Shelley Manne, a New York native, honed his drumming skills in the 1940s big band of Bobby Byrne - playing sessions with his swing heroes Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas, Johnny Hodges and Rex Stewart. After the war he became a fixture in the 52nd Street clubs where serious be-bop was spoken - playing with Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and rising stars like Lee Konitz and Lennie Tristano.  Stints with Woody Herman and Stan Kenton brought him celebrity in the jazz press - he was a poll winner.  Then in the mid-50s, he settled in Los Angeles, making major contributions to the West Coast jazz sound and countless movie scores.  His career is almost incomprehensible in its breadth, scope and quality.  His club, Shelley's Manne-Hole was a nerve centre of West Coast jazz.  His collaborations with Dexter Gordon, Ray Brown, Andre Previn, Bill Mays, Chuck Domanico, Alan Broadbent, Joe Pass, Herb Ellis, Art Pepper, Oliver Nelson, Zoot Sims, Laurindo Almeida and Bud Shank yielded legendary recordings and performances.  He was clearly one of the most influential drummers of the 20th century.