Customer Reviews

The Three and the Two [Vinyl]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an incredible recording. Shelly Manne was one of the top jazz drummers and composers to issue in and introduce the now legendary (Third Stream West Coast Jazz Scene). Manne is somewhat passed over in jazz circles and conversations regarding influential and inventive jazz drummers and I do not know why. His impeccable talents for technique, invention and ability to read the other musicians not only from behind the kit but as composer, arranger, instumentalist and leader were stunning, excellent and amazing. Some of his mallet and brush work is some of the best that I have ever heard recorded, anywhere. I am a drummer and can appreciate the sounds that he created. He surrounds himself with some of the brightest and sharpest west coast instrumentalist's possible. The improvisations on this session are brilliant as well as the scored or charted music. His work with tv and film's was also a very strong arena for him. This recording session catch's Shelly & His Men at one of his highest and most creative points in his work and in fact of his career. If you love inventive, pioneering, stunningly brilliant, driving and straight ahead cool jazz, this give this set a listen. It will blow your socks off. It ranks and holds it's own very well with anything going from that or any other period in the world of jazz music. I give this a strong 5 stars and very highly recommend it. MANNE IS THE MAN. See my other reviews.

John W. Shearer

Little does the reviewer below know about the wonderful gems on this recording. The experiments of the West Coast jazz movement left a blueprint for todays generation of players who are trying to add something new to the music. Jazz is truly a music of experimentation, so why would a few detractors tear the accomplishments of this hard earned art from apart?

As I said, the weather in Italy must be too hot for the gentleman below... but this is a fine disc as are all of Shelly's 50's recordings. -jb

I'm really into Shelly Manne's music, but I have to admit that this album it's boring. This album belongs to the free, experimental, contrapunctual period in Shelly's career and even if someone would find interesting these experiments, they are in the end, and to be perfectly honest quite boring (I'm talking about the "Three" session in particular). I say this first of all because this music doesn't swing at all. Almost neither in the cases of the Charlie Parker's number, "Steeplechase". It is that West Coast chamber experimental percussionist music that really didn't make it at all and I think it bored generations of Jazz enthusiasts. Eastern players were right in saying that this music was cold and that didn't mean a thing. They were absolutly right. It did not have a single reason to exist. Why someone would want to pass his time listening to this thing I can't figure out. This one and the Vol. 2 (the one with the black cover white striped) are useless experiments in music and sounds (Vol. 2 like this album contains some nice moments but surely together they area very heavy experience at least at some points, believe me). Shelly is still behind the drums Shorty Rogers, Jimmy Giuffre and Russ Freeman were exceptional players but when they chose to play this thing, to search their way in this third stream thing they absolutly failed. I think Giuffre was the main responsible for this kind of music infact his approach here is clearly evident. The only music minutes here are in the "two" session, probably because Giuffre wasn't involved. In this session where Shelly and Russ Freeman were the only guys involved the music appear again for some tunes .. a bassist is still lacking but anyway the music here shows its face.

I don't sell this record only for collection reasons. But if you don't need to own everything Shelly did, bypass this one and go directly to the Black Hawk five cds concert where you will find stellar west coast swinging music. My rating for this cd is between "The three and the two", possibly nearest the two for the "Three" session and nearest the three stars for the "Two" session. Got it? Giuffre was a good player that sometimes displayed great ideas in the arranging department, but when he chose to follow fully the third stream he confined himself to obscurity.