Erin Dickins

I first met Erin Dickins in the 1970s, shortly after I had the honor of being named the first full-time rock reviewer at the New York Times, which made me the first full-time popular music writer at any major daily. The job allowed me to hear Erin, who then was a founding member of an eclectic little vocal group called Manhattan Transfer.


I reviewed Manhattan Transfer several times and found their versatility and mastery of so many different genres fascinating. They were the first vocal group to bring vocal jazz to the mainstream and present it in a rock and roll environment. A total anomaly.


After her gig with Manhattan Transfer had run its course, Erin went into rock, beginning with a stint with the Gregg Allman Band. This was the first touring iteration of the Allmans after the death of Dwayne in 1971. She went on to perform and record with many well-known rock artists -- Dr. John, Levon Helm, Paul Butterfield, James Brown, and James Taylor included.


Imagine my surprise stumbling upon her again recently on Facebook -- with a new CD -- and back to jazz, no less. Nice Girls is her first solo release (she spent a great deal of time in the studio recording vocals on other people’s records) and it is sensational. Unpretentious, authentic…upbeat at times, mellow at times. It reflects her years of studio experience but mostly her personality -- still fresh and alive.


Musicians, production and arrangements are rock solid. A dream-team of New York and LA musicians grace this production and somehow it sounds tight – as if they have been playing together in jazz clubs for years. Pianist Rob Mounsey is a singer’s dream. Nobody listens better and his piano playing is lyrical, sensitive and melodic. His solo on “I Must Have That Man” is a masterpiece in composition, and his understated swing groove on “Tain’t Whatcha Do” is magical. Not to mention the great Francois Moutin’s groove on bass.


Mounsey’s horn arrangements on “I Just Found Out About Love,” “Tain’t Watcha Do,’” and “Sometimes I’m Happy” are nuanced, hip and down to earth. It’s almost as if he thinks about the part rather than composing it or playing it, and somehow you hear it anyway.


The song selection is diverse, reminiscent of Dickins’ Transfer days….great standards -- Jimmy McHugh’s “I Just Found Out About Love” is a winner – a nod to the early Lambert Hendricks and Ross roots and some well-written originals by producer Jesse Frederick, and Gene Pistilli of the original Manhattan Transfer give the CD an added depth.


Frederick’s “Long Ago and Far Away” is a compelling composition, melancholy and deeply introspective, with a lyric Erin delivers as if the story were her own. The mood is sweetly enriched by Mounsey’s elegant cello arrangement beautifully articulated by the talented Anja Wood.


Los Angeles arranger Nick Vincent adds a splash of comic relief with his delightful horn arrangements on Gene Pistilli’s “Stayin’ Is The Only Way To Go” (with an amazing bass solo by Moutin, as well). Richard Rodgers’ “Loads of Love” is magical.


The production by Jesse Frederick is masterful: clean, dynamic and refreshing. He simply surrounds that great voice with texture, knowing when to allow the musicians to dance with it, and when to stay out of the way. And Erin floats through it all like a cool breeze on a summer day. Clearly there is a smile in her voice and her vocal performance is technically superb while remaining effortless and laid back. She has grown immensely as an artist, all the while honoring her roots and enjoying the fun I first heard in her so long ago.


Mike Jahn,
New York City, NY

Jahn served as rock reviewer for the New York Times 1968-1973.
Mike Jahn is an award winning novelist and author of Jim Morrison and the Doors: An Unauthorized Book.
- Mike Jahn - Author, NY Times First Rock & Roll Reviewer

I have interviewed Erin Dickins in the NPR studio and we are big fans of her new CD release, Nice Girls. Just when we thought it couldn’t get better, we caught a live performance. It was once said, that “writing about music is like dancing on architecture.” So here’s a stab at dancing on Dickins’ city.

Erin Dickins’ musical style could be described as a film-noir in color - full of respect and admiration for the great American Songbook and its masters, with a splash of torch songs and originals, taking the listener right into a vivid black and white movie. Yet full of colors.

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, Dickins is 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.

And she can scat like an angel. Dickins explains to her audience, “I grew up listening to Lambert, Hendricks and Ross (LHR) who created their own sub-genre in vocal jazz, and were champions of scat. Scatting is a form of singing whereby the singers imitate instruments with their voice.” And then she does LHR proud with a vocal scat of Sometimes I’m Happy, and continues by delivering a solid arrangement of Richard Rodgers’ I Just found Out About Love.

Dickins’ uninhibited and elated pleasure when singing live in concert is most probably the unique selling point of this wonderful singer – Dickins relishes and loves each and every moment of it. Shouldn’t all great singers be like that? I also think the way she spreads her love to her audience, getting under their skin, is a sign of a true artistry. Dickins takes her audience on a musical journey. And she is most definitely the tour guide.

Dickins is best heard live. Dickins is best served live. Dickins is best felt live. She delivers a captivating experience with every performance. Whether singing, interacting with the audience, or just smiling, Dickins’ charisma is … “just too marvelous for words.”


Katherine Bernard
Co-Host, “2 Boomer Babes Radio Hour”
National Public Radio (NPR), USA
- NPR

What they are 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


"In addition to her prescient phrasing and lyrical subtlety, one of Dickins' singular achievements on the CD is her choice of repertoire"
Dr. Nicholas Catalano - All About Jazz, Columnist
Pace University, Prof. of Literature & Music


"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 ... Dickins' take on the chestnut [Nice Girls] is crazy sexy and breathless. Dickins possesses that ability all great singers have, to make the slowest ballads sound effortless. Her voice is light coquettish, coy and smiling"
C. Michael Bailey - All About Jazz, Reviewer


"The [CD] production by Jesse Frederick is masterful: clean, dynamic and refreshing. He simply surrounds that great voice with texture, knowing when to allow the musicians to dance with it, and when to stay out of the way. And Erin floats through it all like a cool breeze on a summer day. Clearly there is a smile in her voice and her vocal performance is technically superb while remaining effortless and laid back. She has grown immensely as an artist, all the while honoring her roots and enjoying the fun I first heard in her so long ago"
Mike Jahn - award winning novelist and author of Jim Morrison and the Doors: An Unauthorized Book. Jahn served as rock reviewer for the New York Times 1968-1973


"...Dickins' vast experience allows her to feel at ease singing different styles...an extraordinaire balladeer...deeply rooted in the jazz tradition"
JazzTimes


"Erin Dickins has been one of my favorite singers since her early days as a founding member of "The Manhattan Transfer" ... Her newest CD, "Nice Girls" is a real treat! It' s a relaxed, intoxicating, joyful listening trip, filled with great tunes (some real treasures, as well as some nearly forgotten goodies) innovative arrangements, the best musicians, and ... of course ... that VOICE! Erin has never sounded better (and that' s really saying something) ... her magnetic charm reaches out and seduces the listener!"
John Lissauer - Arranger / Producer / Composer - Al Jarreau, Leonard Cohen, Whitney Houston, Michael Bolton, David Sanborn, The Last Godfather, Watchmen, Seven


"Erin ... radiates such pure delight in what she's doing, you expect her to take off and soar - which she does vocally, tasting a lyric with delicacy that flies smoothly into passionate strength by the end of the sentence and back again"
Michael Driscoll - The Eastern Shore Examiner, USA


"If Tony Bennett and Sarah Vaughan had a child, she'd sound like this. Excellent song selections, wonderful interpretations ... and then there's that voice. This is an artist who's worth your attention and support"
Jen Trachtman, Amazon.com, USA


"Erin, you swing your "S" off and your intonation is impeccable"
Francois Moutin – Jazz Bassist, Moutin Reunion, France/USA



"Great album and such a great mix of tunes - standards like "Can't We Be Friends" are among my favorites. The band on the CD is just perfect and the songs – Woo Hoo!"
Lance Liddle - Reviewer BeBop Spoken Here, United Kingdom


"Erin Dickins elevates the concert going experience to a new high in all of her technique. Whether singing, addressing the audience, or merely her smile that could light Times Square, she has an awesome stage presence that belongs on a national audience forum. Never so professional it's snooty, never too shy or laid back"
Aaron "Smokey" Arnold - Austin Music Review, USA



Selection of CD And Live Reviews

CD Review All About Jazz
Erin Dickins: Rediscovering Repertoire By Nick Catalano
Dr. Nick is professor of Literature and Music at Pace University. He's a native New Yorker and has written about the art and culture of the city for decades. He has played jazz in NYC since late childhood. Nick is a columnist for All About Jazz.
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 Dickins, a founding member of The Manhattan Transfer.

(click for entire review)


CD Review
Revisiting ERIN DICKINS By Mike Jahn
Jahn served as rock reviewer for the New York Times 1968-1973. Mike Jahn is an award winning novelist and author of Jim Morrison and the Doors: An Unauthorized Book.

I first met Erin Dickins in the 1970s, shortly after I had the honor of being named the first full-time rock reviewer at the New York Times, which made me the first full-time popular music writer at any major daily. The job allowed me to hear Erin, who then was a founding member of an eclectic little vocal group called Manhattan Transfer.

(click for entire review) - Various

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 Dickins, a founding member of The Manhattan Transfer. The CD includes "Loads of Love" (Richard Rodgers), "I Must Have that Man"( Dorothy Fields/Jimmy McHugh), "Walkin With Your Barefeet On" (Jesse Fredrick), "Stayin' is the Only Way to Go" (Anthony Smith et al.), and "Take Your Time" (Gene Pistilli). Dickins performs these rarely heard tunes with aplomb and taste, and making the songs sound both fresh and familiar.
The CDs title comes from a tune by Bobby Troup "Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast,"and includes a swinging group of musicians: pianist Rob Mounsey; drummer Ray Marchica; trumpeters Barry Danielian, John Fumo and Jesse Fredrick; saxophonists Lawrence Feldman, John Lissauer and Bob Sheppard; guitarists Bruce Watson and Bob Mann; accordionist Brian Simms; and redoubtable New York bassist David Finck. Film and television composer Jesse Fredrick produced the affair, plays guitar, sings background vocals and performs "Can't We be Friends" as a duet with Dickins.
Dickins comes from an artistic family. Her mother, a former Rockettes dancer at New York City's Radio City Music Hall, hired an opera singer to give the nine-year old Dickins vocal lessons. Her father was a jazz pianist. Once things got going professionally for Dickins, her musical associations read like a who's who in the music business, including Leonard Cohen, Bette Midler, James Taylor, The Talking Heads, James Brown, Barry Manilow, Jaco Pastorius and Ashford & Simpson.
In addition to her prescient phrasing and lyrical subtlety, one of Dickins' singular achievements on the CD is her choice of repertoire. Her research was uncanny, and is evidenced by her unearthing of the Julie London recording of "Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast" and the Billie Holiday version of "I Must Have That Man." This exploration into the past should serve as a template for others who seek to bring originality and freshness to vocal recordings.
- All About Jazz - Dr. Nicholas Catalano