This compilation samples 11 of drummer
Shelly Manne's albums recorded for Contemporary between 1953 and 1961 while utilizing a wide range of musicians. The free jazz opener "Flip" (no doubt dedicated to his wife by her nickname) is an intriguing trio with
Shorty Rogers on muted trumpet and clarinetist
Jimmy Giuffre. The low-key trio interpretation of
Oscar Pettiford's "Collard Greens and Black-Eyed Peas" (also known as "Blues in the Closet") features
Leroy Vinnegar's walking bass and
André Previn's surprising piano backed by the leader's subtle brushwork.
John Williams wrote the breezy "Checkmate" as the theme to an early-'60s television series, with trumpeter
Conte Candoli and tenor saxophonist
Richie Kamuca shining in the solo spotlight and a driving rhythm section anchored by
Manne with pianist
Russ Freeman and bassist
Chuck Berghofer.
Henry Mancini wrote a special arrangement of "Peter Gunn" for
Manne's group, with
Candoli, alto saxophonist
Herb Geller and
Victor Feldman on marimba.
Manne's unusual drum-piano duet with
Freeman of the pianist's "The Sound Effects Manne" features the drummer's best work in this collection; it also foreshadows their later duo album
One on One. This compilation is a great starting point to examine
Shelly Manne's rewarding Contemporary recordings and will doubtless inspire serious collectors to pick up the original releases.