Overview
As versatile as he is virtuosic, pianist George Shearing is captured in a multitude of settings on this fine collection. By no means a complete career retrospective, Lullabies picks and chooses from Shearing's many Verve, Concord, and Telarc recordings. Among the artists that Shearing collaborates with are singers Mel Tormé, Carmen McRae, and Ernestine Andrews; guitarists Wes Montgomery and Jim Hall; and pianists Marian McPartland and Hank Jones. There are also choice examples of Shearing’s exquisite solo performances, as well as individual duets with the accomplished bassists Brian Torff and Neil Swainson. Highlights include Shearing’s first hit, “September in the Rain” (recorded in 1949) and the 1952 version of the pianist’s original composition “Lullaby of Birdland,” subsequently his signature song. (Two other versions of “Birdland” appear, a fascinating 1985 Latin reworking with Tito Puente and an understated 1987 collaboration with Swainson.) In all, a fine overview of a beloved performer.
