JANIS SIEGEL — A Thousand Beautiful Things (2006) APE (image+.cue), lossless

The ninth solo album by Janis Siegel -- an accomplished leader who is nevertheless most famous for her membership in the vocal jazz quartet Manhattan Transfer -- is something that you almost certainly never saw coming: a collection of modern pop songs arranged in an assortment of Latin styles. Gimmicky? Willfully bizarre? Amazingly enough, it's neither. Siegel's strong, supple voice and her consummate taste allow her to bring something new and often subtly complex to every song, without indulging in unnecessary weirdness. Granted, her gifts aren't always sufficient to redeem mediocre material: Björk's "Hidden Place" gives her very little melodic substance to work with, and it makes for an unpromising opening track. But her take on Nellie McKay's "The Suitcase Song" is much more exciting, and the multi-layered Cuban percussion on "I Can't Help It" is brilliant. Even better is the Colombian harp solo on her rendition of Suzanne Vega's "Caramel," and the multi-tracked background vocals on her arrangement of Paul Simon's "Love" are breathtaking. There are many more such moments on this exceptionally fine album. Strongly recommended to jazz and pop fans alike. Rick Anderson 
Tracklist :
1 Hidden Place 7:42
Guy Sigsworth 
2 The Suitcase Song 3:40
Nellie Marie McKay
3 I Can't Help It 6:01
Stevie Wonder 
4 Caramel 5:31
Suzanne Vega 
5 A Thousand Beautiful Things 8:04
Ann Lennox
6 A Wish (Valentine) 4:35
Fred Hersch / Norma Winstone 
7 Love 5:52
Paul Simon 
8 Make It Better 4:59
Raul Midón 
9 ...Till Then 1:41
Danilo Pérez 
10 Sweet Is the Air 4:38
 Dave Noble 
11 Reflecting Light 4:01
Leslie A. Phillips
12 Did You See the Moon Tonight? 3:15
Erin "Eddy" Moran 
Credits :
Acoustic Bass – John Benitez (tracks: 1, 3 to 5, 10) 
Arranged By [Songs] – Edsel Gomez
Arranged By [Vocals] – Janis Siegel
Backing Vocals – Marlon Saunders (tracks: 1 to 3, 5, 7, 8) 
Drums – Luisito Quintero (tracks: 8), Steve Hass (tracks: 1 to 5, 7, 10) 
Electric Bass [Electric 6-string] – John Benitez (tracks: 2, 7, 8) 
Flugelhorn – Brian Lynch (tracks: 10) 
Harp [Colombian] – Edmar Castaneda (tracks: 1, 4 to 6, 11) 
Percussion – Luisito Quintero (tracks: 1 to 5, 7, 8, 10, 11) 
Piano – Edsel Gomez (tracks: 1 to 5, 7, 8, 10, 12) 
Trumpet – Brian Lynch (tracks: 3)
Vocals – Janis Siegel

NILS LANDGREN WITH JANIS SIEGEL — Some Other Time : A Tribute To Leonard Bernstein (2016) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Just in time for Nils Landgren's 60th birthday, the most elaborate project of his remarkable career was released. Featuring music from musicals like "West Side Story" and a lineup that includes his outstanding All-Star Band, over 18 members of the Bochumer Symphoniker, and singer Janis Siegel from the legendary "The Manhattan Transfer," Landgren, along with conductor and arranger Vince Mendoza, pays tribute to the jazz enthusiast and great composer of the 20th century, Leonard Bernstein. ACT
Tracklist :
1    Nils Landgren–    Overture: América 0:42
Soloist, Trombone – Nils Landgren
2    Nils Landgren Quartet, Janis Siegel, Bochumer Symphoniker With Vince Mendoza–    Some Other Time    5:17
3    Nils Landgren Quartet–    Cool    3:40
4    Nils Landgren Quartet, Bochumer Symphoniker With Vince Mendoza–    Maria    3:13
5    Nils Landgren Quartet–    Somewhere    5:06
6    Siegel, Landgren, Ilg, Haffner, Bochumer Symphoniker With Vince Mendoza–    The Story Of My Life    4:22
7    Nils Landgren Quartet–    One Hand, One Heart    4:27
8    Nils Landgren Quartet, Janis Siegel, Bochumer Symphoniker With Vince Mendoza–    Something's Coming    3:54
9    Nils Landgren Quartet, Janis Siegel–    Lonely Town    4:39
10    Nils Landgren Quartet, Bochumer Symphoniker With Vince Mendoza–    A Quiet Girl    7:09
11    Nils Landgren, Janis Siegel, Jan Lundgren–    Lucky To Be Me    4:22
12    Nils Landgren Quartet, Bochumer Symphoniker With Vince Mendoza–    A Simple Song    5:40
Credits :
Nils Landgren - Trombone & Vocals
Janis Siegel - Vocals
Jan Lundgren - Piano
Dieter Ilg - Bass
Wolfgang Haffner - Drums

Members of the Bochumer Symphoniker
Arranged & Conducted by Vince Mendoza