Black satin/White satin

Although I am hugely into Jazz, I am embarrassed to say I never really heard a lot of George Shearing. I assumed he was a bop pianist, and since I already have all the monk, Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans I need, I did not want to spend money on more of the same.

But, I got this album and it is anything but bop! This is lounge at it's finest! (The album cover with the sophisticated models should have given me a hint) But anyway, this is a great double CD. It has Vibes, bongos, and lush,dreamy strings! Anyone into swanky lounge music would love this CD! I believe a few of the cuts made it on the ultra-lounge CD series.

Hey,
aren't you going to tell the TC peeps how you finally broke down and got some Dick Dale cds?

:)

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Along with Cal Tjader, George Shearing is inarguably THE pioneer of the 'cocktail jazz/cool jazz' sound -- a sound and genre that has always been much maligned in the jazz (snob) community. (I don't even think George would like his music referred to as 'cocktail music'.) And Mr. Shearing was British and blind. How's that for interesting? The Exotica genre borrows/owes more to George Shearing (and Cal Tjader) than to Ravel and Les Baxter. In fact, when Martin Denny started out playing clubs in Hawaii he did George Shearing covers -- or, at least, played songs in a George Shearing style. Strip away the bird calls in Denny's version of 'Quiet Village' and what do you have? George Shearing.

On 2008-03-23 11:51, lucas vigor wrote:
Although I am hugely into Jazz, I am embarrassed to say I never really heard a lot of George Shearing. I assumed he was a bop pianist, and since I already have all the monk, Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans I need, I did not want to spend money on more of the same.

But, I got this album and it is anything but bop! This is lounge at it's finest! (The album cover with the sophisticated models should have given me a hint) But anyway, this is a great double CD. It has Vibes, bongos, and lush,dreamy strings! Anyone into swanky lounge music would love this CD! I believe a few of the cuts made it on the ultra-lounge CD series.

When you say "double CD" do you mean two LPs on one CD as in the Razor & Tie 1998 reissue of "Black & White Satin"? Or do you mean two LPs, two CDs as in there is another version of these albums out there that actually preserves the gorgeous cheesecake cover art in its entirety?

Do tell!

Peace,
Peter

On 2008-03-23 22:40, DejaVoodoo wrote:

When you say "double CD" do you mean two LPs on one CD as in the Razor & Tie 1998 reissue of "Black & White Satin"? Or do you mean two LPs, two CDs as in there is another version of these albums out there that actually preserves the gorgeous cheesecake cover art in its entirety?

Do tell!

Peace,
Peter

LV's obviously referring to the '2-fer' Razor & Tie release, as there is no other CD featuring both those albums. And definitely gorgeous albums, they are! But my vote for recommendation goes to the '2 on 1' CD 'Latin Lace/Latin Affair'. The Shearing tracks that appeared on the couple Ultra Lounge CDs are technically more Ray Anthony and Billy May tracks, than George Shearing. The smaller (4-6 player) Shearing combos are the most definitive of his work.

On 2008-03-23 16:10, bigtikidude wrote:
Hey,
aren't you going to tell the TC peeps how you finally broke down and got some Dick Dale cds?

:)

Jeff(bigtikidude)

I did! And I am enjoying them a lot, despite the fact that I didn't think I would!

On 2008-03-23 18:40, DJ Terence Gunn wrote:
Along with Cal Tjader, George Shearing is inarguably THE pioneer of the 'cocktail jazz/cool jazz' sound -- a sound and genre that has always been much maligned in the jazz (snob) community. (I don't even think George would like his music referred to as 'cocktail music'.) And Mr. Shearing was British and blind. How's that for interesting? The Exotica genre borrows/owes more to George Shearing (and Cal Tjader) than to Ravel and Les Baxter. In fact, when Martin Denny started out playing clubs in Hawaii he did George Shearing covers -- or, at least, played songs in a George Shearing style. Strip away the bird calls in Denny's version of 'Quiet Village' and what do you have? George Shearing.

You know, that is so true. I was listening to my album and thinking to myself the same thing. It has that Martin Denny sound, in the debussy/ravel style type chords, the "cocktail" factor and mainly the instrumentation. The vibes have a big part of it, but the overall understated moodiness of the chords, and tonal swanky "effect" it employs also remind me of some of the darker stuff Martin Denny did. I also enjoy the typical "cocktail" effect of the piano, in the use of widely spaced octave chords. I utilize that particular tonal device in a lot of my own recordings. I feel it really stereotypes the "Lounge Piano" sound, and I love it!

Then, anything with Billy May is going to be well done. In most respects, I favor all the recordings made during the 50's and 60's that featured lush string sections and creative arrangements capable of getting that "sugary" and "sweet" sound.

Now, what is the earliest time he started crafting this sound? Was it about the same time as Denny?

On 2008-03-23 22:40, DejaVoodoo wrote:

On 2008-03-23 11:51, lucas vigor wrote:
Although I am hugely into Jazz, I am embarrassed to say I never really heard a lot of George Shearing. I assumed he was a bop pianist, and since I already have all the monk, Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans I need, I did not want to spend money on more of the same.

But, I got this album and it is anything but bop! This is lounge at it's finest! (The album cover with the sophisticated models should have given me a hint) But anyway, this is a great double CD. It has Vibes, bongos, and lush,dreamy strings! Anyone into swanky lounge music would love this CD! I believe a few of the cuts made it on the ultra-lounge CD series.

When you say "double CD" do you mean two LPs on one CD as in the Razor & Tie 1998 reissue of "Black & White Satin"? Or do you mean two LPs, two CDs as in there is another version of these albums out there that actually preserves the gorgeous cheesecake cover art in its entirety?

Do tell!

Peace,
Peter

A full size poster of that woman in black satin would be the most awesome thing!

On 2008-03-24 16:08, lucas vigor wrote:

Now, what is the earliest time he started crafting this sound? Was it about the same time as Denny?

No. Denny imitated George Shearing years later in the 1950s, when George had already became famous and had numerous recordings out. The Shearing sound would've formed in the 1940s in England. When he moved to America in 1947 George was probably -- by way of money, larger opportunities, contracts, and present technology -- able to hone his then sound, which was finally recorded in 1949: 'September In The Rain' for MGM. It and he were an instant success. Of course, this was just the beginning.

Sir George Shearing was Knighted by the Queen last summer. Let's hope he has a few years more to enjoy the honour!