Shelly Young

Shelly Manne and Norman Granz are two names that one doesn't hear in the same sentence very often. Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic tours tended to have a lot of flashy solos, and Manne wasn't about flashiness; he was a subtle drummer who knew the value of economy. Nonetheless, Granz admired Manne's playing – and even though Manne had reservations about taking part in J.A.T.P., Granz managed to persuade him to join J.A.T.P. on a tour of Europe in 1960. Recorded in Zurich, Switzerland, and Copenhagen, Denmark, Yesterdays finds Manne leading a diverse yet cohesive quintet that also includes trumpeter Joe Gordon, tenor saxophonist Richie Kamuca, pianist Russ Freeman, and bassist Monty Budwig.