Customer Reviews

Timeless George Shearing

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is early George Shearing, with trio dates from 1947 and his first quintet dates from 1949. I am very pleased in general with Savoy's remasterings from its historical recordings, and this CD is no exception. What becomes clear from the very beginning is that George Shearing started out as a player with exceptional technique and a purely unique sense of style. A number of the pieces on this CD are his own compositions, and they have a breezy insouciance that represents the bebop period at its most sophisticated. The quintet selections sound very much like the Shearing we know from the 1950's and 60's, with tight ensemble amid a vibraphone laced sound. And don't miss Shearing's accordion solo on Cherokee(Lawrence Welk, eat you're heart out!). My only hesitation in giving this CD 5 stars is that I feel that, for all his brilliance, Shearing had not yet fully tapped into his emotional and musical resources. Nevertheless, all his fans will want to hear these recordings, and I think they will be richly rewarded.

If you're into the Beat Generation, Don't miss this incredible CD. Jack Kerouac wrote about George Shearing in his famous book, "On the Road," where Shearing was described by the infamous Moriarty as "GOD." This CD comes pretty darn close.

George Shearing is certainly a talented piano player. His general style is a bit unique as jazz pianists go. The touch of the xylophone helps in spots as well.

However, the bottom line is that after a few songs, the tone and the stylings of Mr. Shearing just do not vary enough. After a while its hard to distinguish one song from the next. A couple are a little slower, a few kind of fast, but George's piano is merely front and center with other than the occasional xylophone, no other instrument making an impact. The bass player and the drummer just do not add anything special to these tracks. Its the same rhythm and beat over and over again to the point where the sound becomes very stale very fast.

As tunes go, after three listens Moon Over Miami and Sophisticated Lady are indeed quite memorable. So Rare is quite pretty and a few others are kind of cute in spots. But way too many of these pieces just are plain forgettable.

To sum up my feelings, George Shearring was/is a talented pianist. However, there are enough style limitations as well as the lack of memorable melodies that make this a two star rating. Passable for background music but that is about it.