Shelly Manne Quintet & Big Band - Manne-That's Gershwin! ( 1965 Capitol) LP

A1 By Strauss 2:53
A2 My Man`s Gone Now 3:30
A3 Mine 3:55
A4 Love Is Here To Stay 2:31
A5 Summertime 3:55
B1 The Real American Folk Song (Is A Rag) 2:45
B2 The Man I Love 5:23
B3 Prelude #2 2:37
B4 How Long Has This Been Going On? 2:33
B5 Theme From Concerto In F 2:55

Conte Candoli, Jimmy Zito, Al Porcino, Ray Triscari -tp; Stu
Williamson, Frank Rosolino, Mike Barone, Bob Edmondson -tb;
Vince De Rosa, Dick Perissi -frh; John Bambridge -tu; Frank
Strozier -as; Bud Shank -cl,sax, fl; Justin Gordon -cl,sax,bcl,
fl; Jack Nimitz -ss,cl,bcl,bs; Russ Freeman -p; Monte Budwig -b;
Shelly Manne -d; Johnny Williams -arr;

recorded February 24, 1965 in Los Angeles
MINE {53416} 3.36
THEME FROM CONCERTO IN F 3.01
BY STRAUSS 2.47

Conte Candoli, Lee Katzman, Al Porcino, Larry McGuire -tp; Stu
Williamson, Frank Rosolino, Mike Barone, Bob Edmondson -tb;
Vince De Rosa, Dick Perissi -frh; John Bambridge -tu; Frank
Strozier -as; Bud Shank -cl,sax, fl; Justin Gordon -cl,sax,bcl,
fl; Jack Nimitz -ss,cl,bcl,bs; Russ Freeman -p; Monte Budwig -b;
Shelly Manne -d; Johnny Williams -arr;

recorded February 25, 1965 in Los Angeles
MY MAN'S GONE NOW 3.29
SUMMERTIME 3.52
THE REAL AMERICAN FOLK SONG IS A RAG 2.42
PRELUDE NO. 2 2.37

Conte Candoli -tp; Frank Strozier -as; Russ Freeman -p; Monte
Budwig -b; Shelly Manne -d;

recorded February 26, 1965 in Los Angeles
HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON? 2.36
LOVE IS HERE TO STAY 2.30
THE MAN I LOVE 5.27


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By Scott Yanow:

On this Discovery LP (which reissues a set originally on Capitol), drummer Shelly Manne heads a big band (arranged by John Williams) on seven selections and his usual quintet of the era (with trumpeter Conte Candoli, altoist Frank Strozier, pianist Russ Freeman and bassist Monty Budwig) on the three remaining songs.

The Gershwin program includes some of the typical familiar standards but also versions of the lesser-known "By Strauss," "The Real American Folk Song," "Prelude #2" and "Theme from Concert in F." A great memorable session, this music generally swings, leaves space for concise solos and is one of the obscure and rare finds in his canon.

Never released to CD, the vinyl that remains in circulation is all that remains of this splendid recording. Very highly recommended, find it if you can.



About JOHN WILLIAMS:

Oscar-winning composer/arranger/conductor has written the scores to more than 60 films, including the acclaimed Raiders of the Lost Ark and its sequel, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom; Star Wars; and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. His career in music has spanned every field from the classics to jazz, and he continues his creative growth in his current post as conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra.



Original back LP notes:

Since George Gershwin's untimely death in 1937, millions of words have issued forth from his contemporaries, creating an impressive eulogy to America's songwriter laureate. But the most eloquent testimonial has come from jazz musicians who find in Gershwin's music a treasure trove of Americana: vital, surging rhythms ... unexpected harmonic twists ... and a lilting, imperishable merodic line:

In Shelly Manne, the art of Gershwin has an eloquent spokesman, and there's a similar rapport for the composer on the part of arranger John T. Williams and the musicians Shelly has assembled for this album. Seven of the selections feature a big band deployed around the Quintet. Three spotlight the Quintet only.

Williams' arrangement for the opening number BY STRAUSS captures Gershwin's tongue-in-cheek approach to the Viennese waltz that made such a delightful song-and-dance vignette in the film "An American in Paris." No oom-pah-pah here. This is a hard-driving jazz waltz.

Conte Candoli's trumpet sets the mood for MY MAN'S. GONE NOW, from "Porgy and Bess." The full-bodied backing of the band and the urging of Shelly Manne underscore the loneliness and heartbreak of the song.

MINE, the tune with the built-in countermelody, becomes a conversation for Strozier's alto and
Candoli's trumpet. Between their solos, the band runs full spectrum of orchestral colors with the tuba predominating, while Shelly punctuates freely.

Russ Freeman piano is featured in LOVE IS HERE TO STAY, the first of the Quintet offerings. After his free-swinging, chordal choruses, Russ reverts to filling in a provocative counter-line behind the unison statements of trumpet and sax.

A masterful SUMMERTIME is etched by the full band, providing a dark, brooding canvas for altoist Frank Strozier. His up-tempo sofa and pensive afterthoughts are high points of the album.

A modern evocation of ragtime is presented in THE REAL AMERICAN FOLK SONG (Is a Rag). No detail is overlooked in recalling the Twenties: the Dixieland voicings, the "reckless" obbligato by the tuba, Shelly's' vaudeville play of sticks on wood block and Flapper-era exclamation points on the cymbal.

In an extended solo that demonstrates the melodic capabilities of the string bass, Monty Budwig is showcased on THE MAN I LOVE. The Quintet comes close to the spirit of an old fashioned jam session, with exchanging of eight-bar comments by trumpet, drums and sax.

Gershwin's Three Preludes for Piano are rare gems of pastel blue. John Williams has taken the PRELUDE#2 and stainped his own orchestral trademark on it. There a slightly freer rhythmic feel to the score, but the bittersweet mood of the original is retained.

Fancy brushwork by Shelly Manne ushers in a tightly swinging Quintet version of HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON? The combo has an uninhibited ball, with some arranged touches addin-g depth and humor to the proceedings: the descending, "big band" line played in unisonb by bass and piano and the occassional Charleston figure behind the release.

The final tribute to Gershwin once again features his classical side. In the THEME FROM CONCERTO IN F, the melodious second movement of the piano concerto undergoes a mild transformation that incorporates later, more sophisticated jazz techniques. It's difficult to improve upon Gershwin, but it is possible to refine his innovations. Russ Freeman provides the sensitive piano solo.

Well-known standards ... long-neglected tunes ... classical excerpts. This is the cross section that puts Gershwin in the best possible focus for a whole new generation of music lovers. All that can be said about such a venture has already been coined: Manne, that's Gershwin!