33 Facts About Shelly Manne

Sheldon "Shelly" Manne was an American jazz drummer.

Shelly Manne contributed to the musical background of hundreds of Hollywood films and television programs.

Sheldon "Shelly" Manne was born June 11,1920, in Manhattan, New York City, New York.

From that time, Manne rapidly developed his style in the clubs of 52nd Street in New York in the late 1930s and 1940s.

Shelly Manne worked with a number of musicians mainly associated with Duke Ellington, like Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Lawrence Brown, and Rex Stewart.

In 1942, during World War II, Shelly Manne joined the Coast Guard and served until 1945.

In 1943, Shelly Manne married a Rockette named Florence Butterfield, a marriage that would last 41 years, until his death.

Shelly Manne rose to stardom when he became part of the working bands of Woody Herman and, especially, Stan Kenton in the late 1940s and early 1950s, winning awards and developing a following at a time when jazz was the most popular music in the United States.

Shelly Manne rose to the challenge, finding new colors and rhythms, and developing his ability to provide support in a variety of musical situations.

Many of his recordings around this time were for Lester Koenig's Contemporary Records, where for a period Shelly Manne had a contract as an "exclusive" artist.

Shelly Manne led a number of small groups that recorded under his name and leadership.

Shelly Manne is often associated with the once frequently criticized West Coast school of jazz.

Shelly Manne has been considered "the quintessential" drummer in what was seen as a West Coast movement, though Manne himself did not care to be so pigeonholed.

In Los Angeles, and occasionally returning to New York and elsewhere, Shelly Manne recorded with musicians of all schools and styles, ranging from those of the swing era through bebop to later developments in modern jazz, including hard bop, usually seen as the antithesis of the cool jazz frequently associated with West Coast playing.

Around the same time in 1959, Shelly Manne recorded with the traditional Benny Goodman and the iconoclastic Ornette Coleman, a striking example of his versatility.

Two duet albums feature Marshall on guitar, accompanied by Shelly Manne playing drums and a wide variety of percussion instruments unusual in jazz, from "Hawaiian slit bamboo sticks", to a Chinese gong, to castanets, to piccolo Boo-Bam.

Shelly Manne participated in the revival of that jazz precursor ragtime, and sometimes recorded with musicians best associated with European classical music.

Shelly Manne always returned to the straight-ahead jazz he loved best.

Shelly Manne was often experimental, and had participated in such musically exploratory groups of the early 1950s as those of Jimmy Giuffre and Teddy Charles.

Whether playing Dixieland, bebop, or avant-garde jazz, in big bands or in small groups, Shelly Manne's self-professed goal was to make the music swing.

Shelly Manne refused to play in a powerhouse style, but his understated drumming was appreciated for its own strengths.

In later years this kind of appreciation for what Shelly Manne could do was echoed by jazz notables like Louie Bellson, John Lewis, Ray Brown, Harry "Sweets" Edison, and numerous others who had worked with him at various times.

Shelly Manne had strong preferences in his choice of drum set.

Over decades, Shelly Manne recorded additional albums, or sometimes just sat in on drums here and there, with renowned vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Torme, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Ernestine Anderson, Sarah Vaughan, Lena Horne, Blossom Dearie, and Nancy Wilson.

Not all the singers Shelly Manne accompanied were even primarily jazz artists.

Early in his career, Shelly Manne was occasionally seen and heard in the movies, for example in the 1942 film Seven Days Leave, as the drummer in the highly popular Les Brown orchestra.

Soon, Shelly Manne began to contribute to film music in a broader way, often combining jazz, pop, and classical music.

Shelly Manne frequently collaborated with Mancini in television as well, such as in the series Peter Gunn and Mr Lucky.

In later years, Shelly Manne divided his time playing the drums on, adding special percussive effects to, and sometimes writing complete scores for both film and television.

Shelly Manne even provided a musical setting for a recording of the Dr Seuss children's classic Green Eggs and Ham and later performed in and sometimes wrote music for the backgrounds of numerous animated cartoons.

Late in 1973, Shelly Manne was forced to close the club for financial reasons.

Four, which recorded four albums before Shelly Manne left the ensemble.

Shelly Manne died somewhat before the popular revival of interest in jazz had gained momentum.