Swedish Pastry – 1951
George Shearing Quintet
Some cool-toned bebop by a classic group
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George Shearing (1919-2011) started his career as a swing and boogie-woogie pianist in his native England in the 1930s.
He switched to bebop by the mid-1940s, moved to the United States, and in 1949 put together a quintet comprised of piano, vibes, guitar, bass and drums that caught on big.
Shearing primarily performed with his quintet (with occasional exceptions) for the next 20 years, playing a brand of accessible bebop that was quite popular.
On this Snader television transcription from 1951, he is joined by vibraphonist Don Elliott, guitarist Chuck Wayne, bassist John Levy, and drummer Denzil Best.
They perform the medium-tempo boppish blues “Swedish Pastry”
-Scott Yanow
