Hidden away for almost thirty years, this home recorded session by Shearing with his long time friend/bassist Don Thompson has the two playing music in an intimate and relaxed manner that displays everything that’s right about modern jazz, and like a prophet in the midst of Babylon, shows what’s wrong with the modern day Baal worshipers of cacophony in the name of creativity.
The calm and unrushed atmosphere have the golden hands of Shearing and the graceful bass of Thompson caressing melodies like “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was” and “That Old Devil Called Love” with as sublime a sense of melody, style and taste as you’ll ever come across. The even handle suave boppers such as “Confirmation” and “SubconsciouLee” with an authority and confidence that there is a rejuvenation in these well worn pieces. A quartet of solo pieces by the pianomeister has his hands creating a musical balm as his fingers spread over the keys on “The Things We Did Last Summer” and “Beautiful Love” as if you’re shaking hands with a retired masseuse. I don’t know if there’s any more material out there in the Shearing archives, but this disc makes me pray to my merciful God for a bit more manna from musical heaven. WOW
Jazzknight Records