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Shelly Manne: Shelly Manne and His Men at the Black Hawk 1
ByRecording live at a venue can be unforgiving, but this remastering from the original tapes by Bernie Grundman is better balanced (not to mention audible) than earlier editions. The series is a treat, and it would be nice to see all four volumes eventually reissued this way

Shelly Manne
drums1920 - 1984

Stan Kenton
piano1911 - 1979

Woody Herman
band / ensemble / orchestra1913 - 1987

Frank Sinatra
vocals1915 - 1998

Andre Previn
piano1929 - 2019
Listeners will always argue over what was so-and-so's "best" recording, although that is a bit like fighting over which was Picasso's best painting. Interestingly, not a few of Manne's listeners would argue that the disk under review was one of, if not, the best. In late 1959, Manne took his working band up to San Francisco and recorded at the celebrated Black Hawk club. The gig lasted a few nights, and it was immediately apparent that something special was going on. Manne suggested to Lester Koenig of Contemporary Records that he get a crew over to the Blackhawk to record, and eventually, the entire performance was released. This is one of several recordings in the series which Craft has chosen to reissue in its Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds series. The choice was inspired, because this is, especially in its present audiophile vinyl pressing, a historic recording.
The band opens very subtly, in an understated way, with "Summertime."

George Gershwin
composer / conductor1898 - 1937

Joe Gordon
trumpet1928 - 1963

Dizzy Gillespie
trumpet1917 - 1993

Richie Kamuca
saxophone, tenor1930 - 1977

Victor Feldman
multi-instrumentalist1934 - 1987

Monty Budwig
bass, acoustic1929 - 1992
But Manne changes things up immediately with

Tadd Dameron
piano1917 - 1965
There is no letup on "Poinciana." Once again, the band is out of the gate at breakneck speed. Kamuca solos at equal length, although he eventually seems to run short of ideas. No matter, this is Gordon's turn to shine. Even though he makes a Chet Bakerish entrance, Manne is soon pushing him relentlessly, almost as if to see what he can get out of Gordon, who is now on the receiving end of the shouted encouragement. Feldman plays well, with Manne and Budwig getting into a kind of exchange in which both solo. There is very little to dislike. The set concludes with what was apparently an early recording of

Frank Rosolino
trombone1926 - 1978
While there have been earlier reissues of all the Black Hawk recordings, this one, (Vol 1) at least is sonically superior. Recording live at a venue can be unforgiving, but this remastering from the original tapes by Bernie Grundman is better balanced (not to mention audible) than earlier editions. The series is a treat, and it would be nice to see all four volumes eventually reissued this way. ">
Track Listing
Summertime; Our Delight; Poinciana; Blue Daniel; Blue Daniel alternate take; Theme A Gem from Tiffany.
Personnel
Shelly Manne
drumsMonty Budwig
bass, acousticVictor Feldman
multi-instrumentalistJoe Gordon
trumpetRichie Kamuca
saxophone, tenorAlbum information
Title: Shelly Manne and His Men at the Black Hawk 1 | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Craft Recordings
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