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Lullaby of Birdland (George Shearing)

This jazz classic (a contrafact of "Love Me or Leave Me," by Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn) is heard here in the "Four Brothers" voicing, which consists of three tenor saxes and a baritone sax (as popularized by composer/arranger Jimmy Giuffre for the Woody Herman band). George Shearing wrote and introduced the tune in 1952 with his classy, distinctive quintet, consisting of Shearing (piano), Marjorie Hyams (vibraphone), Chuck Wayne (guitar), John Levy (bass), and Denzil Best (drums). Shearing typically used block chords for the ensembles, with Hyams doubling the lead on vibes, creating a mellow and highly popular sound.

Safe Sax musicians include Mario Mongello (lead tenor sax), Steve Koerner (tenor sax), Herman Reyes (tenor sax), Glenn Broadhead (baritone sax), Bill Reda (guitar), Michael Daly (bass), and Steve Magnone (drums).

Recorded in 2007 by Nick Eipers and his students at Columbia College (Chicago).