George Shearing, along with Dizzy Gillespie, Chano Pozo, Machito and Stan Kenton, helped champion Afro-Cuban jazz in the early days.

While his roots were in swing and boogie-woogie, Shearing embraced bebop by 1947 (playing an accessible brand of the music with his very popular quintet) and often had Armanda Peraza guesting with his group for Latin numbers on congas.

On this clip from the Garry Moore Show in 1957, Shearing has a good time jamming on a Latin jazz piece with Peraza and his quintet of the time (with guitarist Toots Thielemans, vibraphonist Emil Richardson, bassist Al McKibbon, and Johnny Rae on drums and timbales).

He also talks briefly with host Moore and plays a dazzling chorus of “September In The Rain” with his group.

-Scott Yanow