In The George Shearing Quintet

This 101 track, 4 CD survey reveals the importance of the contribution the accordion made to the history of jazz. Distinguished jazz artists such as George Shearing, Harry James and Bennie Moten either played or included an accordion player in their orchestras.

Pianist George Shearing, whose vibes-guitar-piano-bass-drums quintet was one of the most popular in jazz throughout the '50s and '60s, seemed to have had a dual career while signed to Capitol. While his studio recordings often found his quintet augmented by strings, voices, brass, and/or Latin percussion in performances closer to mood music (or even Muzak) than jazz, his live engagements were definitely in the cool/bop vein…

The leader of one of the most popular combos in jazz during the Fifties and early Sixties, the blind George Shearing (b. 1919) was reputed for his mastery at the piano,which led him to perform alongside Oscar Pettiford, Peggy Lee, Wes Montgomery, Mel Tormé or Jim Hall to mention a few. Besides gathering different clips and soundies featuring the great George Shearing and his combo, this video includes additional numbers showcasing what we could term Fifties Swingers: Mel Tormé, the Slam Stewart Trio, Slim Gaillard, the Bobcats, and others. In all, a splendid compilation.

British Jazz pianist George Shearing is joined onstage by Canadian bassist Neil Swanson for this legendary performance captured live at the Philharmonic Hall of Munich and featuring a wide variety of jazz favorites. Professionally shot and instantly captivating, this rare recording of Shearing and Swanson performing together offers everything from Erroll Garner's "Misty" to Duke Ellington's "Come Sunday" and even a moving rendition of Shearing's signature tune "Lullaby of Birdland."

British-born pianist George Shearing's work for the MGM and Capitol record labels from the late '40s to the early '60s is collected on this 21-track compilation. Beginning with four tracks recorded for MGM in 1949 with his unique quintet of guitar, bass, drums, and vibraphone (which would double the melody he was playing with his right hand), Shearing's piano work is always tasteful and guaranteed to swing. Although the players regularly changed, he stuck with the quintet with vibraphone format throughout this period. Of special note are the three tracks included where Shearing backs up vocalists: 1951's "You're Driving Me Crazy (What Did I Do?)" featuring Billy Eckstine, 1959's "You Came a Long Way From St. Louis" with Peggy Lee, and 1960's "The Nearness of You" featuring Nancy Wilson. There are also two solo tracks ("Tenderly" from 1950 and "Memories of You" from 1960) and one trio track ("What Is This Thing Called Love" from 1962). This disc does a very nice job of capturing the laid-back sound of Shearing and is a good place to start a collection of his work. It is also recommended to anyone looking for an album of quiet, romantic piano tunes.

An elegant and sophisticated pianist, his encyclopedic harmonic approach and wide range of his repertory made him one of the most distinctive jazz pianists to come out of Chicago, gaining the respect of local and visiting musicians for his notable mastery of the instrument.

For a long stretch of time in the 1950s and early '60s, George Shearing had one of the most popular jazz combos on the planet - 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 combination of piano, vibraphone, electric guitar, 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 from 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 melody in unison, Shearing sold millions of records for MGM and Capitol in his heyday.