The George Shearing Trio with Ray Brown And Marvin "Smitty" Smith - Breakin' Out (1987)

Most of George Shearing's recordings for Concord feature the pianist with his regular duo or trio. This release is different for the great pianist is matched up with bassist Ray Brown (who he had first played with in 1948) and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith. The nine songs they perform include four by Duke Ellington, Leonard Feather's "Twelve Tone Blues," Bud Powell's exciting "Hallucinations," two standards and Shearing's own down home "Break out the Blues." The music is as rewarding and swinging as one would expect from this lineup. -- Scott Yanow