George Shearing Quintet / Dakota Staton In The Night CD

Live Recording

Full performer name: The George Shearing Quintet/Dakota Staton.
Personnel: George Shearing (piano); Dakota Staton (vocals); Emil Richards (vibraphone); Toots Thielemans (guitar); Al McKibbon (bass); Perry Brice (drums).
Recorded at Capitol Studios, New York, New York on July 27-31, 1957. Includes
liner notes by Dan Singer.
Personnel: George Shearing (piano); Dakota Staton (vocals); Toots Thielemans (guitar); Emil Richards (vibraphone); Percy Brice (drums).
Audio Remixer: Ron McMaster.
Liner Note Author: Daniel Singer.
Recording information: Capitol Studios, New York, NY (07/27/1957-07/31/1957).
With its progressive-leaning jazz and modernist blues vocals, In the Night was the prototype for the piano-vocals collaboration record that George Shearing would remake with Peggy Lee, Nat King Cole, and Nancy Wilson while at Capitol (and many others afterwards). In July 1957, just after Dakota Staton's immense success with "The Late, Late Show," Capitol recorded two of its biggest jazz stars together for what would turn out to be one of the finest teamings in either's career. Staton appears on every other song, lending her blend of post-bop vocal prowess and late-night melodrama to a set of well-chosen songs including "In the Night" and "I Hear Music." (Ironically, the version of "The Late, Late Show" heard here is an instrumental.) Shearing and Staton are joined by the pianist's group at the time, including Emil Richards on vibes, the splendid Toots Thielemans on guitar, and a few features for Latin percussionist Armando Peraza. The group's finest features are the opener, "From Rags to Richards," a fine Shearing original with excellent solos from Richards and Shearing, and Ray Bryant's "Pawn Ticket," with fine work from Thielemans and Richards. ~ John Bush