UUSI REFLECTIONS THE BEST OF GEORGE SHEARING CD - EI PK

George Shearing:
Reflections - The Best Of
George Shearing 1992-1998
CD on UUSI

Subtitled The Best of George Shearing
(1992-1998), Reflections truly is just that.
This excellent compilation culls tracks from
seven discs recorded while Shearing was
in his seventies, placing him in different
contexts performing a variety of mostly fa-
miliar material. His solo take on Dave Bru-
beck's "Summer Song" is especially beau-
tiful, and the trio arrangements of "Straigh-
ten Up and Fly Right" and "Gee Baby, Ain’t
I Good to You" are standouts. However, it's
the varied instrumentation that keeps the
listener tuned in. The gorgeous accompa-
niment of the Robert Farnon Orchestra e-
levates and enriches "Oh, Lady Be Good!"
without diminishing its inherent swing and
gives How Beautiful is the Night a textural-
ly shimmering glow. Vibist Steve Nelson
and guitarist Louis Stewart are especially
effective on the quintet version of Shea-
ring's own "Conception" and add quiet
depth to the Horace Silver composition,
"Peace." Reflections provides a tasty rein-
troduction to some fine music from a very
classy gentleman.

London-born classically-trained jazz pia-
nist came to NYC in the 1940s and helped
transform the genre for decades.

For a long stretch of time in the 1950s and
early '60s, George Shearing had one of
the most popular jazz combos on the pla-
net -- so much so that, in the usual jazz
tradition of distrusting popular success, he
tended to be underappreciated. Shearing's
main claim to fame was the invention of a
unique quintet sound, derived from a com-
bination of piano, vibraphone, electric gui-
tar, bass, and drums. Within this context,
Shearing would play in a style he called
"locked hands," which he picked up and
refined from Milt Buckner's early-'40s work
with the Lionel Hampton band, as well as
Glenn Miller's sax section and the King
Cole Trio. Stating the melody on the piano
with closely knit, harmonized block chords
with the vibes and guitar tripling the melo-
dy in unison, Shearing sold tons of records
for MGM and Capitol in his heyday.

The wild success of this urbane sound ob-
scures Shearing's other great contribution
during this time, for he was also a pioneer
of exciting, small-combo Afro-Cuban jazz
in the '50s. Indeed, Cal Tjader first caught
the Latin jazz bug while playing with She-
aring, and the English bandleader also
employed such esteemed congueros as
Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, and Ar-
mando Peraza. As a composer, Shearing
was best known for the imperishable, uni-
quely constructed bop standard "Lullaby
of Birdland," as well as "Conception" and
"Consternation." His solo style, though all
his own, reflected the influences of the
great boogie-woogie pianists and classical
players, as well as those of Fats Waller,
Earl Hines, Teddy Wilson, Erroll Garner,
Art Tatum, and Bud Powell -- and fellow
pianists long admired his light, refined to-
uch. He was also known to play accordion
and sing in a modest voice on occasion.

Genre:  jazz, piano jazz

01. Birdfeathers  5:05
02. Straighten Up And Fly Right  4:37
03. Summer Song  4:57
04. Oh, Lady Be Good ! 3:17
05. Wail  4:31
06. Conception  7:06
07. How Beautiful Is Night  4:44
08. My Favourite Things  3:12
09. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You  5:00
10. Bag's Groove  7:00
11. Subconcious Lee  7:33
12. Peace  7:00

Bonus TrÄk:

13. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen  5:44

Levy-yhtiö:  Telarc

Julkaisuvuosi:  2000

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