[MRL 375] Shelly Manne - Mannekind

SHELLY MANNE
Mannekind
1972

Shelly Manne - Percussion
Gary Barone - Trumpet
Jeff Castleman - Bass
John Gross - Flute, Sax (Tenor)
Brian Moffatt - Percussion
John Morrell - Guitar
Mike Wofford - Piano (Electric)


Tracklisting:

1 Birth (0:30)
2 Scavenger (9:36)
3 Seance (7:55)
4 Witches (4:15)
5 Fertility (0:30)
6 Maturity (0:27)
7 Tomorrow (7:50)
8 Pink Pearl (2:45)
9 Mask (7:27)
10 Infinity (0:42)

freeform.org review:

[Mannekind has] some great great tunes, lots of percussion by Shelly and Brian Moffatt, and the keyboard job nicely done by Mike Wofford (whom i didn't know till then). "Scavenger" and "Tomorrow", the longest tunes on the album, really deserve an A rate. [EB]

Located a copy of Mannekind on one of those dodgy Heritage Jazz CD reissues. It's sadly devoid of the great Mainstream cover art that'd inevitably portray the session leader in frightening detail but hey, I'll take it anyway. I've never seen the vinyl, probably owing to the alleged Jeru sample. Gotta concur with Eric re. the kozmiworthiness of this document... ain't no thin spots to be found on this joint. Both sides begin and end with these half minute percussion 'n effects explorations-- amongst other devices, Manne is credited with berimbau, dahka de bellos, and "super balls on cymbals"-- bracketing some tastily expansive grooves. I dunno, the funk seeping outta this drop has to be the skankiest I've heard anywhere on the Mainstream label. Check the last coupla minutes of "Tomorrow" for guitarist John Morrell gettin' totally rabid on the wah pedal. Wofford (who also enlightened Oliver Nelson's "Skull Session" on Flying Dutchman) is outstanding on el-p and synth flatulence. Heavenly. [DW]

Dusty Groove sez:

An incredible album -- unlike anything else that Shelly Manne recorded! The record features Shelly getting all dope and mellow, sliding around on the kit in a kickback set of complex drum fills and percussion effects. In addition to drums, he plays berimbau, wterphone, cuica, and superballs on cymbals (?!) -- and the rest of the group includes John Morrell on guitar and Mike Wofford on piano, as well as Brian Moffatt on a host of odd percussion instruments. "Infinity" is the impossible to find loop behind Jeru's "Come Clean", but the rest of the record has yet to be mined for unknown stabs, fills and breaks. Tracks include "Seance", "Scavenger", "Mask", and "Pink Pearl".

AMG Review
by Scott Yanow

One of the least interesting groups that drummer Shelly Manne led can be heard on this long out-of-print Mainstream LP. Manne tried hard to keep his mind open to the avant-garde and free jazz during this era but his septet (comprised of trumpeter Gary Barone, John Gross on tenor, pianist Mike Wofford, guitarist John Morell, bassist Jeffry Castleman and percussionist Brian Moffatt) only had one distinctive soloist (Wofford) and the group originals (by Wofford and Morell) are uncomfortable and immediately forgettable. Despite a few good solos, this is one of the weaker Shelly Manne albums.

Also released as MSL 1023 and later reissued in 1992 on CD by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab as MFCD 853