The Best Of

I just watch the Green Book then ordered this album. It is very very good. A fusion of classic, jazz and a blue hint. Well worth the money.

Really enjoyable album, nice easy listening

Don Shirley is such a great pianist. I love the CD.

Don Shirley was an incredible musician, like Nina Simone, he was classically trained but due to the racism that was (and still is) widespread in America, he was discouraged or prevented to follow a concert career. (Note, this did not stop Shirley from composing and his works included symphonies and piano concertos.) I would recommend that people should watch the 2018 film 'The Green Book', Starring Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali. The film was inspired by the story of a 1962 tour of the Deep South by African American pianist Don Shirley and Italian American bouncer and later actor Frank "Tony Lip" Vallelonga, who served as Shirley's driver and bodyguard. Factually flawed but it will give one an idea. Now to the music! Although it may be described as 'jazz', it is rather more! Classical references abound and this includes chunks of Ravel, Bach and (interestingly) a section of Rachmaninov's 4th piano concerto. All are seamlessly and very musically woven into Shirley's virtuoso arrangements. Playing as a trio (bass and 'cello, his technique matched his musicianship. The works featured on this CD are from the Cadence recordings and date from the 50's and early 60's. However, the transfers are not of the quality one would expect with quite a lot of distortion, pitch variation and flutter that spoil the sound of the Steinway piano Shirley always used. I will look further into his back catalogue.

I watched the film about Dr Shirley recently on Netflix and was astounded at his talent and how he was not recognised for his genius purely because of being a black man. A wonderful collection of music.

A different take on many well known ditties. Really like it! Though the musical responses by Shirley a bit wierd, spooky and other worldly.

Brilliant film.....Brilliant CD😄😄😄😄😄😄

Good cd

La música excelente

This is a beautiful classical piano music by a great artist Donald W. Shirley. To bad he had to live through the Jim Crow era, that is probably the reason we never heard of him until now for me anyway. Love the music by a great artist and it is timeless. Enjoy life.

この価格でこの曲数。お買い得ですね。

Bella la musica contenuta in questo CD. Sono registrazioni storiche e pertanto la qualità non è eccezionale. Non potrebbe essere diversamente. Avendo visto il film mi ha incuriosito questo musicista e ho voluto ascoltare sue interpretazioni.

Excellent pianiste...insolite...le mélange musique classique et jazz...surtout dans le 1er album. Pourquoi bouder son plaisir à ce prix là.