by Ken Dryden
For a time in the early to mid-'70s, George Shearing ran his own record label, Sheba, with the help of his then-wife, Trixie, though it folded around the time of their divorce. While his output during this period was a bit uneven, ranging from strong mainstream releases to rather commercial sessions, this solo piano affair is one of his best from the era. &Taking a Chance on Love& has the air of the pianist's favorite composer, Delius, while he alters the bassline to Irving Berlin's &Change Partners& by substituting the one from Claude Thornhill's &Snowfall.& Other surprises include the rather deliberate, lyrical setting of Antonio Carlos Jobim's &Wave& and the haunting rendition of &Beautiful Love.& One inexcusable failure of this Koch CD reissue was the omission of composer credits; aside from that, Shearing fans will be very grateful to have access to this long unavailable album.