JANIS SIEGEL — At Home (1987) FLAC (tracks+.cue) lossless

Very uneven, but at her best Siegel has some good things to show vocally. Ron Wynn
Tracklist :
1    Trouble Man 5:46
 Marvin Gaye
Arranged By – Steven Miller
2    Small Day Tomorrow    5:25
 Bob Dorough / Fran Landesman
3    The Million Dollar Secret    5:19
 Helen Humes / Jules Taub
4    Night Trane 5:26
 Brian Jackson / Robert Kraft / Steven Miller / Janis Siegel
Arranged By – Steven Miller
Arranged By [Rhythm] – Robert Kraft
5    Bob White 4:30
 Bernie Hanighen / Johnny Mercer
Arranged By – Janis Siegel, Steven Miller
6    (If I Had) Rhythm In My Nursery Rhymes    2:56
 Sammy Cahn / Saul Chaplin / Jimmie Lunceford / Don Raye
7    Black Coffee    5:51
 Sonny Burke / Paul Francis Webster
8    From Vienna With Love    4:37
 Friedrich Gulda / Jon Hendricks
9    The Cruel Master Of My Dreams (Malibu) 4:25
 Benny Carter / Fay Hauser / Janis Siegel
Arranged By – Steven Miller
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – David Sanborn (tracks: 1)
Bass – Alex Blake (tracks: 3, 5, 7, 8), Harvie Swartz (tracks: 2, 9), Will Lee (tracks: 1)
Cello – Eugene Freisen (tracks: 8)
Drums – Buddy Williams (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8), Rick Marotta (tracks: 4), Victor Lewis (tracks: 2)
Electric Piano – Mitchel Forman (tracks: 5)
Flugelhorn – Lew Soloff (tracks: 9)
Guitar – Cornell Dupree (tracks: 3, 5), Hiram Bullock (tracks: 1, 7), Steven Miller (tracks: 4)
Keyboards, Bass [Synthesizer] – Brian Jackson (tracks: 4)
Organ – Richard Tee (tracks: 3)
Percussion [Cardboard Box] – Buddy Williams (tracks: 6)
Piano – Dick Wellstood (tracks: 6), Mitchel Forman (tracks: 4, 9), Richard Tee (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 7), Yaron Gershovsky (tracks: 2, 8)
Soprano Saxophone – Branford Marsalis (tracks: 5)
Synthesizer – Mitchel Forman (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 7 to 9)
Tenor Saxophone – Branford Marsalis (tracks: 3, 6), Danny Wilensky (tracks: 4)
Trumpet – Lew Soloff (tracks: 2)

JANIS SIEGEL — Sketches of Broadway (2004) APE (image+.cue), lossless

The acclaimed Manhattan Transfer vocalist has always been the one member of the legendary, multiple-Grammy winning group who has been most willing to explore deeper artistic leanings on her solo projects. Here, she offers a restrained counterpoint to Barbra Streisand's more dramatic approach to classics from our favorite musicals, succeeding mostly by picking lesser-known tunes that haven't worn out their welcomes, and interacting with a stellar jazz cast and the witty arrangements of Gil Goldstein. On the opening track, "Show Me," her vocals glide soulfully over John Patitucci's bass and Stefon Harris' vibes before the pace picks up, Siegel's phrasing ebbs and flows beautifully and wildly, and the story becomes a little more energetic with its telling. Transfer fans don't have to wait long for their diva to harmonize, this time with herself on the subtle vocal textures in spots on the softhearted, mystical arrangement of "Sorry Grateful" (from Sondheim's Company. . .In Jazz). That vibe of mystery continues on Arlen and Mercer's provocative "It's a Woman's Prerogative," which again allows ample space for Siegel to explore the deeper emotional subtleties. Harris' vibes are purely hypnotic here. Siegel clearly loves telling stories even the hardcore Broadway fan is less familiar with, reminding us of musicals like Follies ("The Story of Lucy and Jessie") and The Littlest Revue ("Born Too Late"), all of which allow her to be equally goofy, poignant, and ironic. The showstopper "Sun in the Morning" finds Siegel fully engaged over a heavier Antonio Sanchez drumbeat and the rock-edged guitar of Romero Lubambo. All of this only scratches the surface of the tremendously rich artistry Siegel demonstrates here as she mines classics and obscure songs that touch both her heart and wit. Hopefully, she, like Streisand, will come back to Broadway in the future. Jonathan Widran
Tracklist :
1. Show Me 3:05
2. Sorry-Grateful 5:03
3. It's a Woman's Prerogative 5:31
4. The Story of Lucy and Jessie 3:49
5. Born Too Late 7:58
6. Out of My Dreams / I Have Dreamed 5:28
7. I've Got The Sun in the Morning (And the Moon at Night) 4:08
8. The Surry with the Fringe on Top / Stoned Soul Picnic 4:34
9. It Never Was You 6:15
10. My Best Beau 3:21
11. Make Someone Happy 4:39
Recorded live at Smalls Jazz Club, Greenwich Village, New York on September 26-30, 2010.
Credits :
Janis Siegel - Vocals
Gil Goldenstein - Piano- Rhodes-Accordion
John Patituсci - Bass
Romero Lubambo - Guitars
Antonio Sanchez - Drums
Stefon Harris - Vibes

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. by 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
Art Direction, Design – Kim Sonsky
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