Shelly Manne – 2 3 4 – Impulse/ Analogue Productions Stereo-only SACD CIPJ 20 SA – 1962, 35:15 (Distr. by Harmonia mundi) ****:
(Shelly Manne, drums; Coleman Hawkins, tenor sax & piano on “Me and Some Drums”; Hank Jones, piano; Eddie Costa, piano & vibes; George Duvivier, bass)
Analogue Productions has given an audiophile treatment to Shelly Manne’s concept album, 2 3 4, which was recorded over two days in Feb. 1962. These sessions were recorded as a vehicle to bring together Shelly Manne with Coleman Hawkins. Shelly was based on the West Coast and Coleman was living in New York. They had previously recorded together years back when producer Bob Thiele and Shelly were in the service. Theile had considerable pull at Impulse Records at the time of this recording, so a reunion was set up and Shelly flew back East.
It was decided that Coleman and Shelly would record as a quartet with Hank Jones and George Duvivier. Three of the tracks had that configuration, while Eddie Costa and Duvivier played with Shelly on “Lean on Me ” (no, not the Bill Withers tune) and “The Sicks of Us.” What made the album, unique, however, was the after hours improvisation of “Me and Some Drums” in which Shelly and Coleman recorded as a duo. Coleman was prevailed to play piano on the first half of the track. Prior to this recording Hawk had never recorded on piano. What followed was a relatively free improvisation as Manne had to intuitively follow Hawkins. On the second half of the track, Coleman picked up the tenor to play.
“Take the A Train” opens the album, done as a ballad, and the SACD version here puts Shelly very up front in the mix. Every cymbal strike is crisp and puts the listener in the room with Manne. Hawkins’ solo is big and throaty and immediately recognizable as Hawk. Duvivier’s solo is woody and the string plucking is awesome as George “walks” the fret board.
“The Sicks of Us” has Costa on vibes with bass and drums. On SACD, the vibes pulsate and ring with authority. You want to reach out and grab a mallet and join in. “Slowly” from the movie Fallen Angel follows next and Hawkins’ vibrato on this ballad is unmistakable. You can almost hear the reed vibrate. The old pro, Hank Jones, on piano, has several choruses of relaxed accompaniment. Duvivier and Manne comp and you can set a metronome to their steadiness behind Coleman.
Eddie Costa sits in for Hank on the trio’s version of “Lean on Me.” Costa plays with the intensity to match his mallet work on vibes. Manne is right along with percussive touches as the tune turns boppish.
“Cherokee” is double-time magic for Manne, before Hawkins’ bluesy solo changes the mood. “Me and Some Drums,” as mentioned before, is the most interesting track as Hawkins’ somber piano lines leave Manne to improvise on an African drum beat, even after Hawkins picks up his tenor. Two pros, after hours, locked into a groove, both with “good ears” to play off each other for six minutes of improvisation.
One only wishes there were a few alternate takes or additional tracks to fill up the rather skimpy thirty-six-minute recording. [Though it was just right for the original LP…Ed.] However, if you dig the concept of this duo, trio, and quartet album, and want to hear what it truly sounded like, “in session”, this SACD is the ticket….
TrackList: Take the “A” Train, The Sicks of Us, Slowly, Lean on Me, Cherokee, Me and Some Drums
— Jeff Krow
