Two decades after Shelly Manne's untimely death at the age of sixty-four, the unassuming artistry of the once popular bandleader and widely recorded sideman is largely overlooked, if not forgotten.

As a jazz drummer, studio musician, bandleader and businessman, Shelly Manne was one of the mostprolific instrumentalists of modern times. “I’ve really had the best of both worlds,” he said in 1983.

One the greatest drummers in jazz history, Shelly Manne, was born in New York City on June 11, 1920. Coming from a family of drummers, Manne began working New York's 52nd Street jazz scene in his late ...