Jazz

George Shearing & Hank Jones – The Spirit of 176 (2003)

2016-07-28T15:28:41Z

George Shearing & Hank Jones – The Spirit of 176 (2003)


01. Oh, Look at Me Now
02. Angel Eyes
03. I Mean You
04. You Don’t Know What Love Is
05. To Hank Jones
06. Minor Contention
07. Ask Me Now
08. Triste
09. Take A Good Look
10. Sweet Lorraine
11. Young No More
12. Lonely Moments
13. Star Eyes
14. Confirmation

George Shearing (piano)
Hank Jones (piano)

George Shearing and Hank Jones have always been very well-rounded pianists fully capable of playing unaccompanied solos. Their unique matchup as a two-piano duo on this Concord release works surprisingly well for the two pianists manage to stay out of each other's way and the ensembles are not overcrowded. The pianists tackle colorful material including "Angel Eyes," and Thelonious Monk's "I Mean You," an original apiece, Mary Lou Williams's "Lonely Moments," "Star Eyes" and "Confirmation," and the results are swinging and tasteful. This somewhat obscure Concord CD is worth investigating. ---Scott Yanow, Rovi

More than a few jazz critics and musicians dismiss duo piano releases as gimmicks, though I stumped pianist Tommy Flanagan when I replied to his negative statement about them with "What about your albums with Hank Jones?" This 1988 session pairs Jones with George Shearing, who also has the necessary chops to complement a partner's playing rather than turn it into a train wreck. One can easily imagine the smiles exchanged between these two veterans as they romp through a rollicking take of Thelonious Monk's "I Mean You" or their buoyant treatment of Antonio Carlos Jobim's classic bossa nova anthem "Triste."

But the ballads are something special as well. "Angel Eyes" becomes even more moody with the addition of a droning vamp repeated throughout the song. "You Don't Know What Love Is" packs an emotional punch with an especially understated performance. A little engineering wizardry (Shearing told me it was greatly increasing the gain) adds a bit of mystery to the introduction and close of "Star Eyes," played with a light Latin rhythm. The somewhat obscure "Young No More" is another hidden gem awaiting discovery.

Mary Lou Williams' infrequently played "Lonely Moments" features the two players negotiating her wild bop obstacle course without a single slip. Their jaunty closer is a marvelous midtempo take of Charlie Parker's "Confirmation." Shearing can't resist a bit of playfulness as he inserts an excerpt from Igor Stravinsky's ballet "Petrouchka" at the end of his original "To Hank Jones." "Minor Contention" is yet another daredevil bop vehicle penned by Jones.

This reissue sounds even better than the original release, since it is a hybrid super audio CD (mixed in 5.1 Surround sound) which still plays in a normal unit until you get around to upgrading your equipment. Anyone who has enjoyed duo piano sessions as much as I have over the past 30 years should pick up this disc immediately. ---Ken Dryden, chattanoogan.com

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George Shearing - Black Satin (1956)

2019-04-03T13:54:34Z

George Shearing - Black Satin (1956)


1 	The Folks Who Live On The Hill	4:32
2 	If I Should Lose You	2:38
3 	Starlight Souvenirs	3:27
4 	What Is There To Say	2:45
5 	Black Satin	2:37
6 	You Don't Know What Love Is  	2:57
7 	Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You	4:35
8 	One Morning In May	2:31
9 	Moon Song	2:38
10	Medley: As Long As I Live - Let's Live Again	3:56
+
11	Sleepy Manhattan	2:58
12	If I Had You	2:48

George Shearing – piano
Billy May – arranger

The author of Black Satin's original liner notes would have one believe the album was recorded for the sole purpose of aiding swinging bachelors in their quest to seduce women (ranging from "the girl in blue gingham to the lady in luxurious black satin"). Astute jazz lovers know, however, that even the poppiest George Shearing records are far more than simple cocktail lounge dreck. It's mellow music for sure, and heavily orchestrated, but there is a level of harmonic sophistication and brilliant arranging here that qualifies Black Satin for classic status. George Shearing's sublimely elegant tone, touch, and phrasing are perhaps never better and more simply displayed than on this album. Plus, the record in some ways serves as a primer to his style, as he manages to add subtle shadings of Latin music, bebop, and barrelhouse throughout (sometimes all in the same tune). As the title suggests, this isn't an album full of ferocious up-tempo jazz chops, but rather mood music in the best possible sense of that term. Often sounding like a soundtrack to a non-existent film noir classic or a concept album in the vein of Frank Sinatra's In the Wee Small Hours, it's by turns mysterious, jovial, exotic, romantic, melancholy, and wistful. Black Satin owes a good part of its success to the strings (co-arranged by Billy May, who also worked with Sinatra), which are perfectly mated to the quintet in a manner that recalls the best work of George Martin with the Beatles. Though often lumped in with the lounge genre, Black Satin is by no means simply background music. Best listened to as a continuous piece, the album (which is available on CD with its sister disc, White Satin) reveals deeper and deeper subtleties upon repeated listening. ---Pemberton Roach, AllMusic Review

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George Shearing - Blues Alley Jazz (1979)

2011-05-25T08:29:28Z

George Shearing - Blues Alley Jazz (1979)


1. One for the Woofer (Taylor) 8:04
2. Autumn in New York (Duke) 4:42			play
3. The Masquerade Is Over (Magidson, Wrubel) 6:18
4. That's What She Says (Fest 3:45
5. Soon It's Gonna Rain (Jones, Schmidt) 4:34
6. High and Inside (Torff) 3:28				play
7. For Every Man There's a Woman (Arlen, Robin) 3:41
8. This Couldn't Be the Real Thing (Mulligan, Torme) 3:17

George Shearing (piano); 
Brian Torff (bass).

Pianist George Shearing started a productive ten-year association with the Concord label with this live set, a duo outing matching him with the brilliant bassist Brian Torff. Their performances are virtuosic, intuitive, full of sly wit and always swinging; it is surprising that Torff did not become more famous. The close interaction between the two masterful musicians on such numbers as Billy Taylor's "One for the Woofer," "The Masquerade Is Over" and a humorous "Lazy River" are quite impressive as is Shearing's surprisingly effective vocal on "This Couldn't Be the Real Thing." This CD is recommended. ---Scott Yanow

BLUES ALLEY JAZZ, a live duo performance, pairs pianist George Shearing with bassist Brian Torff for an evening of highly accessible bop playing. The melodic voicings that Shearing popularized with his quintet are still in the mix here, but with significantly more freedom for the pianist to move fluidly around the keyboard, peeling off complex solos chock full of quotations and cleverly re-invented melodic fragments. Versions of Billy Taylor's "One for the Woofer" and Hoagy Carmichael's "Up a Lazy River" display Shearing's quick wit and improvisatory flair.

Torff impresses with his lightning-swift runs and smooth, rhythmic sensibility. He is as comfortable holding the bottom end down with subtle elegance as he is blazing across the frets in harmonic dialogue with Shearing's lines. The interplay between the two is seamless on ballads ("Autumn in New York") and funky, Latin-tinged numbers ("That's What She Says"). On the whole, the date has a sophisticated, supper-club feel (note Shearing's sincere vocal on "This Couldn't Be the Real Thing"), with plenty of chops to please hardcore jazz fans.

Recorded live at Blues Alley, Washington, D.C. in October 1979. --- cduniverse.com

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George Shearing - You're Hearing (1950)

2011-05-23T18:42:43Z

George Shearing - You're Hearing (1950)


01 - Tenderly
02 - Strolling.
03 - November Seascape	play
04 - September In the Rain	play
05 - Five O'Clock Whistle
06 - I Remember You
07 - Summertime
08 - Changing With the Times
09 - As Long As There's Music
10 - East of the Sun
11 - I'll Be Around
12 - For You

George Shearing – piano
Marjorie Hyams – vibraphone
Chuck Wayne – guitar
John O. Levy, Jr. – bass
Denzil DeCosta Best – drums

A prominent composer and arranger for over five decades, British musician George Shearing always regarded himself as a pianist who happened to play jazz. During the 1950s and 1960s, he led one of the world’s most popular jazz quintets, playing in a style he called "locked hands," and inventing a unique quintet sound derived from the combination of piano, vibraphone, electric guitar, bass, and drums. Along with the success of his quintet, Shearing made other great contributions throughout these years, including leading several small, Afro-Cuban jazz combos in the 1950s. Vibraphonist/percussionist Cal Tjader, along with esteemed congueros like Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, and Armando Peraza, all played with Shearing’s Latin-influenced bands. Throughout his career as a soloist, fellow pianists admired his light, refined touch, and though he developed his own unique style, Shearing claimed both the great boogie-woogie pianists and classical players as prominent influences. A prolific composer, Shearing wrote over 300 pieces over the course of his lifetime, including the classic "Lullaby of Birdland," which became a jazz standard.

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George Shearing Quintet - Blue Chiffon (1958)

2017-01-06T15:31:49Z

George Shearing Quintet - Blue Chiffon (1958)


01. Love-Wise
02. For Heaven's Sake
03. Nocturne
04. Young And Foolish
05. Nina Never Knew
06. Kinda Cute
07. I'm Old Fashioned
08. I Love You
09. Welcome To My Dreams
10. My One And Only Love
11. I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My Life

Piano - George Shearing 
Vibraphone - Emil Richards 
Guitar - Jean Thielemans
Bass - Al McKibbon 
Drums - Percy Brice 

Conducted by Billy May
Arranged by Billy May, George Shearing

Folks, this is an album from the 1950's, OK? If you are into lounge, retro-cool or smooth jazz you may want to give this a listen, To some, this music might sound like the country club scene from Caddyshack, but believe me, the George Shearing Quintet was for real.

For me, this album evokes a time and place (which I missed, of course) where a laid back sensibility was the rule. The worst of the ridiculous 1950's political and ideological paranoia was over and folks just wanted to kick back with a pitcher of martinis and relax. Come to think of it, this would have made great "Mad Men" music.

Great songs played as only Shearing could play them. Warmly recommended. ---Jack of Clubs, amazon.com

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George Shearing – My Ship (1974)

2011-06-25T19:26:24Z

George Shearing – My Ship (1974)


01. My Ship (5:05)			play
02. Yesterdays (2:58)
03. Happy Days Are Here Again (2:45)
04. When I Fall In Love (4:09)
05. Londonderry Air (2:22)
06. April In Paris (5:19)
07. The Entertainer (2:53)
08. Tenderly (3:24)			play
09. How Deep Is The Ocean (3:22)
10. Autumn In New York (3:14)
11. Greensleeves (5:26)
12. Send In The Clowns (4:32)

George Shearing – piano solo

This solo piano set by George Shearing (which has been reissued on CD through Polygram) is quite eccentric and unpredictable. Freed from the constraints of his popular Quintet, Shearing lets his imagination loose on songs that include "My Ship," "Happy Days Are Here Again," "The Entertainer" (which is turned into jazz after a rag beginning), "Londonberry Air," and -- unfortunately -- "Send in the Clowns," on which he makes the mistake of singing. Some of the classical allusions are a bit too cute, but Shearing's wit and charm eventually win one over. ---Scott Yanow

There are few pianists who shine with such originality in a solo piano setting as George Shearing and he has been doing it for over half a century! This recording is a much for the fan of solo Jazz piano as it is for the audiophile; not only is it beautiful music it is beautiful music to listen to as the nuances of the acoustic piano are wonderfully captured on this recording. Shearing not only plays the instrument utilizing both hands, three pedals and all 88 keys, he also introduces startling arrangements of many art songs that have become Jazz standards. Wait until you hear his grogeous interpretation of Kurt Weill's "My Ship," from which the CD gets its title; his stride piano version of Jerome Kern's "Yesterdays" and his dirge-like interpretation of "Happy Days Are Hear Again." Also, included are very unique renderings of "How Deep Is The Ocean," Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" and a startling version of "Greensleeves." His performance of "April in Paris" is poignant, charming and unforgettable. It is not often that one gets to attend such a masterful solo piano recital given by one of the true geniuses of Jazz piano. This is just such an opportunity; don't miss it.

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