Home » Jazz Musicians » Erin Dickins

Erin Dickins

As an award winning jazz vocalist and founding member of The Manhattan Transfer, Erin Dickins has enjoyed a career singers dream about. After spending five years singing ensemble music with The Manhattan Transfer, she expanded her musical horizons, emerging as one of the top studio singers in New York City. Dickins performed, toured and recorded with many notable artists including Leonard Cohen, Bette Midler, James Taylor, The Talking Heads, James Brown, Jaco Pastorius and Ashford & Simpson, to name but a few. Dickins continues to perform and record, enchanting audiences throughout the world.

In 2014, Erin will release a debut solo album on Dot Time Records entitled, Java Jive. Dickins returns to her roots with a remake of the original Ink Spots’ hit, which she first recorded on the Manhattan Transfer album Jukin’. As title track, Java Jive will anchor the new release and will feature backing vocals by longtime friends Tim Hauser, Marty Nelson and Gene Pistilli - the three male vocalists from the original Manhattan Transfer.

Dickins’ album was thoughtfully crafted over a two-year period with renowned musicians. Java Jive is produced by award-winning songwriter Jesse Frederick, and features pianist/arranger Rob Mounsey, trumpeter Barry Danielian and bassist David Finck.

“This is not just about making a CD as this project combines my love for jazz with my passion for cuisine,” said Dickins. In addition to the CD release, Ms. Dickins has authored a new cookbook entitled Sizzle & Swing – Jazzin’ Up Food. The package will include the music CD, and contain Dickins’ favorite recipes - each inspired by a song, as well as fun stories about music and life. Dickins also plans to debut a new line of herbal seasonings to complement her cookbook. Visit www.sizzleandSwing.com to learn more about her foodie credentials.

Ms. Dickins was recently awarded the prestigious Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award. She is also the recipient of the “Best Jazz Vocalist” honor awarded by CoffeeTalk Jazz Radio in Los Angeles.

Ms. Dickins serves on the board of directors of American Jazz Venues, a New York based 501(c)3 organization dedicated to engendering a passion for jazz in younger audiences. In addition she serves on the board of the newly founded Bravissimo Foundation, whose mission is to assist the classical and jazz musician in becoming viable in their field though recordings and performances. Ms. Dickins continues to offer workshops for students at SummerFame, a program she founded in Easton, Maryland in 2000 to provide performing arts programs for children of all ages. Ms. Dickins is available to present Master Classes and workshops.

Read more

Tags

444
Interview

Erin Dickins: In Her Own Voice

Read "Erin Dickins: In Her Own Voice" reviewed by Chris M. Slawecki


It was a long time coming, but for singer Erin Dickins, recording her debut solo album Nice Girls (Champagne Records, 2010) proved well worth the wait.Several musical lifetimes ago, Dickins was a founding member of Manhattan Transfer and appears on their first album, Jukin' (Capitol, 1971). While she has remained close with Tim Hauser, another ManTran founding member, Dickins has since performed and recorded with artists in an impressive range of styles, from James Brown to Leonard Cohen, ...

277
New York Beat

Erin Dickins: Rediscovering Repertoire

Read "Erin Dickins: Rediscovering Repertoire" reviewed by Nick Catalano


One of the great challenges for any established recording vocalist is finding material. Often, even the best arrangements fall short if the composition is a tired standard that has been recorded to death. Success in this area is rare, so when a debut CD contains one thoughtfully performed obscure gem after another, it is time to sit up and take notice. This is surely the case with Nice Girls (Champagne, 2011), the debut solo album from Erin ...

438
Album Review

Erin Dickins: Nice Girls

Read "Nice Girls" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Erin Dickins is notable for being one of the founders of jazz vocal group The Manhattan Transfer. Since that time, the singer has been quite the journey- woman performer, occasionally taking time off from the music industry. She concludes one such sabbatical (10 years) with the release of Nice Girls, a patiently assembled collection of show tunes and not-so-standard standards. The erstwhile title tune, composed by Jerome Leshay and Bobby Troup, was originally recorded by Julie London ...

97
Take Five With...

Take Five With Erin Dickins

Read "Take Five With Erin Dickins" reviewed by Erin Dickins


Meet Erin Dickins: I am a jazz singer and a founding member of the Manhattan Transfer. I have performed and recorded with everyone from Jaco Pastorius and The Talking Heads to Leonard Cohen and Dr. John. After taking a hiatus, I have returned to jazz with a new solo CD, Nice Girls. I am passionate about the power music has to to change lives, and have devoted many years to bringing the performing arts, especially music, to kids ...

Read more articles
165

Award / Grant

Erin Dickins Awarded By Maryland State Arts Council - 2012 Artist Award For Solo Music Performance

Erin Dickins Awarded By Maryland State Arts Council - 2012 Artist Award For Solo Music Performance

Source: Guy Zinger

MARYLAND STATE ARTS COUNCIL ANNOUNCES 2012 INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS AWARD RECIPIENTS State awards grants in playwriting, crafts, photography, music composition, and music performance Baltimore, MD: The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC), an agency of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, has recognized vocalist Erin Dickins from Talbot County for creating work of exceptional quality. Ms. Dickins has been awarded the 2012 Individual Artist Award for Non- Classical Music Solo Performance for her CD, Nice Girls. “Artists of this high ...

188

Recording

Erin Dickins Releases "Nice Girls"

Erin Dickins Releases "Nice Girls"

Source: Cyber PR

A founding member of MANHATTAN TRANSFER, the original jazz vocal group, Ms. Dickins continues to enchant audiences throughout the world. She has performed and recorded with Bette Midler, The Talking Heads, Jaco Pastorius, James Taylor, Ashford & Simpson, Leonard Cohen, Barry Manilow and James Brown, to name but a few. NICE GIRLS is her first solo album, just released on Champagne Records, and produced and arranged by Jesse Frederick, with Rob Mounsey and Nick Vincent. A virtual dream team of ...

What they’re saying about Erin.....

“I have known Erin since 1969, and I've always thought she was a great singer… because she sings from her heart, and those kind of singers are my favorites.”

Tim Hauser - co-founder of Manhattan Transfer, USA

“ …Dickins is astute on the one hand, yet sensitive and sensual on the other. Producing lyrical and enthralling renditions of famous jazz tunes such as Billie Holiday’s I Must Have That Man, or Julie London’s Nice Girls Don’t Stay For Breakfast, a delight for the listening ear. Her live take of Frank Loesser’s Adeleide’s Lament is hilarious. Manhattan Transfer’s Gene Pistilli and producer Jesse Frederick - Dickins’ go-to composers - have created original tunes that allow her to redefine the boundaries of vocal jazz…”

Read more

Primary Instrument

Vocals

Location

Philadelphia

Willing to teach

Intermediate to advanced

Clinic/Workshop Information

Have spent many years as director of a childrens' summer program in the performing arts SummerFame teaches children grades 3-12 singing, dancing, acting and related theatre crafts.. My clinics are for children ages 12-16 or for Jazz Vocal students at the college level. I teach finding your joy in music - how to sing like a musician, learning to let go and the basics of the Alexander Technique.

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Sizzle & Swing:...

Dot Time Records
2014

buy

Java Jive

Dot Time Records
2014

buy

Nice Girls

Champagne Records
2011

buy

I Just Found Out About Love

From: Nice Girls
By Erin Dickins

Videos

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.