Cat. No. 2369: DON SHIRLEY ~ ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD / IMPROVISATIONS. COLLECTABLES COL-CD-2756. (IMPORT)

COLLECTABLES JAZZ CLASSICS SERIES. 2 AVAILABLE

EXCELLENT 2CD SET FEATURING TWO OF DON’S ALBUMS RECORDED FOR THE CADENCE LABEL. DON SHIRLEY’S MUSIC IS HARD TO CATEGORIZE. SHIRLEY’S PIANO SKILLS WERE RECOGNIZED AT AN EARLY AGE AND HE BEGAN HIS CAREER AS A COMPOSER AND VIRTUOSO PERFORMER. HE MADE HIS CONCERT DEBUT AT AGE 18 WITH THE BOSTON POPS IN JUNE 1945 BUT LATER ABANDONED THE PIANO AS A CAREER. HE LATER RETURNED TO THE PIANO AND RECORDED 16 ALBUMS FOR CADENCE RECORDS IN THE 1950s AND 1960s. HIS MOVE INTO JAZZ CAME ABOUT WHEN HE BECAME FRIENDS WITH DUKE ELLINGTON AND THEIR FRIENDSHIP WAS HIGHLIGHTED BY DON’S PERFORMANCE IN 1955 OF THE PREMIERE OF DUKE’S PIANO CONCERTO AT CARNEGIE HALL WITH THE NBC SYMPHONY OF THE AIR. DON IS HIGHLY REGARDED BY JAZZ FANS BECAUSE OF HIS VARIATIONS AND IMPROVISATIONS ON CLASSICAL MUSIC.

TRACK LISTING: CD1 – ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD – Bands 1 – 11 / CD2 – IMPROVISATIONS – Sometimes I’m Happy / But Not For Me / Tenderly / What Is There To Say / Autumn Leaves / Atonal Ostinato Blues In B / When I Fall In Love / Over The Rainbow / Let’s Fall In Love / Walkin’ By The River.

2CD SET