Down in Birdland - Anthology Set of 2 CD
When Tim Hauser convened the original Manhattan Transfer in the early  '70s, there was more than a whiff of camp to the vocal group's pre-rock pop  perspective, but what may have started with tongue-in-cheek quickly shifted into  an earnest (if still good-humored) mission--the preservation of closely-arranged  choral pop.  From their first mid-'70s hits forward, the Transfer has gone from  strength to strength, extending their reach into r&b;, jazz, Brazilian pop, and  even the vocal equivalent of fusion.  This first-rate two-CD package focuses on  their long career at Atlantic Records, where they did their best work, and is  correspondingly ripe with gorgeous group and solo vocals.--Sam  Sutherland