LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

This fourth volume commemorating Shelly Manne’s 1959 odyssey at the Black Hawk includes the surprise of a waltz-time version of Duke Ellington’s “Squeeze Me.” Pursuing Manne’s penchant for swinging treatments of unexpected material, there is a spirited approach to Xavier Cugat’s “Nightingale.” The group’s theme, “A Gem from Tiffany,” gets its fastest workout on record. Roland Alexander’s “Cabu” is explored in the originally issued take and a longer alternate recently discovered and included as a bonus track. Manne had fine bands in succeeding decades, but the group with Richie Kamuca, Joe Gordon, Victor Feldman, and Monty Budwig has a special place in his long career.
Track listing: Cabu, Just Squeeze Me, Nightingale, Theme: A Gem from Tiffany, plus CD bonus track Cabu (alternate)