LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

Among Shelly Manne’s recordings, the five volumes that came out of three nights in 1959 at San Francisco’s Black Hawk occupy a special place in his discography. The drummer recorded copiously during the Fifties with the band he called Shelly Manne & His Men, but this was the first time they had been captured on tape in a club, with commercial release in mind. His Men were joined for the Black Hawk dates by pianist Victor Feldman, and the group caught fire in a series of performances so consistent that Contemporary released not just the one album contemplated, but four and, ultimately, a fifth, Volume 1 contains the remarkable waltz, “Blue Daniel,” and a blistering performance of Tadd Dameron’s “Our Delight.”
Track listing: Summertime, Our Delight, Poinciana, Blue Daniel, Theme: A Gem from Tiffany, plus CD bonus track Blue Daniel (alternate)