by Scott Yanow

This promising effort is a major disappointment. Pianist George Shearing planned to revisit his roots in Dixieland and swing but he hedged his bets. Despite having an impressive septet with such players as cornetist Warren Vache, Ken Peplowski on tenor, trombonist George Masso and clarinetist Kenny Davern, Shearing wrote out most of the ensembles, taking away from the spontaneity and potential excitement of the music. Despite the interesting repertoire (ranging from "Truckin'," "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Jazz Me Blues" to "Take Five," "Desafinado" and even a Dixiefied "Lullaby Of Birdland"), this date falls far short of its potential.