San Francisco Scene — George Shearing Quintet

San Francisco Scene
recorded live and swingin' by the Golden Gate!
— George Shearing

Vinyl LP (1962)
Label: Capitol
Catalog No.: ST 1715
Stereo
out-of-print
Number of Discs: 1

▶ Rear cover: here.
▶ Vinyl: here.

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Piano, leader – George Shearing
Guitar – Dick Garcia
Vibraphone – Warren Chiasson
Bass – Ralph Peña
Drums – Vernell Fournier
Congas – Armando Peraza

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☞ Side 1
1. The Be-Bop Irishman 3:38
2. I'll Be Around 2:52
3. Jumpin' With Symphony Sid 3:35
4. This Nearly Was Mine 6:00
5. My New Mambo 2:00

☞ Side 2
1. (6) The Outlaw 3:20
2. (7) When April Comes Again 2:16
3. (8) Monophraseology 2:55
4. (9) Cocktails For Two 2:35
5. (10) Lullaby Of Birdland 5:14

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▶ My review
I'll begin by praising with faint damnation. The quintet's version of "The Outlaw," softens the hard bop of the tune by pianist/composer Horace Silver, mixing it instead with dollops of Vince Guaraldi-esque West Coast jazz. That's not a bad thing, necessarily: it's the characteristical gentle swing of British-born George Shearing's sound.

The quintet comprises piano, guitar, vibes, bass, standard-kit drums, and congas. Shearing's deft (Erroll Garner-inspired) touch at the keyboard is evident throughout.

Standouts include the 'hip' "Monophraseology" (dig that title) featuring extended solo work from guitarist Dick Garcia and a mambo interpretation of the standard, "Cocktails for Two," sounding as if James Bond were wearing his white tuxedo walking through a Monte Carlo casino. Percussionist Armando Perazza supplies the beat, playing the congas. (Perazza is better known for his later two-decade-long association with Carlos Santana.)

The star piece of San Francisco Scene, however, is one that is the least 'jazzy.' In a tour-de-force treatment of "This Nearly was Mine" (from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "South Pacific"), Shearing, accompanied only by Ralph Peña's bowing bass, converts the torch ballad into a slightly swinging sonata, variously evoking Bach, Schumann, and Brahms.

George Shearing was born in the UK, in 1919. He died in New York City, in 2011, at age 91. This album is now out-of-print. (It was a serendipitous find in Second Life, a thrift shop that contributes to animal rescue.)

▶ Liner notes: here.

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Taken on: September 26, 2019

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Sets appears in: • 2019.10_October's Odds & Ends • Jazz is... more » • The Digitization Project « less

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Camera: Olympus E-M10MarkII, f/8.0, 5 sec, 20mm (=40mm), ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Olympus E-M10MarkII
Lens:	LUMIX G 20/F1.7 II
Aperture:	f/8.0
Exposure Time:	5
Focal Length:	20mm (35mm equivalent: 40mm)
ISO:	200
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Flash:	On, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Manual
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