George Shearing -- Is it wrong to think that

[Larry Kart]

... at least in circles like these? I ask because my encounters with Shearing over the years have been few and glancing: I have a two-LP set of his vintage MGM material, caught him live once in the early '80s (leading a trio) and interviewed him (a very nice guy, I thought -- he was tickled when I mentioned that some of his voicings when he played solo reminded me of late Brahms), picked up one of his Telarc live small-group sets and enjoyed it, was aware of his reputation in some quarters as being a musical magpie in the '40s, especially in regard to Bud Powell (who famously hit Shearing over the head at Birdland one night, then went into agonies of remorse over hitting a blind man), etc.

Given all that (or that little), I'd never really heard any of the many Capitol recordings from Shearing's hey-day, such as it was, until today, when I picked up a used LP "The Shearing Spell" (1955) for 50 cents. Well, I'm impressed; it's genteel on the surface for sure, but it's also quite subtle and not really bland. The band is Al McKibbon (bs.), Johnny Rae (vibes), Toots Thielmanns (gtr./harmonica), Bill Clark (dms., Armando Peraza (congas/bongos), and Willie Bobo (timbales). First off, McKibbon is superb and often placed quite prominently in the ensemble, rather like Israel Crosby with Jamal (could there have been some Shearing-to-Jamal influence?) Second, one of Shearing's chief tricks has become by this time so effective (at least for me) that it hardly seems like a trick at all -- stating a standard like "Autumn in New York" in long meter but with a subtly implied double-time feel that typically never breaks into actual double time but just hovers there internally; not to be absurd about this, but it reminds me of the rotational/elliptical feel of the brush work of early Elvin Jones. Third, on the Latin numbers Peraza and Bobo really get to do their thing, and Shearing is right in there with them rhythmically. Finally, however worked out Shearing's solos might be, they are quite subtle at best and free from cliches with the exception of the locked-hands things, and even those passages are far from rote.

Also, did Shearing write/dictate the group's charts or did he farm them out once the style had been set? Either way, within the given group sound, there's a good deal more meaningful musical variety from track to track on this LP that I would have thought before I actually listened to it. Anyone else have Shearing thoughts?

[jeffcrom]

Okay, I'm not a Shearing expert at all. I've got about an hour's worth of his early MGM stuff on 78s, and I like those records for what they are - populist bebop, I guess you'd say. I don't have any of his Capitol records from the fifties. But I picked up three of his 1960s LPs because I was curious about Gary Burton's contributions. And I was a little shocked at how trite Shearing's playing was, compared to everyone else in the band. I found Shearing to be shallow and repetitive, although I really enjoyed Burton's playing, as well as that of the guitarists - John Gray and someone else whose name I don't recall right now.

But that's just my opinion. I'm always happy when someone else can take pleasure in music which doesn't appeal to me. And like I say, the three hours or so of Shearing I'm familiar with don't make me an expert. But it doesn't really want to make me explore much further, either.

Edited October 8, 2010 by jeffcrom

[marcello]

This one is very nice indeed:

Track List:

01. That's Earl, Brother (Gillespie) 8:06

02. My One and Only Love (Mellin, Wood) 5:40

03. Pensativa (Fischer) 5:30

04. Walkin' (Carpenter) 7:00

05. When She Makes Music (Fisher) 6:47

06. Celia (Powell) 6:27

07. Subconscious Lee (Konitz) 7:32

08. Suddenly It's Spring (Burke, VanHeusen) 3:25

09. Bags' Groove (Jackson) 6:51

10. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye (Porter) 4:33

11. Loot to Boot (Garner) 4:11

Personnel:

George Shearing (Piano);

Neil Swainson (Bass);

Grady Tate (Drums).

When he has his own label called Sheba, he produced a beautiful solo recording called "Music to Hear", that I wish a had.

[JSngry]

George Shearing had skills, no doubt.

[mikeweil]

I have the Mosaic live Capitol set and it is very nice. Always a pleasure to listen to, and much going on beneath the surface that merits attention.

The MGM sides with Cal Tjader show an amazingly wide range of styles - including some very Cuban sounding piano on "Tempo de Cencerro". His choice of of percussionists was first class - Armando Peraza, Candido Camero, José mangual .... His choice of bassists and drummers, too - when Ahmad Jamal disbanded his trio with Israel Crosby and Vernel Fournier he immediately hired them - he thought Crosby was superior even to Al McKibbon. Too sad Crosby died only a few months after he joined - the Trio LP for Capitol is the only recording they could make together. Not earth shattering, but some nice original ideas in treating some well worn standard material, like "What is this thing called love?" in 7/4 time for the A sections. Or a blues in 9/4, real nine beats, not just a 3-beat texture with triplets.

A Mosaic of his MGM sides would surprise many, I think.

Edited October 8, 2010 by mikeweil

[JSngry]

And maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that when the situation arose, he had a better feel for the clave that you'd have any right to expect.

[mikeweil]

Yep!

[AllenLowe]

Shearing, in my opinion , is/was one of those guys who could play great but forgot how to because he spent so many years half-playing, if you know what I mean,

I heard him at Newport in 1976 or so, and he played one of the most gorgeous, re-harmonized versions of Django that I have ever heard, plus some other terrific things - but since then I've tried to find something that sounded like that day, but have come up empty. He's a chordal master, and I have heard him do some nice, Nat Cole-like lines, but it never, to me, holds together for long enough.

My mother used to play from Shearing's piano book, and it was there that I realized how harmonically advanced he was, a little bit Bud and a little bit Tristano, but very original.

I find him very frustrating to listen to.

Edited October 8, 2010 by AllenLowe

[Teasing the Korean]

Yes, Shearing's long string of pop stuff, primarily for the Capitol label, easily clouds people's perceptions. From a technical and harmonic standpoint, he is an excellent, excellent pianist who simply did not use his skills as some of us would have preferred. That said, he became very well known, still enjoys a great career, and probably sleeps well at night.

Anyone doubting his abilities should pick up any of his solo piano albums released during his career. I have at least five of these, Lord knows how many he did for labels like Laserlight (that I generally avoid).

Considering how bebop was (allegedly) perceived by the general public, I was always fascinated by Shearing's ability to achieve mainstream pop success in the early quintet days largely appropriating beboppish lines.

My Dad's MGM 10-inch of "You're Hearing Shearing" was an early entry point into jazz for me. That piano/vibes/guitar block chord sound was EVERYWHRE when I was a kid, TV commercials, movie scores, etc. It represented an idealized vision of adulthood - I thought the vibes were ice cubes being dropped into a glass! I'm still waiting for that idealized adulthood to kick in.

EDIT for LARRY: "The Shearing Spell" is, to my knowledge, his first Capitol LP and his only studio album on the label of its sort. The rest were more schmaltzy easy listening LPs, with either strings, woodinds, etc.

The other good Capitol LPs are the solo album, the live albums and the Latin ones. The bossa LP, with arrangements by Clare Fischer, is an overlooked gem.

Edited October 8, 2010 by Teasing the Korean

[Larry Kart]

And maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me that when the situation arose, he had a better feel for the clave that you'd have any right to expect.

I thought that, too. "The Shearing Spell" has a Ray Bryant Latin piece on it, "Cuban Carnival" (it's different from "Cubano Chant"), and Shearing is really "in there."

Glad that Allen mentioned Nat Cole; Cole certainly was big contributor to the Shearing melting pot.

[AllenLowe]

I always remembered, from his piano book, a version of Over the Rainbow that my mother used to play - it was harmoncally amazing, though I know now that there was a strong Bud Powell influence. Still, I'd llike to hear it again, if there are any pianists out there who own it.

[paul secor]

I've only listened to some early Shearing. I could hear that there was something there but, in the end, found the music emotionally uninvolving, for want of a better term.

[Dan Gould]

Has anyone heard his recording with Joe Williams? I think it came out in the early 70s, saw a reissue maybe five years ago, perhaps more. Pretty nice but I've never felt any need to explore Shearing any further.

[John Tapscott]

I have the Mosaic live Capitol set and it is very nice. Always a pleasure to listen to, and much going on beneath the surface that merits attention. 

I have it as well, and I agree with Mike's comments. Shearing is not my favorite pianist my any means, but I do enjoy him when I play either the Mosaic set or the 5 or 6 other recordings of his that I own. One I particularly like is Live at the Cafe Carlyle, a duet set with bassist Don Thompson on Concord.

[AllenLowe]

I remember hearing a post-'80s trio record of his that was supposed to be a "real" jazz album; very Cole-ish, but just full of cliches and empty gestures. That's when I realized that it's not always so easy to go back, once one has left the land of quality.

that's why I gave up on that series of Kenny G tributes I was planning.

Edited October 8, 2010 by AllenLowe

[John Tapscott]

Guess I'm just not a sophisticated enough listener to be able to pick up on playing that is "full of cliches and empty gestures." Seriously.

[Clunky]

.

My Dad's MGM 10-inch of "You're Hearing Shearing" was an early entry point into jazz for me. That piano/vibes/guitar block chord sound was EVERYWHRE when I was a kid, TV commercials, movie scores, etc. It represented an idealized vision of adulthood - I thought the vibes were ice cubes being dropped into a glass! I'm still waiting for that idealized adulthood to kick in.

Spun "You're Hearing Shearing" 10 inch MGM on reading this thread this morning, it's my only Shearing !!

[kh1958]

I only have Midnight on Cloud 69 on Savoy, and the Riverside LP with Wes Montgomery. I like these two, but have never felt compelled to seek out more. Whenever I come across a Capitol LP, I think about it for a second and them put it back.

[JSngry]

Taken as "jazz", I can't get into Shearing.

But taken as "pop"...I still can't "get into" him, but I do find it a lot more fun to listen to, at leaast when it's to my likingThe album w/Nat Cole is actually pretty interesting...lots of thick, dark, chords, not at all "happy" particularly, although certainly not into Only The Lonely territory either.

Still, it's pop music, and pop music with musical interest should is nothing to sneeze at, although maybe being in the same room with Cole's & Shearing's sweaters might be.

[brownie]

The Shearing Capitol box from Mosaic gathers quite a number of very enjoyable sessions...

[Peter Friedman]

I never was particularly interested in Shearing until about 15 years or so ago my friend John Norris took me to see him live at The Montreal Bistro in Toronto. He had Neil Swainson on bass and Reg Schwager on guitar. Can't recall the name of the drummer. There was a delicate chamber music feeling to the 2 sets I heard. The group interaction was wonderful and the rich harmonies were beautiful. Though by no means was it hard swinging jazz, the solos by Shearing and Schwager were delightful.

Following that live encounter I picked up quite a few of Shearings recordings on Capitol, Sheba, MPS, Concord, and Telarc. While I wouldn't want to listen to Shearing every day, I now find his music very enjoyable when I am in the mood for the mellow chamber jazz approach.

[DMP]

In the jazz section of a record store on Boyleston (sp?) in Boston in the mid-70's - a guy says to me, "I'm tired of this crazy shit, I'm getting some George Shearing."

[jazztrain]

Boylston Street.

[DMP]

"Boylston," that's better, thanks! Don't think they have stores like that anymore.

[Ken Dryden]

You might want to check out some of Shearing's Concord recordings, particularly the fun-filled meeting with Hank Jones, The Spirit of 176 and his solo dates.

I found him to be a delightful, funny interview subject and enjoyed him both times I saw him perform, in a quintet and duo with Neil Swainson.