COMING SOON
ABOUT THE FILM
The sound, the story, the legacy
ABOUT THE FILM
The sound, the story, the legacy
Half a century in harmony.
Jazz, pop, gospel, R&B, doo-wop, swing, bebop — The Manhattan Transfer is the gold standard in vocal harmony.
How have they stayed together for nearly five decades, longer than any group except The Rolling Stones? With over 30 albums, 21 Grammy nominations, 11 wins, tens of millions of records sold, and performances for audiences around the globe, their legacy is unmatched.
Now, for the first time, The Transfer opens their vault — revealing never-before-seen footage, legendary live performances, and intimate interviews with friends and collaborators. This is The Manhattan Transfer Story.
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DIRECTOR
Denny Tedesco
Denny Tedesco grew up in Los Angeles and began his career as a set decorator on films like Eating Raoul, later working on feature films, commercials, and music videos during the MTV era as a grip. From 1984 to 1990, he traveled the world as a lighting technician and location producer for IMAX films, filming in shark-infested waters, the African plains, and covering disasters like the Mt. Pinatubo eruption and the Kobe earthquake. In 1996, Denny began his most personal project: documenting his father, famed session guitarist Tommy Tedesco, after a terminal cancer diagnosis. This work became The Wrecking Crew, released on Netflix in 2015, and recognized as a landmark music documentary. In 2025, The Wrecking Crew was inducted into the Library of Congress with 24 other films including; White Christmas, Karate Kid, Grand Budapest Hotel, Clueless, Glory, and Ken Burn’s first documentary, Brooklyn Bridge His follow-up, Immediate Family, explores the next generation of session musicians, featuring interviews with Carole King, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Young, Don Henley, David Crosby, Keith Richards, Phil Collins, Lyle Lovett, Stevie Nicks, and more. Released in theaters and VOD in December 2023, it has won 18 awards and is currently streaming on Hulu alongside The Wrecking Crew. Denny is now in post-production on the documentary Manhattan Transfer.
PRODUCER
Miles Mogulescu
Miles is an Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker, producer, and business affairs executive bridging creative vision with business strategy. His film “Union Maids” was nominated for an Oscar for Best Feature Documentary.
He founded and ran The Film Fund, which helped support numerous documentaries and also co-founded The Independent Filmmaker Project, which went on to sponsor the Independent Spirit Awards. He produced “Montana” for HBO, written by Pulitzer Prize winner Larry McMurtry. He co-produced a superstar music video and documentary remake of “Give Peace a Chance” with new lyrics by Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon, and Lenny Kravitz, featured artists like Tom Petty, Peter Gabriel, Bonnie Raitt, Al Jarreau, Run DMC, Michael McDonald, Cindy Lauper, Little Richard, L.L. Cool J, Iggy Pop, and Steve Van Zandt.
As a Sr. V.P at MGM/UA, he negotiated financing and distribution for many films including “Drive” starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan; the Oscar-nominated “Nightcrawler” starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Rez Ahmed and Rene Russo; and Oscar winner “Whiplash” starring J.K. Simmons and Miles Teller.
PRODUCER
Alan Paul
Alan Paul, a producer of The Manhattan Transfer Story, is a founding member of The Manhattan Transfer and an eight-time Grammy Award recipient. His career began on Broadway at age 12 in the original cast of Oliver!, followed by roles in film, television and the original Broadway production of Grease. Since co-founding The Manhattan Transfer in 1972, Paul has helped shape the group’s distinctive sound as a vocalist, songwriter and arranger throughout its five-decade career. His firsthand experience, deep knowledge of the group’s history and lifelong commitment to vocal music bring an essential creative perspective to the documentary.
Support the Documentary
You Know the Music. Help Tell the Story.
Help us complete the film, preserve rare archival material, and share The Manhattan Transfer’s remarkable story with audiences around the world.
Featured Interviews
Hear from the artists, collaborators, producers, family members, and friends who witnessed The Manhattan Transfer’s extraordinary journey firsthand.
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Tim Hauser
Founder of The Manhattan Transfer
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Alan Paul
Manhattan Transfer & Producer
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Janis Siegel
Manhattan Transfer
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Cheryl Bentyne
Manhattan Transfer
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Laurel Massé
Manhattan Transfer
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Trist Curlis
Manhattan Transfer
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David Foster
Grammy-Winning Producer
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Claude McNight
TAKE 6
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Scott Hoying
Pentatonix
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Jimmy Jam
Grammy-Winning Producer
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Shawn Stockman
Boys II Men
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Jay Graydon
Grammy-Winning Producer
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Brian Avenet
Manhattan Transfer Manager
1979-1995 -
Bruce Vilanch
Comedy Writer
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Ed Keane
Manhattan Transfer Manager
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Faytette Hauser
Tim’s Sister
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Frankie Valli
Artist
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Richard Rudolph
Grammy-Winning Producer
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Yaron Gershovsky
Musical Director
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Angela Paul
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![GRAMMY Nomination for FIFTY featured in Variety Magazine!
"[T]he Manhattan Transfer still stands nearly alone at the top of its field, with arrangements that are studied in vocal-group classes to this day more than any others."
Full artic](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6a29af27cf74d625884dd7a2/1786401578489-295AQQT7R92ND6BB6OY4/image-asset.jpeg)
Half a century later, they’re still hitting every note
now hear the whole story.
Director’s note
When I was asked to make a documentary about The Manhattan Transfer, I could hardly contain my excitement. The story is filled with moments of synchronicity. The day before Alan Paul called me out of the blue to introduce himself, I was sharing “Birdland” with my son, who was away at college. I played him Weather Report’s version first, then The Manhattan Transfer’s. The very next day, Alan called.
I grew up in a jazz-filled household. My father, Tommy Tedesco—a session guitarist and member of the Wrecking Crew—introduced me to some of the greatest music ever recorded. He was also the one who turned me on to The Manhattan Transfer. I saw them live at the Playboy Jazz Festival in 1982 alongside Weather Report, and from that moment on, their music became part of the soundtrack of my college years and beyond.
As a music documentary director, I’ve never had access to an archive quite like this one—footage spanning more than 50 years, from Tim Hauser’s apartment in 1972 to the group’s final performances on stages around the world. Not jazz clubs but stadiums!
How does a jazz vocal group, with just one album in 1975, land a CBS summer replacement show for Cher and go on to become one of the most successful vocal groups in the world? Then go onto earning 18 Grammy Nominations and winning 11 Grammys.
Revisiting their journey, I’ve come to appreciate just how passionate and loyal their audience remains, and how deeply they influenced artists who followed, including Pentatonix, Take 6, and Boyz II Men.
This film is more than a musical journey. It’s a story about friendships that became family, and the resilience required to overcome hardships, addiction, lawsuits, and loss. After making two music documentaries, I’m excited to share The Manhattan Transfer with audiences everywhere—those who already love them, and those who are about to discover them.
—
DENNY TEDESCO
DIRECTOR
