George Shearing (Blindfold Test), 1958 [transcript]

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:09:14 Unknown Speaker: No. All right. You think that.

00:00:09:16 - 00:00:42:23 George Shearing: Well, number one, I think it was a fine arrangement. Rate of return? Yeah. And number two. I really don’t know whose band it is, but I can say one thing that as, music, in terms of speaking, the arrangement was loaded. Excuse me. Which, I mean, is that, it was very, very full, which I enjoy because, like, I believe in playing fool as a pianist and so like that, I enjoyed tremendously.

00:00:42:23 - 00:01:00:13 George Shearing: And I think the solos were very, very nice. Like, I’m a man is known for playing the melody no matter what I play, and I could get the melody out of each one of the solos. Period. And I think it was this nice, clean, good swinging arrangement. I think it was deep for two well-known effects. It that well, in effect.

00:01:00:13 - 00:01:04:16 George Shearing: Well, I mean, I’m just saying, I think. But anyway, I enjoyed it really sincerely. Out of.

00:01:04:16 - 00:01:09:01 Unknown Speaker: Five stars. five minutes. Sensational. Four is very good. Three is good, two is.

00:01:09:03 - 00:01:13:14 George Shearing: Rocket up five. I mean, there’s one man’s opinion. Yeah. Sincerely.

00:01:13:17 - 00:01:21:12 Unknown Speaker: Be careful. You might want to say goodbye to somebody else later, but the timing likely would play well with.

00:01:21:14 - 00:01:37:10 George Shearing: If I cut it much. I’ll be frank with you. I have to give it three. Definitely. Well, let’s split it up as we go. All right. I’ll go for that. Goody hmhm.

00:01:37:13 - 00:01:38:05 Unknown Speaker: The reason for it.

00:01:38:05 - 00:01:47:05 George Shearing: To be frank with you, Leonard, I never did. And number one.

00:01:47:08 - 00:02:19:13 George Shearing: I think I don’t know when I’m right or wrong, but I think it’s two pianos. Is it not funny when you throw? I think it’s two pianos. And I do have a few comments to make about it. Now, I don’t know for sure whether it’s the engineer’s fault are not. But I think the drums are a little too loud, and I think the band is a little too loud, because if it is two pianos, they’re very much overshadowing it in spots.

00:02:19:13 - 00:02:44:15 George Shearing: Except where they got the brakes. Yeah, where the piano are playing just alone, kind of overloaded with. And it’s a little overloaded for what they’re doing because number one, I’ve heard one of the greatest in the world, God Bless the dead, which is Art Tatum play lies. And this is no easy tune to play, period. It’s hard to fall and hard to play because it’s a funny kind of a thing.

00:02:44:18 - 00:03:15:08 George Shearing: And where a band can more or less overshadow where the pianos have to really play the melody and everything, and to get the benefit of lies that I think it was actually, I think personally would have been a great band record just alone. So in one man’s opinion, I’m saying, well, the temple, I say actually, in a sense, I think personally was just a trifle a little too fast for what they were trying to get through the bill.

00:03:15:10 - 00:03:31:11 George Shearing: You know what I mean? I mean, that’s one man’s opinion, I really do. I think so, and like I said, as far as the overloading this as far as a band overshadowing the pianos, it could have been engineers, but yet it could been that the fellows played little too loud on the boat, and it could have been both ears.

00:03:31:13 - 00:03:32:08 Unknown Speaker: Could be a bad thing.

00:03:32:08 - 00:03:39:06 George Shearing: So I gave it about two really sincerely.

00:03:39:08 - 00:04:07:18 George Shearing: One thing I can say is that I must admit, I don’t know whether that’s Miles or somebody else. I’m not for sure. But I will say one thing they have a beautiful tone. They play very, very clean. Yeah. And. I will say one thing again. I don’t know what is rig. What is the, engineers or not, but I still think the jazz were a little too loud for the piano.

00:04:07:18 - 00:04:27:07 George Shearing: And the piano player played very nice and clean, and the little things that he said meant something is one person’s opinion. They meant something to me that I could understand what he was doing and where the drummer dropped down when the bass player had a so I think he should have dropped down there what, the piano or even down if he was used to sticks.

00:04:27:07 - 00:04:42:24 George Shearing: And I mean, I’m not saying that because I play him. My man plays brushes, which I like, but like I still think that he could have dropped down a little more softer on a pan, of course, like he did with the bass player.

00:04:42:26 - 00:04:53:00 George Shearing: And because they both played very nice solos and I give that two stars, surely it was very good. Well.

00:04:53:03 - 00:04:56:04 Unknown Speaker: I want to start to the 70s as well.

00:04:56:04 - 00:05:12:17 George Shearing: Yes, I give it more because like I say that I’ll give it three stars for some reason is that each one of them played clean and they played good. It wasn’t Jumbo Bumble. I felt like that.

00:05:12:19 - 00:05:38:01 George Shearing: Well, I don’t know when I’m right or wrong, but his name sounds similar to mine on his spelt different. I think it’s their own. I’ve. And I’ve just got to get that these time because he just kills me. That’s one man’s opinion. And he’s got that funny type of left hand. And the thing that he plays that it just the gut body to them.

00:05:38:01 - 00:05:48:18 George Shearing: I could see it like that. And he’s one of the originators of a lot of pianists. So right or wrong, I still give it three. Sincerely.

00:05:48:21 - 00:05:55:04 Unknown Speaker: Three is good for very good. The first one you gave.

00:05:55:07 - 00:06:19:20 George Shearing: Well, I’ll tell you one thing about that one man’s opinion. The way I can express it to you. Maybe it’s you get my point. I like good Dixie when it’s good Dixie, because to me, there’s good Dixie and bad Dixie. There’s good jazz and bad jazz. There’s good modern and bad modern and there’s good way out and bad way out.

00:06:19:22 - 00:06:35:09 George Shearing: You know what I’m trying to say? So that I can say for that, that it’s got a nice little beating beginning to begin as a hard, funny tune to play, period. And I think all the guys on there really, they least they sound like they’re real good, legit musicians to me. In fact, I like the way they play.

00:06:35:09 - 00:06:46:18 George Shearing: They got good sounds and tones and they play the melody and everything to the tune. That I can really give it a good two stars is early, okay? I mean, it.

00:06:46:21 - 00:06:50:13 Unknown Speaker: And I think the material was, keeping with the fabric.

00:06:50:20 - 00:07:14:15 George Shearing: Of the jazz, you know, because, like, I can select it because right now I, I travel a lot. And please believe me, there’s a lot of good Dixieland groups around today that are making it. And there’s a lot of people that like it. And not only that, I’ve heard good Dixie and bad Dixie, I must admit, sincerely. So I can give it a good two start because it’s clean and everybody knows this begin and begin.

00:07:14:15 - 00:07:42:16 George Shearing: And I love trombones. And I think the trombone player and he just walking all through there, I like it very much. And the trumpet player played a wonderful solo. You know, Wow. Well, I got the one thing I’m honored, that’s for sure. This is clearly very much honored. And, well, is that he. she. I don’t know, Leonard, but I will say one thing.

00:07:42:16 - 00:08:03:26 George Shearing: They had a nice little beat going on and was honored to hear partially of myself, should I say. And what would make me want to give it three stars is because, like when they went into the way they felt after me, it gave me a little extra boost because the little things that they did was like, sound like they was playing with the octave things the best I can explain it.

00:08:03:28 - 00:08:23:24 George Shearing: And the second course, I doubt that. And like it was giving me them. Yeah. And so I would like to give it three stars. Sincerely. Yeah. I think it’s one. it’s one. Yes, I do, I thought it was very nice. Is it. It was easy and relaxed and that was the most important.

00:08:23:27 - 00:08:24:29 Unknown Speaker: Yeah. No I do I.

00:08:25:02 - 00:08:28:19 George Shearing: I said he or she, I don’t sincerely I.

00:08:28:22 - 00:08:30:25 Unknown Speaker: You might want to venture a wild guess.

00:08:30:27 - 00:08:39:12 George Shearing: Well no I don’t think I would like to because.

00:08:39:14 - 00:09:04:13 George Shearing: I’ll tell you one thing about that record. I like. I like it number two, I love strings. Yeah. And number three, it’s the first time in a long time I’ve actually had a string session. Get the real feeling of, playing changes like that, that the thing he was playing, buddy, we did. But, whatever it is, you know.

00:09:04:16 - 00:09:25:05 George Shearing: Yeah, it’s a singer. I make a fair piano player. Please believe me. but it’s the first time I ever actually heard a string session ask. Actually, swing with some guts. Can I say it like that? That they. They captured it? Yeah, like I made an album. Was strange, but where? Fourth, they weren’t supposed to swing on it so much because it was more or less pretty things that we did.

00:09:25:07 - 00:09:56:11 George Shearing: But I’ve always wanted, which I think the closest I ever got to was Artie Shaw with the things he did where the string section actually, which could swing good, healthy changes along with a brass section. So personally, I’d love to hear that record for sure. Yeah, he probably would sincerely. Well, I’ll be fine with you, Leonard. I love the record, and I think the piano player, whoever he is, he’s well and like the music says, well and but like, he’s a tremendous take.

00:09:56:13 - 00:10:28:13 George Shearing: He has tremendous technique. Yeah. And I think the bass player and and the drummer all played wonderful solos. But number one, I still think it was a little too fast to actually swing. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like, technically it’s a brilliant record. Like as they used to say, like, and Joe was like, well, you have to go off like when he was on a theater stage, you always have to find some, like a, a flag waver are a show stoppers, something like that.

00:10:28:13 - 00:10:53:28 George Shearing: He had to play something fast. Like, is he to say, make it look good? Yeah. You know, like, but, like, I think it’s a great record. And I think the musicians on at are fabulous. And like I said, a bass player like you forget that table. The most he could play is walking bass at that tempo and wherever he might have been able to create a little better solo, and either the piano player, all of them, which I still think a fabulous technique, is tremendous on every man’s solo on.

00:10:53:28 - 00:11:15:18 George Shearing: There was good technique completely. Anyway, remind you of anybody? Not an influence. I mean, it sounds a little like, but and it sounds like other bands like Horace Silvers and Spots and I love the playing and I think he plays clean tremendously, very clean. I must admit to the thing that he goes after to make, he makes them.

00:11:15:21 - 00:11:35:17 George Shearing: That’s a fact. So there’s no doubt. But like but personally, I gave it to start for some reason that I still think is a little too fast for all of them that you can’t get the beat. And I still think it can be up in tempo and still swing, but not quite that fast. And that’s one man’s opinion and that’s how I feel about it.

00:11:35:17 - 00:12:02:13 George Shearing: So I only give it two stars. Sincerely. Well, I like that. And it’s on the basis type of thing that I will admit that. And I like the piano playing, which was good. And I liked the solos, the vibes. And I think it had a nice little floating rhythm. And I did as this ordinary, nice little swinging arrangement.

00:12:02:13 - 00:12:28:02 George Shearing: I like to give it three stars, period. I enjoyed, I don’t know what band it was or who were the stars, but I enjoyed the solos and the band and there’s a nice purity, just plain swing arrangement with a little melody to it. I enjoyed it, so I like to give it three stars. Leonard.

00:12:28:04 - 00:12:53:07 George Shearing: Waver are a show stopper or something like that. He had to play something fans like. Is he to say make it look good? Yeah. You know, like but like I think it’s a great record and I think the musicians on at are fabulous. And like I say, a bass player like you forget that table. The most he could play is walking bass at that temple and wherever he may have been able to create a little better solo, and either the piano player, all of them, which I still think a fabulous.

00:12:53:09 - 00:12:58:21 George Shearing: The technique is tremendous on every man’s solo on there. It was good technique, completely unfair.

00:12:58:21 - 00:13:01:10 Unknown Speaker: Remind you of anybody?

00:13:01:12 - 00:13:21:08 George Shearing: Not an influence. I mean, it sounds a little like, but and it sounds like other bands like Horace Silvers and spots and I love the playing and I think he plays clean tremendously, very clean. I must admit that the thing that he goes after to make, he makes them, and that’s a fact. So there’s no doubt about like.

00:13:21:10 - 00:13:39:05 George Shearing: But personally, I gave it to start for some reason that I still think is a little too fast for all of them that you can’t get the beat. And I still think it can be up in tempo and still swing, but not quite that fast. And that’s one man’s opinion, and that’s how I feel about it. So I only give it two stars.

00:13:39:05 - 00:14:08:13 George Shearing: Sincerely. Well, I like that. And it’s on the basis type of thing that I will admit that. And I like the piano playing, which was good. And I liked the solos, the vibes. And I think it had a nice little floating rhythm. And I did as this ordinary, nice little swinging arrangement. I like to give it three stars paired.

00:14:08:16 - 00:14:27:20 George Shearing: I enjoyed, I don’t know what band I was or who were the stars, but I enjoyed the solos and the band and there’s a nice purity, just plain swing arrangement with a little melody to it. I enjoyed it, so I’d like to give it three stars. Leonard.