1955 · Album
Collaboration West
Recorded 1955 · RCA Victor · Produced by Not specified in available sources
Two Arrangers, One Session, No Losers
Rogers and Previn trade arranging duties like friendly rivals, each proving their case across eight sharp, swinging tracks.
The hook here is the setup: Shorty Rogers and André Previn each arrange a standard, then Previn writes an original using the same chords, Rogers follows with his own — they swap roles halfway through. It sounds like a gimmick, but it works because both men were serious arrangers who believed in what they were doing. The competition is real without being hostile. Jimmy Giuffre on saxophone gives the session its sophisticated edge; his lines are clean and thoughtful, never overreaching. Shelly Manne locks in behind the kit with the kind of precision that makes ensemble work possible — he's not flashy, just exact. Teddy Charles on vibraphone adds color without getting in the way, and Curtis Counce's bass grounds everything. Billboard noticed it immediately in 1955, saying the sidemen were first-rate and both leaders "wear their arranging laurels proudly." AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow called it "a dead heat with some fine swinging solos" — meaning no one wins because everyone plays well. This isn't Rogers at his peak as a bandleader; it's two skilled arrangers testing themselves against each other on eight minutes of mutual respect. Start here if you want to hear how swing-era sensibility sounded when modernism was already in the room.
Who's playing
Where next?
The musicians on this record
The Drum Sessions 1975
Shelly Manne
plays drums (drum set) here
plays drums (drum set) here
♫
Tangents in Jazz 1955
Jimmy Giuffre
plays saxophone here
plays saxophone here
