Shelly Manne - 2-3-4 (2026) [Hi-Res]

In 1962, drummer Shelly Manne released an atypical album on Impulse titled 2-3-4, built from duets, trios and quartets — a rare format for the time, especially given the presence of drums in duet settings. A year earlier, Manne had already explored similar experimental territory, recording an entire album of drums-and-guitar duets with guitarist Jack Marshall, titled Sounds Unheard of!.

2-3-4 marked Manne's final studio meeting with saxophonist Coleman Hawkins, a collaboration that stretched back to 1943, when the young drummer took part in sessions led by Hawkins for the Signature label, followed by another recording for Victor in 1946. In 1949, both musicians performed together as part of Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic, and their concert at Carnegie Hall on February 11 of that year — alongside trumpeter Fats Navarro, pianist Hank Jones, and bassist Ray Brown — survives on record as the second-to-last documented meeting between Manne and Hawkins before the 1962 album.

The record earned a 5-star rating from Down Beat, where critic Harvey Pekar praised its variety and aesthetic cohesion, noting that each of the three featured groups had something worthwhile to offer.

Tracklist:
1-1 Shelly Manne - Take The "A" Train [7:34]
1-2 Shelly Manne - Sicks Of Us [6:00]
1-3 Shelly Manne - Slowly [5:38]
1-4 Shelly Manne - Lean On Me [6:28]
1-5 Shelly Manne - Cherokee [3:30]
1-6 Shelly Manne - Me And Some Drums [5:59]