The Manhattan Transfer, God Only Knows, Craft ****

Superlatively arranged and performed strings and woodwind plus a classic close harmony vocal blend - Man Tran a half century on since their beginnings and a revisiting of the Tony Asher and Brian Wilson Pet Sounds (1966) classic 'God Only Knows' is a must.

Drawn from Fifty a collaboration with the WDR Funkhausorchester compare the new version too with Man Tran's own 1995 version that appeared on the Arif Mardin produced Atlantic album Tonin'.

A shoo-in just for this wonderful treatment alone for future Grammy adulation mystic Meg writes which should it prove fact would further add to their already stuffed full of awards trophy cabinet given the classic vocal group's enduring popularity and acclaim. Look for the full album on 23 September. Founded on 1 October 1972 the current Man Tran line-up is Alan Paul, Janis Siegel, Cheryl Bentyne and Trist Curless who play a concert at London's QEH on 24 November.

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Heralding the Marsden jazz festival this autumn the poet laureate Simon Armitage appearing with LYR (Land Yacht Regatta - Armitage, Richard Walters and Patrick Pearson), and then into the weekend double bass icon Gary Crosby with his trio, Ruby Wood, Emma Rawicz, Laura Cole and Walt Shaw, Robert Mitchell’s True Think, the Samantha Binotti Quintet, Ben Crosland Quintet and Arun Ghosh are in the line-up for the Pennines village festival this year. Dates are 6-9 October. Festival site

Clarinettist Arun Ghosh, top, plays St Bartholomew's Church, Marsden on the evening of Sunday 9 October during this year's festival

The Manhattan Transfer, God Only Knows, Craft ****

Gary Crosby, Robert Mitchell's True Think, Emma Rawicz - among the Marsden headliners this autumn prologued by the poet laureate Simon Armitage & LYR