"I bought the LP in the early 60's, it help start my music collection.
Now I have the LP and CD. I think it's a classic. Any music lover trying to get good music needs this in there collection. Dakota Staton has a beautiful style for jazz and George Shearing knows just how accompany other jazz artist making both sound super. Again This CD a is a must have."
George Shearing and Jean DuShon? Yes!
Oliver Penn | New York City | 01/13/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Glorious album! George Shearing is a genius at the piano and it was wise for agent, John Levy to put two of his clients, Shearing and Dakota Staton together for this effort. He also paired Nancy Wilson with Shearing and there was talk of Levy's new discovery, Jean DuShon, doing an album with George. I would have loved to hear that one. DuShon was from Detroit and like Staton had a lot of gospel and blues in her singing. That would have been fabulous. Plus, Jean had impeccable taste in choosing songs.
I loved what Shearing did with Peggy Lee, Nat "King" Cole and Mel Torme. Can you imagine what he could have done with Jean DuShon?!!!!"
Another great Shearing and friend Capitol Records project...
William E. Adams | Midland, Texas USA | 10/06/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Mr. Shearing, the first jazz artist I ever saw in concert, was great as a solo pianist, with a trio, quartet, quintet, you name it. I like his straight jazz releases better than many he did which are more properly categorized as "easy listening background music." When his label paired him with the likes of Peggy Lee, Nat King Cole, Nancy Wilson, and Dakota Staton, the results were always fine. Later in his long career he teamed with Mel Torme for some great stuff on the Concord label. This one is excellent. Although there is a song or two included that I have never liked much, there are several others which may have never been done better. Ms. Staton sings on about half the tracks. I was not a big fan of hers in my teen years, when I began to pay attention to quality jazz and pop recordings, because I was seduced by Ella Fitzgerald, Ms. Lee, Julie London, Ms. Wilson, Doris Day, Rosemary Clooney and other vocal females. It was a crowded field in the late '50's and early 60's, and for me, Dakota was in the second tier: How could she battle Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, Della Reese and all the others? If you like the artists I've mentioned, and this kind of music, pick this up. It is well worth the price, and the more you play it, the more you will enjoy it. There is very little coming out on CD in the current era which will be favorably reviewed on whatever form of Amazon.com exists 40 years from now.
There was a golden age in America for recorded music, in my opinion.
It spanned the end of World War II to the mid-1960's, during which singers and instrumentalists of rare talent produced tracks of great songs by clever writers which pleased a wide audience. We live in an era of niche music, and few recordings cross over from one style chart to another. We have, perhaps, many more people given the chance to make a disc these days, and that may be good, but some of today's best talents have a hard time getting attention in all the clutter. Maybe Dakota Staton deserved a bit more acclaim and success than she was able to gain against her competition, back in the day. Buy this fine CD and decide for yourself."
A Definite Classic
Michael Gannon | Westchester County, NY | 12/03/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"George Shearing never disappoints you and on this album he added the fabulous Dakota Staton to give us one classic jazz recording. Shearing and his quintet supply top notch jazz standards such as 'Pawn Ticket' and 'Bags Groove' to name just two. Then intermingled with this already fabulous music are the lovely vocals of Dakota singing such tunes as 'In The Night', 'The Late, Late Show' and 'I'd Love To Make Love To You' again to name a few. This is a not to be missed classic for ANY collection of jazz lover."