Don Shirley Drown In My Own Tears

Born to Jamaican immigrant parents in pensacola, Florida in 1927, Shirley was playing piano by the age of two and organ at three, studying at the leningrad Conservatory aged 9. After performing with the Boston pops and the London Philharmonic, Shirley briefly practiced psychology in Chicago before signing to cadence in 1955. This 1962 album highlights Shirley's masterful command of the piano, with minimal backing of bassist Ken fricker and percussionist Ted sommer augmented by the subtle presence of a cello and further embellished by Shirley's tasteful organ. "Georgia on my mind" And "stand by me" Receive very individual arrangements, as does the title track, which cracked the Billboard top 100.