Five-Star Collection... Shelly Manne

Shelly Manne

Shelly Manne And His Men • Vol. 2

Continuing the West Coast workshop idea begun in Shelly Manne's first album, six leading jazz composers were asked to write the music for this set. Since the first album featured reeds, we felt it might be interesting to explore the possibilities of the brass sound. Each composer was given complete freedom within the limits of the instrumentation.

Each was asked, also, to state briefly something about his composition. *(from the liner notes)*

Shelly Manne's second Contemporary album, out of print since the 10-inch LP era, is one of the definitive statements of West Coast jazz aesthetics. It highlights adventurous musical structures and an unusual septet featuring four brass and rhythm, glows with sonorities no less bold for their intimacy, and is suffused with outstanding musicianship and subtle swing. The compact drive this music often achieved is particularly evident in the contributions of Bob Cooper and Marty Paich, while the beauty of Bill Holman's "Lullaby" captures a similar capacity for tenderness. Pieces by Jimmy Giuffre, Jack Montrose, and Shorty Rogers reveal the more complex notions cultivated in Los Angeles during the Fifties. Each track contains notable contributions from the talented cast, with Manne demonstrating how he helped to redefine the possibilities for jazz drummers in this period. *concord.com*

One of the most important LPs of the year. Bob Cooper, Jimmy Giuffre, Bill Holman, Jack Montrose, Marty Paich, and Shorty Rogers have each contributed an original exploring the possibilities of brass sounds in the context of extended form in jazz. Recorded in Hollywood in December, 1953, and March, 1954, the musicians included Ollie Mitchell, Don Fagerquist, Shorty Rogers, Bob Enevoldsen, Paul Sarmento, Russ Freeman, Marty Paich, Joe Mondragon, and Shelly Manne. Each composer, moreover, has written a brief but clear exposition of his work in the notes. The important thing at the moment is not to fix firm value judgments on the worth of each work nor to argue aimlessly about whether this is "jazz" or not. Here are some of the directions in which jazz will inevitably evolve and these are unusually absorbing beginnings. Everyone concerned with this LP, including engineer John Palladino and supervisor Lester Koenig, deserves full praise. The notes, by the way, are the most articulately valuable of the year — because they were written by the musicians directly involved in the session. *Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, July 14, 1954 [5 stars])*

Side 1

1 - Dimension In Thirds

(Marty Paich)

2 - Shapes, Motion, Colors

(Shorty Rogers)

3 - Alternation

(Jimmy Giuffre)

Side 2

4 - Divertimento For Bass And Rhythm

(Bob Cooper)

5 - Lullaby

(Bill Holman)

6 - Etude De Concert

(Jack Montrose)

#1, #2, #3:

Ollie Mitchell (first trumpet), Shorty Rogers (second trumpet),

Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone), Paul Sarmento (tuba),

Russ Freeman (piano), Joe Mondragon (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded in Hollywood, California, December 18, 1953

#4, #5, #6:

Don Fagerquist (first trumpet), Shorty Rogers (second trumpet, flugelhorn),

Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone), Paul Sarmento (tuba),

Marty Paich (piano), Joe Mondragon (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded in Hollywood, California, March 17, 1954