Shelley Manne & His Men

Probably the most misunderstood genre of Modern Jazz was the so-called West Coast Cool school whose height of popularity lasted from the early 1950s to the mid-1960s. Alternately praised and scorned for the wrong reasons, the style was attractive to many because it projected easy going swing from its California base, a relaxed contrast to East Coast Hard Bop. Latterly it was scorned as featherweight sounds played by musicians who were for the most part white big band veterans and also worked in Hollywood studios. Neither was quite correct.

Leader of these two CDs of quintet sessions, drummer Shelly Manne (1920-1984) was always adamant about the non-West Coast background of most Cool School players. Manne, especially who may have worked on TV, movie and commercial soundtracks including Peter Gunn, I Want to Live and Daktari, always made time to play Jazz, including recording innovative free improv session with Jimmy Giuffre and Teddy Charles among others. So did many of his associated studio musicians. As for skin color, Manne had Black musicians in his bands throughout his career. In fact two of the players who make up the quintet on Disc 2 are non-Caucasian: pianist Hampton Hawes and alto saxophonist/flutist Frank Strozier.

Although the tracks here come three different sessions in 1958, 1966 and 1968, all the conventions of Modern Jazz are followed with round robin solos and an underlying swinging beat. But these mainstream habits were common on both American continents as well as throughout the world, so this was no detriment or advantage for the West Coast group. Furthermore while six of the nine tracks are improvisations on standards, even such advanced musicians as Charles Mingus and John Coltrane included songbook ballads in their repertoire at that time. Where the sessions differ also points out the strong and weak point of each.

Disc One from 1958 features a line-up of trumpeter Stu Williamson alto saxophonist Herb Geller, pianist Russ Freeman and bassist Monty Budwig as well as Manne. Manne and Budwig were back in the two 1960s sets along with trumpeter Conte Condoli, Hawes and Strozier. Singer Ruth Price is also featured on two brief tracks, but they’re very much inoffensive nightclub material of the time.

In 1958, while the lingua franca is very much unforced Bop, the groove is maintained by the drummer’s raps and ruffs, with Freeman’s piano comping perfectly backing the harmonized horn parts and solos. The nearly 18 minute “Quartet (Suite in Four Movements)” shows the group unafraid to tackle extended material, with Manne’s shaded pumps and Williamson’s soaring trumpet lines added to the ambience. Nonetheless piano, bass and drums never let go of the foot tapping beat. The only drawback is Geller, who at this point in his long career was very much in thrall to Charlie Parker, so that even his harsh Blues interpretations need more originality.

Strozier is more assured playing alto saxophone on the other date, although his flute features seem designed more for prettiness than provocation. That’s another point, except for Hawes’ “Funny”, which itself is mid-range swing, the other tunes are all standards. Again Manne’s sympathetic pulse and Budwig’s walking thumps keep interest up, but only a few outstanding motifs are heard.

Condoli’s elevated triplets and broken-chord extensions define his part as do Strozier’s contrapuntal responses and double-timing runs on both his instruments and Hawes’ cross handed dynamics. Manne also shows his skill in coloring rhythms with mallets, sticks and palms.

An honest swinging session Jazz From the Pacific Northwest is probably a must have for fans of Manne and/or the genre. For others there’s more historical interest in that the disc succinctly defines the amplifications and limits of so-called West Coast Jazz.

–Ken Waxman ,

Track Listing: CD1: 1. Stop Look and Listen 2. The Vamps Blues 3. Quartet (Suite in Four Movements) CD2: 1. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise 2. Summertime 3. Dearly Beloved* 4. Funny 5. My Secret Love 6. Surrey With A Fringe On Top*

Personnel: CD1: Stu Williamson (trumpet); Herb Geller (alto saxophone); Russ Freeman (piano); Monty Budwig (bass) and Shelly Manne (drums) CD2: Conte Candoli (trumpet); Frank Strozier (alto saxophone and flute); Hampton Hawes (piano); Monty Budwig (bass);  Shelly Manne (drums) and Ruth Price* (vocals)