This was pianist
George Shearing's first recording in a piano-vibes-guitar-bass-drums quintet since he broke up his original group in 1978 after 30 years of steady work;
Shearing sounds surprisingly inspired throughout. With guitarist
Louis Stewart, vibraphonist
Steve Nelson, bassist
Neil Swainson, and drummer
Dennis Mackrel,
Shearing explores such vintage
Quintet standards as "East of the Sun (And West of the Moon)" and "I'll Never Smile Again" along with two
Horace Silver compositions, a pair of his own songs ("Conception" and his biggest hit, "Lullaby of Birdland"), and a variety of other suitable material. The music ranges from easy listening to hard-driving bebop. The sound of
the George Shearing Quintet remains as appealing as ever. ~ Scott Yanow