long been known for her ability to capture an audience and deliver a personal take on the jazz tradition. With her debut ArtistShare release “The Gershwin Songbook," Bentyne dives into the magical compositions of the Gershwin brothers giving a nod to historical recordings while simultaneously putting a new twist on famous tunes such as “Fascinating Rhythm," “But Not For Me," “Summertime" and “Lady Be Good." To preview “The Gershwin Songbook," ...

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Recording

Grammy Winning Vocalist Cheryl Bentyne Releases "The Gershwin Songbook"

Grammy Winning Vocalist Cheryl Bentyne Releases "The Gershwin Songbook"

Source: Clay Wilson

With her first ArtistShare recording “The Gershwin Songbook," the Grammy Winning vocalist Cheryl Bentyne puts a unique stamp on the monumental compositions of George and Ira Gershwin. While Bentyne has set an incredibly high standard on numerous solo recordings and releases with The Manhattan Transfer, “The Gershwin Songbook" holds strong in comparison and will surely be a gem in any listener's collection. To preview tunes from Cheryl Bentyne's “The Gershwin Songbook," simply redeem your certificate log in number (258-750325128-83298) by ...

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Recording

Cheryl Bentyne releases “The Gershwin Songbook”

Cheryl Bentyne releases “The Gershwin Songbook”

Source: Clay Wilson

The Grammy Award winning vocalist Cheryl Bentyne's latest release from the ArtistShare Private Label takes the listener on a journey through the monumental compositions of George and Ira Gershwin. Joined by Ken Peplowski, Corey Allen, Ted Howe, Kevin Axt, Larry Koonse, and Dave Tull, Cheryl puts her unique stamp on tunes including “Fascinating Rhythm," “But Not For Me," “Summertime," and “A Foggy Day (In London Town)." To preview 4 tunes from Cheryl Bentyne's “The Gershwin Songbook," simply redeem your certificate ...

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Recording

Cheryl Bentyne explores The Gershwin Songbook

Cheryl Bentyne explores The Gershwin Songbook

Source: Clay Wilson

The Gershwin Songbook, Cheryl Bentyne's latest release from the ArtistShare Private Label provides a unique look into the masterful compositions of George and Ira Gerswhin. Backed by a heavy-weight band featuring Ken Peplowski, Corey Allen, Ted Howe, Kevin Axt, Larry Koonse, and Dave Tull, Cheryl explores these classic tunes changing genre at a whim with seamless transitions. To preview 4 tunes from Cheryl Bentyne's release “The Gershwin Songbook," simply redeem your certificate log in number (258-750325128-83298) by clicking here. To ...

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Cheryl Bentyne and...

Summit Records
2013

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Cheryl Bentyne / Mark...

Summit Records
2013

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Language

Jazzed Media
2008

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The Book Of Love

Telarc Records
2006

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Let Me Off Uptown

Telarc Records
2005

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Videos

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