George Shearing Quintet & Amigos - The Way We Are (2014) [Hi-Res]

„The formula for the George Shearing Quintet was wearing very thin by the time of this 1974 release, although he adds two Latin percussionists to the group for variety. The lack of notable sidemen means that Shearing does almost all of the solos, excepting the guest percussionists, but the major weakness of this record is the inane material. While Stevie Wonder's 'The Sunshine of My Life' has been successfully absorbed into the jazz repertoire, forgettable turkeys like 'Do You Know the Way to San Jose,' 'Killing Me Softly,' a Muzak-like rendition of 'Superstar' (the sleep-inducing hit for Karen Carpenter written by Leon Russell), the insipid 'The World Is a Ghetto,' and especially the nauseating Gilbert O'Sullivan ballad 'Alone Again (Naturally)' prove that even a first-rate musician can do little to make these tunes interesting to jazz listeners. One almost assumes that Leonard Feather's liner notes are tongue in cheek and that he had to force himself to say something positive about this dubious project. Long out of print since BASF's departure from the record-making business in the mid-'70s (possibly encouraged by flops like this), it's safe to say that fans of the earlier successes (and the later revival) of the George Shearing Quintet can safely bypass this extremely disappointing LP.“ (Ken Dryden, AMG)

George Shearing, piano
Andy Simpkins, bass
Chino Valdes, bongos, congas
Rusty Jones, drums
Sigi Schwab, guitar
Carmelo Garcia, timbales
Heribert Thusek, vibraphone

Digitally remastered