Search - Shelly Manne :: Live at the Black Hawk 1

Highly Reccomended

Michael A. Lopez | Fremont, California | 02/17/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the first volume in a series of five which Shelly Manne & His Men recorded at San Francisco's legendary Blackhawk jazz club on September 22-24, 1959. This is 100% pure jazz at it's finest. I could not give less than five stars to any of the five albums in this series of music. The clean and precise sound of Manne's drumming, along with the excellent chemistry of Joe Gordon's trumpet and Richie Kamuca's tenor sax seems to have been taken to a higher level in this intimate live setting. Victor Feldman, known more for his vibe playing, fills in well at the piano for Russ Freeman (Manne's regular pianist on a European tour at the time). And Monty Budwig's outstanding bass solos' are not to go unmentioned. Manne's dialog between sets only adds to the excellent club atmosphere these albums capture. If I was to be asked what pure west coast jazz sounds like in a small, intimate live setting more common in the '50's & early '60's, I would simply have to say listen to Shelly Manne's albums recorded live at the Blackhawk."

Shelly, we miss you

David Zehring | La Veta, CO United States | 02/28/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I purchased this and the other volumes of Live at the Blackhawk when they first were released on Contemporary Records, and those copies have long since worn out. Shelly Manne was one of the best and most influential drummers in the "West Coast" modern jazz idiom, and this band and these live recordings are proof of that. In addition to Shelly's consumate skill as accompanist and occasional soloist, Richie Kamuca and especially Victor Feldman shine as solo voices. Shelly is heard announcing many of the tunes and introducing the band, the sound is very intimate, and the recording has great historical significance as an example of the wonderful but often underappreciated music that was produced by musicians on the "left coast", many alumnae of the Stan Kenton and Woody Herman bands of the fifties."

Collect all 5!

David Zehring | 12/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you don't think a drummer can make a group, listen to this cd. Everyone in the band is really hip, but Shelly's the one that makes this band a knockout. It is his band, but he doesn't get in the way with theatrics or bombastic playing, he just propels the band to new heights with every chorus. I think the guys could have taken shorter choruses, but when a band swings as hard as this one, it doesn't matter.If you want danceable, blasé psudo-jazz, don't get this. It will scare and hurt you. But if you want a burning session, get this. You will be knocked out. And you will want to get all 5 volumes."