While jazz musicians had long drawn an essential portion of their repertoire from the Broadway stage, this jazz version of Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady was something new in 1956. Drummer Shelly Manne leads a trio with pianist Andre Previn and bassist Leroy Vinnegar here, and they bring a lightly sophisticated touch to the material, which had debuted just a few months before the recording. It's a testament to the quality of score and players alike that the tunes already feel like standards in their hands, both in the arrangements and in the solos. "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" is the shimmering ballad that one might expect, but the trio applies a similar approach with almost equally successful results to the unlikely "With a Little Bit of Luck." Tempos are pushed toward the bop dimension for "Ascot Gavotte" and "Danced All Night," and Previn acquits himself well, generating imaginative lines. Vinnegar is a rock-solid timekeeper, while Manne provides brisk brush work, a lively beat, and creative accents. He's not obtrusive, but Manne's superb drumming is a focal point in this trio, highlighted by the 20-bit K2 super coding. --Stuart Broomer
My Fair Lady (20 Bit Mastering),Shelly Manne,Contemporary,Jazz,Jazz Music,Pop
Jazz Music:
- My Inspiration: Music of Brazil
- New Africa/Aco Dei de Madrugada [Import]
- Nomad [Import]
- Nova Bossa [Import]
- Offering
- On a Roll
- Oscar's Ballads
- Other Side of George Benson [Import]
- Play Bill Holman
- Plays the Music of Elmo Hope
Jazz Music
Messin Around V.3: Tighten Up [Import]
Les Années Odéon/Morceaux Choisis [Import]
Noise from the Basement [Enhanced]
Lotta Boppin' (And Plenty Screamin' Too!), Roulette Rock 'N' Roll, Vol. 4 [Import]