Hot Stamper Pressings Featuring Shelly Manne Available Now
When it comes to blockbuster sound that jumps out of the speakers, the wind is at your back with The Three because this is one seriously well-recorded album. If this record doesn’t wake up your stereo, nothing will.
We call it a “blockbuster” because it does not sound very much like a jazz trio performing in a club or some such venue.
But where is the harm in that? It’s not trying to.
What it’s trying to be is huge and powerful in your home. Everything has been carefully and artificially placed in the soundfield. Shelly Manne’s cymbals are placed as far left and as far right as possible on the “stage,” making him the longest-armed drummer to have ever sat behind a kit.
The drum solo on side two is full of energy and so dynamic. Why aren’t more drum kits recorded this well?
Check out the pictures inside the fold-open cover to see all the mics that were used on the drums. That’s where that wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling sound comes from.
It’s a phenomenal big speaker jazz Demo Disc.
Play this one as loud as you can. The louder you play it, the better it sounds.
Speaking of Energy
The transients found on this recording are uncannily lifelike. Listen for the huge amounts of kinetic energy produced when Shelly whacks the hell out of his cymbals.
This is a quality no one seems to be writing about, other than us of course, but what could possibly be more important? On this record, the more energetic copies took the players’ performances to a level beyond all expectations. It is positively shocking how lively and dynamic the best copies of this record are.
I know of no other jazz recording with this combination of sonic and musical energy.