Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Shelly MANNE & His Men - Play More Music From Peter Gunn, Son Of Gunn! 1959

Shelly MANNE & His Men - Play More Music From Peter Gunn, Son Of Gunn! 1959
2005 Issue

Jazz

While drummer/bandleader Shelly Manne's initial 1959 outing, dedicated to Henry Mancini's Peter Gunn TV scores, was more than just a novelty, this follow-up disc stretches the concept to the absolute limit. Recorded only five months after the release of Shelly Manne & His Men Play Peter Gunn, Son of Gunn!! sounds exactly like what it is: jazz musicians taking ostensibly generic background music for a television show and trying to make something more out of it. Apparently, even Mancini was aware of the challenge these musicians were facing, and encouraged them to apply free interpretations on these ten cuts and not to worry about maintaining a "Mancini feeling." Besides the lack of interesting material, Manne was also working with a brand-new front lineup, as trumpeter Conte Candoli and alto saxophonist Herb Geller were replaced by trumpeter Joe Gordon and tenor man Richie Kamuca. In retrospect, this isn't a horrible set, just one that should have focused less on concept and more on vision.
By Al Campbell. AMG.
**
A crackling set of crime jazz from drummer Shelly Manne -- a follow-up to his first set of work from the Peter Gunn soundtrack, and arguably even better than the first! Manne's working here with a great combo that includes Victor Feldman on vibes, Joe Gordon on trumpet, and Richie Kamuca on tenor  playing with a warmly raspy tone that gives the work a quality that's even more soulful than the Henry Mancini originals that inspired the set, and which is perfectly matched with the trumpet of Joe Gordon. There's a depth here that goes way beyond the simple soundtrack roots of the material and the arrangements on the set are proof that Manne was one of the hippest-thinking jazz cats on the mainstream LA scene of the time. Titles include "Spook", "Joanna", "Walkin Bass", "Blues For Mothers", "Odd Ball", "Blue Steel", and "Goofin At The Coffee House".
From Dusty Groove.
**
More music from Mother's, Peter Gunn's favorite watering hole. Manne's second LP of Mancini's TV show music has weaker material & a different front line (trumpeter Conte Candoli & alto saxophonist Herb Geller replaced by trumpeter Joe Gordon & Richie Kamuca on tenor.). This followup is more bluesy than the first album. Maybe not essential Shelly Manne, but both albums taken together are classic Mancini & "crime jazz."
**
Bass- Monty Budwig
Composed By, Arranged By- Henry Mancini
Drums- Shelly Manne
Piano- Russ Freeman
Tenor Saxophone- Richie Kamuca
Trumpet- Joe Gordon
Vibraphone [Vibraharp], Marimba- Victor Feldman
**
01. Odd Ball (H. Mancini) (3:33)
02. Blue Steel (H. Mancini) (4:52)
03. Spook! (H. Mancini) (5:24)
04. Joanna (H. Mancini) (4.13)
05. Goofin' at the Coffee House (H. Mancini) (3:34)
06. Walkin' Bass (H. Mancini) (4:31)
07. My Manne Shelly (H. Mancini) (3:38)
08. Blues for Mother's (H. Mancini) (4:25)
09. A Quiet Gass (H. Mancini) (4:36)
10. Lightly (H. Mancini) (3:32)
**

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