Capturing the essence of a romantic mood is a George Shearing specialty. Nor is this the first album in which his specialty is displayed, along with an inimitable and seemingly effortless style. His previous mood albums include two all-time best-sellers—”Velvet Carpet” and “White Satin:”
The mood created so beautifully here re-calls those albums, and makes it more certain than ever that. George Shearing turns America’s lights down low.
George’s popularity undoubtedly stems from the urbane sophistication and taste which mark his music, together with his wealth of musical ideas. For when he suggests a mood—like this satiny-textured one—the result is an adventure in listening as well as feeling, dancing as well as romancing. The pattern of his mood-weaving in this album comes from his arrangements, orchestrated and conducted by Billy May, which treat strings as a smart, lyric background for the Quintet. This creative interplay produces a fabric of many delicately-shaded mood colors. Dreamy Star Dust. glowing Midnight Sun, casual Here’s What I’m Here For, bright / Like to Recognize the Tune, Latin Bolero #3—all come together in a lush “Satin Affair!’ And each in its own way is singularly Shearing.
