GEORGE SHEARING – Four Classic Albums Plus (2 CDs) AVID

AVID Jazz presents four classic George Shearing albums plus including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD.
“The Swingin’s Mutual”, “In the Night”, “Beauty and the Beat”, “Nat King Cole Sings – George Shearing Plays” plus 10 tracks from “Cool Canaries”
“Mutual admiration” is indeed the catalyst for our first selection, “The Swingin’s Mutual” where Mr Shearing is joined on six numbers by vocalist Nancy Wilson. Both are quoted in the original liner notes singing, (or should that be swinging) each others praises having worked together some time previously. For the remaining numbers the Quintet features Warren Chaisson on vibes, Dick Garcia on guitar, Ralph Pena on bass, Vernell Fournier on drums and Armando Peraza on percussion. As quoted in the original liner notes…”makes the Quintet at home with both jazz buffs and fans of good music in general”. “In The Night” released four years earlier in 1957 finds Shearing joined by another female top vocalist Dakota Staton. Like Wilson, Staton is featured on six numbers and the results are summed up in the original liner notes as, “some of the most surprising, happy and rewarding sides ever recorded”. Completing the other numbers on the album is a very different Quintet featuring Emil Richards on vibes, Toots Thielmans on guitar, Al McKibbon on bass and Percy Brice on drums. “Beauty and the Beat” from 1959 finds Shearing with yet another female vocalist, this time it is the legendary Miss Peggy Lee for the pairs debut recording date together. A slightly changed Quintet is on hand to provide accompaniment , Ray Alexander takes over on vibes, Carl Pruitt on bass and Ray Masca on drums. Performed live in front of a convention audience of 2500 DJ’s, the pair are amazingly relaxed in each others company as they glide through a set of both ballads and up tempo numbers. “Nat King Cole Sings – George Shearing Plays” finds two of the greatest musicians and entertainers of the time playing together for the first time ever! With a string choir conducted by Ralph Carmichael, the original liner notes contain a wonderful description of the singing of Nat King Cole….”Nat sings as he has always sung, with a deeply masculine gentleness that is intimately expressive of the language of love”. And to finally sum up the results of this unique collaboration we quote again from the original liner notes. “As might be expected when two jazz rooted stars get together for the first time, there’s an undercurrent of gently swinging mood throughout…..it all occurs within a tasteful context of romance- a musical style at which both artists have long since been proven masters”.
All four albums plus have been digitally re-mastered

CD1
1-12: ‘The Swingin’s Mutual!’
1. On Green Dolphin Street
2. Oh! Look At Me Now
3. The Nearness Of You
4. You Are There
5. Born To Be Blue
6. Blue Lou
7. Lullaby Of Birdland
8. All Night Long
9. Inspiration
10. The Things We Did Last Summer
11. Don’t Call Me
12. Let’s Live Again
13-24: ‘In The Night’
13. From Rags To Richards
14. The Blues In My Heart
15. Pawn Ticket
16. In The Night
17. Easy
18. I Hear Music
19. Senor Blues
20. Confessin’ The Blues
21. Later
22. The Thrill Is Gone
23. The Late, Late Show
24. I’d Love To Make Love To You
25. I Wished On The Moon from Cool Canaries featuring Teddi King
26. Love (Your Spell Is Everywhere) from Cool Canaries featuring Teddi King
27. Midnight Belongs To You from Cool Canaries featuring Teddi King
28. It’s Easy To Remember from Cool Canaries featuring Teddi King
29. The Love Nest from Cool Canaries featuring Teddi King
30. Moonlight In Vermont from Cool Canaries featuring Teddi King

CD2
1-12: ‘Beauty And The Beat’
1. Do I Love You?
2. I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City
3. If Dreams Come True
4. All Too Soon
5. Mambo In Miami
6. Isn’t It Romantic?
7. Blue Prelude
8. You Came A Long Way From St. Louis
9. Always True To You In My Fashion
10. There’ll Be Another Spring
11. Get Out Of Town
12. Satin Doll
13-24: ‘Nat King Cole Sings – George Shearing Plays’
13. September Song
14. Pick Yourself Up
15. I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good
16. Let There Be Love
17. Azure-Te
18. Lost April
19. A Beautiful Friendship
20. Fly Me To The Moon
21. Serenata
22. I’m Lost
23. There’s A Lull In My Life
24. Don’t Go
25. Taking A Chance On Love from Cool Canaries featuring Billy Eckstine
26. You’re Driving Me Crazy from Cool Canaries featuring Billy Eckstine
27. Lullaby Of Birdland from Cool Canaries featuring The Ray Charles Singers
28. Slowly But Surely from Cool Canaries featuring The Ray Charles Singers