George Shearing 🎹 Blues Intro on Let There Be Love ❤️ (Nat Cole)

Reader,

This entire newsletter covers 32 seconds of music. That might seem absurd, until you consider that this 32 seconds is George Shearing’ legendary blues introduction over Let There Be Love, sung by Nat King Cole. It might be one of the most iconic piano introductions of all time.

It’s so iconic, I can’t bring myself to limit this to just the 2 phrases excerpted below. I’ve transcribed the full introduction for you, which you can download here.​

Today's 2-5-1

Each Monday I share 2 transcribed phrases, 5 ideas observed from 1 featured jazz recording.

Here's a summary of what I loved about this track and why I think you should care.

1. The introduction is in A major, but prompts a modulation to C major with the final G7 chord.
2. It’s as bluesy as it comes, with every phrase based on the A minor blues scale.
3. Perhaps the most important observation is the rhythmic variation. Every phrase starts on a different beat. Some lines are 8th note based, and others are triplets.
4. Throughout, George accents his blues licks by harmonizing the line with an A on top. (My friends at Open Studio call these “bluesy double stops”)
5. Like any good blues, the lines are full of crushed notes, grace notes, and “ruff”s

Submit a Recording - Have a suggestion for a track I should include in a future 2-5-1? Send it over by replying to this email.