Black & White Satin

George Shearing | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 14, 1998)
• Original Release Date: 1957
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Razor & Tie
• ASIN: B000009D3R
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,206 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. The Folks Who Live on the Hill

2. If I Should Lose You

3. Starlight Souvenirs

4. What Is There to Say?

5. Black Satin

6. You Don't Know What Love Is

7. Nothing Ever Changes My Love for You

8. One Morning in May

9. Moon Song

10. Medley: As Long as I Live/Let's Live Again

11. Your Name Is Love

12. Dream

13. Laura

14. There's a Small Hotel

15. Old Folks

16. Blue Malibu

17. How Long Has This Been Going On?

18. Love's Melody

19. An Affair to Remember

20. There'll Be Another Spring

See all 22 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars George Shearing's Black and White Satin, October 6, 2004

By 

Reinaldo Araujo "vanvanero" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black & White Satin (Audio CD)

This set of productions by George Shearing was put together for their similar sounds and if you listen to these 22 songs and try to figure out which songs belong to what production, it would be a pretty hard task. The combination of Shearing's beautiful piano and the strings behind the music make this a pleasant and relaxing CD to listen to. Compared to other Shearing productions, these two collections give the listener a more sensitive and mellow sound which makes it perfect for a late rainy night.

A song that stands out from this collection is the melodious "Moon Song." This track, although just over two minutes, has so much music that it will make you listen to it over and over again. The most interesting part of this song is the dramatic ending which goes back to the intro of the song but this time more mysterious and haunting. Another song that will draw your attention is the popular standard "Laura." From all the versions that I have heard this is by far the best of them. Similar to "Moon Song," the ending of "Laura" comes back to the main melody but takes an unexpected turn to give it a happy ending. The sounds of this track give me the impression that if there is a "Laura", she is a lovely woman.

Although there are no lyrics in these productions, I think these sounds give the listener one thousand things to talk about, like it did for me.

I enjoy listening to George Shearing because his music is very rich in melody and his solos represent him as a great pianist. Whether he plays with his quartet or with an orchestra in the background, Shearing shows that he is versatile at different sounds.

Other artists that I listen to along with Shearing are Bill Evans, and Eliana Elias to name a few. From other Shearing albums that I own, I would definitely recommend his Christmas production: "Christmas with the George Shearing Quintet."

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars George Shearing and strings: a sound like no other, April 1, 2006

By 

Andrew Mendez (White Bear Lake, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black & White Satin (Audio CD)

Having received a faux-antique record player as a Christmas present, and eager to try out my new toy, I purchased both "Black Satin" and "White Satin" as LPs from a used book store. The lush orchestral arrangements, coupled with the distinctive Shearing piano-vibraphone melody, took my breath away. The opening song, "The Folks Who Live On The Hill", best represents this combination, offering the listener a beautiful partnership of Shearing's interpretation and the background of strings that support ably the haunting mood of the song. "Black Satin", a Latin-based melody with plenty of swing, leaves the listener wanting more. Another song with a Latin theme is "Blue Malibu". The percussion, combined with the harmonic patterns from Shearing's piano, take you to a sunny beach overlooking blue waters and white sands. From sexy to introspective, the songs of this compilation will lift your spirits. Truly timeless music!

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy listening, rather than jazz in these old LP's..., July 5, 2003

By 

William E. Adams (Midland, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black & White Satin (Audio CD)

Beautiful music, but best for background sounds, is my take on these two Capitol LP's. Razor & Tie put them together on CD in 1998, but "Black Satin" was a 1957 release, and "White Satin" came along in 1960. Both have orchestra backing, which diminishes the jazz feel for Shearing's always superb piano work. While the booklet credits "The George Shearing Quintet & Orchestra" for "Black", no players are named. Since Billy May did the arrangements, however, one might assume he also provided the other musicians. On the "White" album, three years later, May is credited with "conducting" the orchestra. Out of the 22 tracks, only two are written by George. The rest are a mixture of standards and now-obscure songs. I love Shearing, but I like him best with a quartet or quintet. His solo albums and his orchestra-backed works tend to be pretty, but a bit dull. Still, there are moments on this disc which are compelling, including his rendition of the Gershwin's classic "How Long Has This Been Going On?" A naughty bonus, for its era: The original cover of "White Satin" is reproduced as the back cover insert in this reissue. It features a redheaded woman in an open-front white dress, semi-reclining in an inviting pose. Tame by the standards of rap music videos, but quite daring for 1960.