Lullabies of Birdland - A Musical Autobiography

Disc 1
1	September in the Rain 3:16
2	Lullaby of Birdland 2:43
3	Mambo Inn 2:20
4	Darn That Dream 4:21
5	Heart and Soul / Joe Williams 3:08
6	For Every Man There's a Woman Live 3:54
7	Too Late Now / Carmen McRae 5:06
8	Love for Sale / Brian Torff Live 9:47
9	Alone Together / Marian McPartland 4:13
10	Emily 5:54
11	It Might as Well Be Spring / Mel Tormé Live 4:42
12	I Cover the Waterfront Live 5:35
Disc 2
1	Easy to Love 3:48
2	I've Got You Under My Skin 4:42
3	Lullaby of Birdland 4:18
4	My Silent Love 4:22
5	There Is No Greater Love 5:33
6	New York, New York Medley: For Me and My Gal/Mack the Knife/Birth ... / Mel Tormé 6:11
7	Lullaby of Birdland 5:08
8	Lonely Moments 4:17
9	Body and Soul 4:44
10	Blue Monk 6:59
11	You're My Everything 4:21
12	How Beautiful Is Night / Robert Farnon Orchestra 4:44
13	Fly Me to the Moon Live 7:27

Barnes & Noble

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. Steve Futterman

All Music Guide

In 1979, after a number of years in semi-obscurity, pianist George Shearing made a comeback by signing to Concord. Over the next ten years he showed that he'd lost none of the subtlety that had won him accolades when recording with his quintet in the 1950s and 1960s. Lullabies of Birdland: A Musical Autobiography recaps Shearing's long career, starting with "September in the Rain" in 1949 and ending with "Fly Me to the Moon" -- recorded appropriately at Birdland -- in 2000. The pianist's most famous composition, the title cut, appears in three different settings over the course of two discs: the first with the George Shearing Quintet in 1952, the second with Tito Puente in 1985, and the final one, featuring a stripped-down setting, in 1987. There are many surprises on these discs, including the startling arrangement and performance on a nearly ten-minute version of "Love for Sale." There are also a number of equal billings with partners like guitarist Jim Hall, pianist Marian McPartland, and singer Mel Tormé. The only small complaint is that much of the content of Lullabies of Birdland is comprised of material recorded between 1979 and 1989 (the years he spent with Concord). Only five cuts represent his work between 1949 and 1979, and only two represent his work in the '90s, meaning that these discs fail to give a full-fledged "autobiography" as promised in the album's subtitle. Lullabies of Birdland is nonetheless a fine collection, and an excellent introduction to Shearing's work at Concord. Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.