Laurel Massé

A singer's singer, and a song's best friend.

Very few artists can claim to have started their career in music at the top, but as a founding member of the universally-acclaimed Manhattan Transfer, that is exactly what Laurel Massé did. With her lush, expressive voice, absolute pitch, flawless diction and ready wit, the statuesque redhead left an indelible mark on the group. She toured internationally with the Transfer for seven years, recording four albums (certified gold and platinum) and the movie soundtrack of "Just a Gigolo", which starred David Bowie, Kim Novak, and Marlene Dietrich in her final screen appearance. Ms. Massé also made numerous television appearances which included Mary Tyler Moore's 1974 television special "Mary's Incredible Dream", and in "The Manhattan Transfer Show" on CBS TV in 1975. In 1978, a near-fatal automobile accident cut short her tenure with the group. She resumed her career after nearly two years of convalescence. Her first two solo recordings, "Alone Together" and "Easy Living", both made the Billboard Jazz charts; the third, "Again", was a People magazine pick. In 1999 Ms. Massé recorded "Feather and Bone", a vocal meditation on the Divine, which was described by the audiophile magazine The Absolute Sound as "a recording of extraordinary musical and sonic value." As a studio singer, Ms. Massé has appeared on CDs of many genres by artists including Tony Trischka, Barry Manilow, percussionist Layne Redmond, songwriter Carol Hall and former Manhattan Transfer cohort Janis Siegel. She was the creator and host of "The Laurel Masse Jazz Show" which ran for two years on WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Since 1997, Ms. Massé has been part of the teaching staff of Jay Ungar and Molly Mason's Ashokan Fiddle and Dance Camp as vocal coach in jazz, western, and swing styles. In 2004 she also joined the faculty of The International Cabaret Conference at Yale as a master instructor of jazz and cabaret. Nationally and internationally, she teaches master classes in song interpretation, improvisation, and performance for professionals and amateurs. She also does private coaching in the New York area. In 2004 she, along with the four current members of the Manhattan Transfer, received the prized MAC Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2009 she was given the Bistro Award for Best Jazz Vocalist. That year also saw the release of "That Ol' Mercer Magic", an all-Mercer recording marking the debut of Jalala, a vocal trio formed with Manhattan Transfer colleague Janis Siegel, and Lauren Kinhan of New York Voices. Ms. Massé also sang for two years as a member of the professional choir of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Laurel Massé joined Project Rushmore Theatre Company in 2010, and has been cast in readings of Beth Henley's "Crimes of the Heart" (as Lenny), A.R. Gurney's "The Snow Ball" (older Kitty), and Shakespeare's "King Lear" (Cordelia). Laurel Massé is an ASCAP writer and a member of AFTRA and SAG.