Shear Brass - Celebrating Sir George Shearing (2023) [Official Digital Download]

Led by Sir George Shearing’s great nephew, drummer Carl Gorham, Shear Brass brings a fresh and dynamic new approach to the music of one of Britain’s greatest ever jazz pianists and composers. Celebrating Sir George Shearing, combines the punch of a big band with the intimacy of a small group, as this hard-swinging, highly melodic outfit showcases some of the UK's most gifted soloists. Whether reinterpreting classics such as Conception and Lullaby of Birdland or re-introducing lesser-known tunes such as Night Flight and Children's Waltz, its richly varied repertoire mirrors Shearing's own development, encompassing swing, be-bop, cool and Latin jazz, topped off with some of the most celebrated vocal numbers of the 20th century.

Its debut album, Celebrating Sir George Shearing, combines the punch of a big band with the intimacy of a small group, as this hard-swinging, highly melodic outfit showcases some of the UK’s most gifted soloists. Whether reinterpreting classics such as Conception and Lullaby of Birdland or re-introducing lesser-known tunes such as Night Flight and Children’s Waltz, its richly varied repertoire mirrors Shearing’s own development, encompassing swing, be-bop, cool and Latin jazz, topped off with some of the most celebrated vocal numbers of the 20th century.

Carl Gorham describes the idea behind the project: “I’ve known my great uncle George was a celebrated jazz pianist from an early age as his records were around the house when I was a boy. I have numerous other memories stretching back; meeting him in his dressing room at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London with my family before a gig in the seventies; attending his recording of ‘This is your Life’; seeing the photos and hearing the stories of my mum and dad’s visits, in later years, to see Sir George and his wife Ellie in New York and their summer home in the Cotswolds.

It was my mum’s father - my grandad - who worked at the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square in London and helped organise his career-making move to the States after World War II. They’d always been close; when George was a boy, Grandad used to run alongside him, when he was riding his bike in Battersea Park; he also gave George his first braille typewriter.

I’ve always thought that his was an amazing story and in my other career as a TV writer / producer, I actually looked at making a documentary about him years ago. My interest was revived more recently after I inherited a folder when my mum passed away. It contained various old press cuttings, concert programmes and photos. One in particular stood out – an image from the early 1950s, taken in a Battersea flat. In it, he’s playing piano for the family with my mum, in her early twenties, who sat right next to him, watching on. The photo somehow seems to encapsulate his incredible journey – the international jazz star going right back to his roots, playing piano in a tiny front room in South London.”

Carl continues, giving his view of the music on the album: “I genuinely think Sir George Shearing has been undervalued as a composer. Sure, everyone knows ‘Lullaby of Birdland’ and ‘Conception’ but there are other great tunes of his. Since no one has recreated the classic ‘Shearing Sound’ quite as well as Shearing himself, I also wanted to do something different with them, not least because he himself was always trying new things; with the iconic quintet when it was first formed, then with his move towards more Latin flavoured jazz in the fifties and his later classical work – things like ‘Songs and Sonnets from Shakespeare’.

“I spoke to a long-time friend and collaborator, Jason McDermid from Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, and he came up with some marvellous new arrangements based on a brass front line. I’ve also written lyrics to a couple of pre-existing melodies, creating new songs. Whilst the sound of these Shearing-related tracks is different to what you might expect, we’ve kept things Shearingesque in other ways – focussing on melody, keeping the whole thing swinging, then just letting the soloists go. It’s a mainstream album that is, I hope, fresh and exciting, as well as accessible.”

Carl shares perspective on the making of the album: “The first couple of recording sessions we did were originally intended to provide the soundtrack for a revival of that documentary idea. However, we liked what we heard so much, I sent the tracks to Ubuntu, and suddenly things took off in a different direction.”

“This album has been blessed from the start – Jools Holland was incredibly supportive in giving us time in his private recording studio and a combination of the Shearing name and the wonderful new arrangements by Jason McDermid helped attract some fabulous British jazz names - the album features James Pearson, Pete Long, Louise Marshall, Alistair White, Chris Storr, Alec Dankworth, Arnie Somogyi, Anthony Kerr, Simon Wallace, Sarah Moule, Satin Singh and Jason McDermid, as well as myself on drums. I am particularly pleased too, that my daughter Romy Sipek, Sir George’s great, great niece, sings ‘Lullaby of Birdland’.

Carl Gorham, drums
Jason McDermid, trumpet
Chris Storr, trumpet
Alistair White, trombone
Pete Long, saxophones & clarinet
James Pearson, piano
Simon Wallace, piano
Alec Dankworth, bass
Arnie Somogi, bass
Anthony Kerr, vibes
Satin Singh, percussion
Sarah Moule, vocals
Louise Marshal, vocals
Natalie Williams, vocals
Romy Sipek, vocals

Tracklist:
01. Conception
02. Let's Live Again
03. From Rags to Richards
04. Let There Be Love
05. The Fourth Deuce
06. Easy
07. Night Flight
08. Lullaby of Birdland
09. Children's Waltz
10. Midnight Mood
11. Rondo


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