Search - Nancy Wilson, George Shearing :: Swingin's Mutual

More is less.

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 12/14/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"At first glance, a CD with twenty tracks might appear to represent a great value, even if Nancy Wilson sings on only eight of them (which is two more numbers than she gets on the celebrated recording she made with Cannonball Adderley). On each of her opportunities she sparkles, but no more so than on Hoagy's "The Nearness of You," a rather bland tune that I frankly had gotten tired of playing and listening to. Unlike some of her later studio recordings, there's nothing "mannered" about Nancy's singing on any of these tunes. She's playful, inventive, spirited--the life of the program.



Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the formulaic, mannered sound of Shearing's Quintet. Most of the instrumentals are just over two minutes long--piano, vibes, guitar play melody, George improvises for part of the second chorus, then piano, vibes, guitar once again overkill the melody.



Shearing is a supremely talented musician--he possesses an unmistakable, consistent, lambent tone; flawless technique; undeniable harmonic and melodic imagination. It's not hard to understand why his appearance at a jazz club in Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" led to Dean Moriarity's exclaiming, "God is in house!" Dean had no doubt heard him under optimal circumstances.



So have I--in concert at Carnegie Hall, at Newport with the Adderley Brothers, in a live performance at Joliet prison, and in concert with Mel Torme. But I've also heard and seen him sleepwalk, which was par for the course for him on all of his Capitol dates (of which this is one). Come to think of it, he's putting out much the same sort of innocuous, predictable stuff 50 years later on Telarc records. I can understand what drives artists to carve out a place for themselves, but having once enjoyed commercial success what's the point of remaining a totem? High time to shake things up a bit, George. What have you got to lose?"

Nancy, George and more artists still weave their magic spell

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 05/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Swingin's Mutual! is a wonderful album by the great Nancy Wilson who sings alongside The George Shearing Quintet--and what a great sound they produce! This is music at its very best and fans of both Nancy Wilson and George Shearing will be thrilled with this album.



"On Green Dolphin Street" is an elegant number; Nancy's voice is as clear as a bell and the George Shearing Quintet highlights that awesome piano playing that George Shearing was always so famous for doing. "Oh! Look At Me Now" has another fine musical arrangement and when Nancy comes in this number truly takes flight! Similarly "The Nearness Of You" stuns me with its beauty; they sing and play this number to perfection--and beyond! "The Nearness Of You" gets a slightly slower tempo than I'm used to hearing but make no mistake about it--it all works very well. "Lullaby Of Birdland" is one of my favorite songs of all time; and when these fine artists perform it there's nothing lacking--it's all THAT good.



"All Night Long" features Nancy Wilson's vocals squarely front and center--right where they belong! "All Night Long" is a fine number that Nancy aces easily. "The Things We Did Last Summer" also shines brightly and Nancy Wilson sings this alongside The George Shearing Quintet. Nancy sings this with panache and I'm very impressed. She could take a tune and make it look so easy--but it really wasn't. Nancy used her remarkable talents to deliver songs flawlessly every time.



"Let's Live Again" has a lush musical arrangement that fits in perfectly with Nancy Wilson's vocals; the number is very strong and it is easily a major highlight of this CD. "Ghost Of Yesterday" is equally impressive; and there's a most touching tribute when the Quintet performs "I Remember Clifford;" "I Remember Clifford" touches me with its beauty and its somewhat melancholy flavor about this great musician who was taken from us all too early. "Whisper Not" is equally wonderful; George plays that piano like the master he always was and still remains; and the percussion enhances the natural beauty of this number.



"Wait Till You See Her" gets the royal treatment from all of these artists who perform this flawlessly; and the CD ends strong with "Silk." "Silk" is a fine tune and I predict you'll like it very, very much.



Overall, this album has terrific numbers proving that when Nancy Wilson and The George Shearing Quintet worked together there was magic in the air. I highly recommend this album for their fans.

"

A classic, must have album

Guy S. Wiggins | New York CIty | 11/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Something must have gotten screwed up with Amazon's database, because this album was definitely reviewed many times before - and for good reason, it is an all time jazz and vocal classic. The smooth sounds of the classic Shearing quintent, combined with the soulful singing of Nancy Wilson are a match made in heaven. I have listened to this album hundreds of times and like all truly great albums, you never get tired of it. Check out the amazing blues of All Night Long, for example, to see how the sounds of these two great artists combine to create an unforgettable sound. If you are not familiar with either artist, this album is a great start. But whatever you do, just buy it!"