Shelly Manne

Shelly Manne (June 11 1920–September 26 1984), born Sheldon Manne in New York, New York, was an American jazz drummer. He was frequently associated with West Coast Jazz, but his broad range of contributions to music, not only

Shelly Manne (June 11 1920–September 26 1984), born Sheldon Manne in New York, New York, was an American jazz drummer. He was frequently associated with West Coast Jazz, but his broad range of contributions to music, not only jazz, showed that he could not be readily pigeonholed.

Manne's father and uncles were drummers, and in his youth he especially admired swing drummers Jo Jones and especially Dave Tough. He developed his art in the clubs of 52nd Street in New York in the late 1930s and 1940s, and in his early years performed and recorded with jazz stars like Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Shavers, and Don Byas, as well as a number of musicians mainly associated with Duke Ellington, like Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, Lawrence Brown, and Rex Stewart.