Shearing was born in the Battersea area of London, United Kingdom. Congenitally blind, he was the youngest of nine children. He started to learn piano at the age of three. After limited training and extensive listening to recorded jazz, he began playing at hotels, clubs and pubs in the London area, sometimes solo, occasionally with dance bands. In 1940, Shearing joined Harry Parry's popular band and became a star in Britain, performing for the BBC, playing with Stéphane Grappelli's London-based groups of the early 1940s, and winning seven consecutive Melody Maker polls.
In 1946, Shearing established himself in the United States. In 1955, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Leading a quintet (piano with guitar, bass, drums and vibraphone), which over the years included Cal Tjader, Margie Hyams, Denzil Best, Israel Crosby, Joe Pass and Gary Burton, Shearing had a succession of hugely popular records including September In The Rain and his own composition, Lullaby Of Birdland (1952). His style, including the joint playing of the melody by piano and vibraphone, was also widely copied, becoming part of the idiom of pop music, so that his records from that period now sound far less innovative than they did at the time. Later, Shearing played with a trio, as a solo and increasingly in duo. Among his collaborations have been sets with the Montgomery Brothers, Marian McPartland, Brian Torff, Jim Hall, Hank Jones and Kenny Davern.
In the 1970s, Shearing's profile had been lowered considerably, but upon signing with Concord Records in 1979, Shearing found himself enjoying a renaissance.
Over the years, Shearing has also collaborated with singers including Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, Ernestine Anderson, Carmen McRae, and most notably, Mel Tormé, with whom he performed frequently in the late 80s and early 90s at festivals, on radio and for recordings.
Recently, Shearing collaborated with the John Pizzarelli Trio to create the album The Rare Delight of You, which garnered extremely good reviews. The album cover, featuring Pizzarelli and Shearing posing in front of a solid blue background, was designed to resemble the cover of Nat King Cole Sings George Shearing Plays, a legendary jazz recording with which it shares some similarities in style.
Shearing's interest in classical music resulted in some performances with concert orchestras in the 1950s and 1960s, and his solo's frequently draw upon the music of Debussy and, particularly, Erik Satie for inspiration. Shearing also made a recording with the classical French horn player Barry Tuckwell.
Shearing wrote a number of jazz arrangements of hymn tunes for the organ in collaboration with organist Dale Wood, that have been published in sheet music form.
(2) For a long stretch of time in the 1950s and early '60s, George Shearing had one of the most popular jazz combos on the planet -- so much so that, in the usual jazz tradition of distrusting popular success, he tended to be underappreciated. Shearing's main claim to fame was the invention of a unique quintet sound, derived from a combination of piano, vibraphone, electric guitar, bass, and drums. Within this context, Shearing would play in a style he called "locked hands," which he picked up and refined from Milt Buckner's early-'40s work with the Lionel Hampton band, as well as Glenn Miller's sax section and the King Cole Trio. Stating the melody on the piano with closely knit, harmonized block chords, with the vibes and guitar tripling the melody in unison, Shearing sold tons of records for MGM and Capitol in his heyday.
The wild success of this urbane sound obscures Shearing's other great contribution during this time, for he was also a pioneer of exciting, small-combo Afro-Cuban jazz in the '50s. Indeed, Cal Tjader first caught the Latin jazz bug while playing with Shearing, and the English bandleader also employed such esteemed congueros as Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, and Armando Peraza. As a composer, Shearing was best known for the imperishable, uniquely constructed bop standard "Lullaby of Birdland," as well as "Conception" and "Consternation." His solo style, though all his own, reflected the influences of the great boogie-woogie pianists and classical players, as well as those of Fats Waller, Earl Hines, Teddy Wilson, Erroll Garner, Art Tatum, and Bud Powell -- and fellow pianists long admired his light, refined touch. He was also known to play accordion and sing in a modest voice on occasion.
Shearing, who was born blind, began playing the piano at the age of three, receiving some music training at the Linden Lodge School for the Blind in London as a teenager but picking up the jazz influence from Teddy Wilson and Fats Waller 78s. In the late '30s, he started playing professionally with the Ambrose dance band and made his first recordings in 1937 under the aegis of fellow Brit Leonard Feather. He became a star in Britain, performing for the BBC, playing a key role in the self-exiled Stéphane Grappelli's London-based groups of the early '40s, and winning seven consecutive Melody Maker polls before emigrating in New York City in 1947 at the prompting of Feather. Once there, Shearing quickly absorbed bebop into his bloodstream, replacing Garner in the Oscar Pettiford Trio and leading a quartet in tandem with Buddy DeFranco. In 1949, he formed the first and most famous of his quintets, which included Marjorie Hyams on vibes (thus striking an important blow for emerging female jazz instrumentalists), Chuck Wayne on guitar, John Levy on bass, and Denzil Best on drums. Recording briefly first for Discovery, then Savoy, Shearing settled into lucrative associations with MGM (1950-1955) and Capitol (1955-1969), the latter for which he made albums with Nancy Wilson, Peggy Lee, and Nat King Cole. He also made a lone album for Jazzland with the Montgomery Brothers (including Wes Montgomery) in 1961, and began playing concert dates with symphony orchestras.
After leaving Capitol, Shearing began to phase out his by-then-predictable quintet, finally breaking it up in 1978. He started his own label, Sheba, which lasted for a few years into the early '70s -- and made some trio recordings for MPS later in the decade. In the '70s, his profile had been lowered considerably, but upon signing with Concord in 1979, Shearing found himself enjoying a renaissance in all kinds of situations. He made a number of acclaimed albums with Mel Tormé, raising the singer's profile in the process, and recorded with the likes of Ernestine Anderson, Jim Hall, Marian McPartland, Hank Jones, and classical French horn player Barry Tuckwell. He also recorded a number of solo piano albums where his full palette of influences came into play. He signed with Telarc in 1992 and from that point through the early 2000s continued to perform and record, most often appearing in a duo or trio setting. Shearing, who had remained largely inactive since 2004 after a fall in his New York City apartment, died of congestive heart failure at New York's Lenox Hill Hospital on February 14, 2011. He was 91. ~ Richard S. Ginell, Rovi
Aquarius
George Shearing Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars
This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius
The Age of Aquarius
Aquarius! Aquarius!
Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or derisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the mind's true liberation
Aquarius! Aquarius!
When the moon is in the Seventh House
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars
This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius
The Age of Aquarius
Aquarius! Aquarius!
Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more falsehoods or decisions
Golden living dreams of visions
Mystic crystal revelation
And the mind's true liberation
Aquarius! Aquarius!
The song "Aquarius" by George Shearing is a representation of the astrological age of Aquarius. The lyrics highlight the idea that when the moon is in the Seventh House and Jupiter aligns with Mars, peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars. This phase represents a new era of human consciousness as the world transitions to a new way of looking at things. The dawning of the Age of Aquarius is believed to bring harmony, understanding, and trust, and to put an end to deception and negative attitudes.
The song emphasizes the vision of a world where falsehoods and derision will cease to exist, and dreams will become more meaningful, clear, and achievable. The lyrics describe the Age of Aquarius as a time of revelations and liberation; where people will have a better understanding of their true selves and their purpose in life. As the world enters into this Age, people will experience a deeper sense of unity, spirituality, and empathy, bringing about an entirely new perspective of life.
Line by Line Meaning
When the moon is in the Seventh House
When the moon aligns with specific celestial bodies
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
And Jupiter aligns with Mars, indicating a unique astrological phenomenon
Then peace will guide the planets
The alignment will guide the planets and bring peace
And love will steer the stars
The alignment will also steer the stars with love
This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius
This celestial occurrence marks the beginning of the Age of Aquarius
The Age of Aquarius
A new era of enlightenment and progress
Aquarius! Aquarius!
A joyful exclamation of the arrival of the new age
Harmony and understanding
The world is now characterized by harmonious relationships and deeper understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
People are more empathetic and trusting towards each other
No more falsehoods or derisions
Lies and mocking are no longer tolerated
Golden living dreams of visions
People are encouraged to dream big and pursue their goals
Mystic crystal revelation
There's a spiritual awakening, revealing hidden truths
And the mind's true liberation
People experience mental freedom and creativity
Aquarius! Aquarius!
A reaffirmation of the new age's arrival and its benefits
When the moon is in the Seventh House
The conditions for peace and love are still present
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
The alignment still exists, and its effects are ongoing
Then peace will guide the planets
The world will continue to experience peace under this alignment
And love will steer the stars
And love will continue to guide the movements of stars
This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius
This moment marks the beginning of a new, better era
The Age of Aquarius
An age defined by progress, enlightenment, and love
Aquarius! Aquarius!
A continued celebration of this new start
Harmony and understanding
The world continues to enjoy harmonious relationships and deeper understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
People continue to be more empathetic and trusting
No more falsehoods or decisions
The truth is still valued, and rash decisions are avoided
Golden living dreams of visions
People continue to have hope and pursue their dreams
Mystic crystal revelation
Spirituality continues to be part of the world's consciousness
And the mind's true liberation
Mental freedom and creativity are still encouraged
Aquarius! Aquarius!
A continued celebration of a better future
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gerome Ragni, James Rado, Galt MacDermot
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carlos Gonzalez
It took me over 15 years to get my hands on a vinyl copy of this album after hearing it on a local college station in the late 90's. I love the internet. :)
GM
just picked up a vinyl for this
Thordis Claessen
Oh man, that beat! ;)
gkyazze
woooooooah...that bass is so damn heavy!
Richard Boud
I want my coffin carried in to my funeral to this. In my head the pall bearers are doing a little shimmy as they go and everyone in the building (packed out with hundreds of weeping people obvs) are all swaying in time, nodding heads.
Jonathan Wyall
the amigos are killing it! so juicy!
Blunt Cósmico Records
Woah!
UBZUKKI
Killer
isaac moses
Thank you for the listening pleasure ...
jrak
oh