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In both popularity and ability, the Manhattan Transfer stand at the summit of jazz vocal groups. This album, taking a modern-pop direction under producer Jay Graydon, secured that position. They had debuted in 1975 as a mixed quartet singing nostalgic songs. Successful in Britain but only moderately so in America, they used a change of female singer to transform their image boldly, turning to Graydon, equally at home in jazz and pop.

Yet the number of standards increased. That was because Graydon and the members chose suitable songs carefully while developing fresh ideas for their arrangements. ‘Birdland,’ recreating Weather Report's instrumental performance in voices, and ‘Twilight Zone / Twilight Tone,’ incorporating the theme of a popular television programme, are typical examples. The album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Arrangement, propelling Graydon to prominence as he had long hoped. A perfectionist, he contributed composition, playing and recording, producing the work as a whole. Mecca for Moderns (1981), made through the same collaboration, is also excellent.