· Collectors Edition
· Extensive new liner notes
· Issued in Digipack
· 2 Original LPs on 1 CD
· Original Cover Art and Liner Notes
· Mono Recordings
· Newly Remastered
Donald Shirley (1927-2013), of whom Sarah Vaughan once said, “The most glorious sense of shading, phrasing, and balance I’ve ever heard”, was no musical accident or anomaly. He began studying at the age of nine and made his debut with the Boston “Pops” at seventeen in 1945. From that moment on, he mesmerized those fortunate enough to hear him. At Basin Street, the famous New York nightclub, legendary pianists like Duke Ellington and Dave Brubeck came to listen—and to admire.
He had the rare ability to make a pop tune sound like Chopin or turn a Gershwin standard into something reminiscent of Bach—while still swinging effortlessly. He blazed a new musical trail for us to enjoy. Cadence Records released his first two LPs, Tonal Expressions and Piano Perspectives in 1955, selling thousands of copies and becoming national bestsellers.
Shirley was such an exceptional musician that listening to him is pure pleasure, without reservation. His outstanding bassist, Richard Davis, also deserves praise—an artist of refined taste and consummate skill.
Though Shirley never considered himself a jazz musician, he was a brilliant architect of popular and jazz material. His work pointed toward the rich possibilities of extended form in music. On ballads, he conveyed a rare tenderness; in everything he played, there was warmth and strength. Yet his emotional expression was distinct from that of his contemporaries—jazz pianists like Art Tatum, DaveBrubeck, Bud Powell, or Horace Silver.
Words cannot fully capture it—you must hearit for yourself.
—Jordi Pujol
