Search - Shelly Manne :: Alive in London

It's Hard To Live Up To Perfection

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 08/19/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Shelly Manne's five "At The Blackhawk" recordings are among the best live jazz albums ever recorded. Because of the success of the Blackhawk albums, Manne made several more live recordings during his career, obviously in an attempt to recapture that original glory. While some, like the "Manne Hole" volumes come close to achieving the same greatness, others do not live up to the exceedingly high expecations. Unfortunately, "Alive in London" falls into the latter category. In terms of musical material it is impossible to compare this CD with the Blackhawk discs. "Alive in London" is recorded almost ten years later, in 1969, and Manne has exchanged his trademark west coast sound for the new electric experimentations of men like Miles Davis, although it is definitely not as "out" as that. However, in terms of ambience London just doesn't measure up to San Francisco. This band just doesn't possess the same kind of chemistry that the Blackhawk group did, and the sound just doesn't come across as fully. "Alive in London" isn't a bad album, it's just that Manne's other live recordings are a tough act to follow."