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
Christmas Song
George Shearing Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
Help to make the season bright
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
They know that Santa's on his way
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
And every mother's child is gonna spy
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.
And so I'm offering this simple phrase
To kids from one to ninety-two
Although it's been said many times, many ways
Merry Christmas to you!
The song "Christmas Song" by George Shearing evokes the holiday spirit through its vivid imagery and comforting lyrics. The opening lines paint a warm picture of the holiday scene, with chestnuts roasting and a chill in the air. The mention of Yule-tide carols and people dressed in warm clothing adds to the cozy mood. The line "And folks dressed up like Eskimos" is particularly interesting, as it reflects an awareness of cultural diversity and inclusivity in a time when these concepts were much less widespread.
The second verse is focused on the typical holiday traditions, such as enjoying a roast turkey and decorating with mistletoe. The reference to "tiny tots with their eyes all aglow" is a nod to the wonder and excitement that children often experience around this time of year. The notion of children spying on Santa's reindeer to see if they can really fly is a cute and playful touch. The final lines serve as a simple yet heartfelt message, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas from the youngest to the oldest members of society.
Line by Line Meaning
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Hazelnuts are being cooked on an open flame.
Jack Frost nipping at your nose
The cold weather is causing discomfort to your nose.
Yule-tide carols being sung by a choir
A choir is singing Christmas songs.
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.
People are wearing warm clothing to keep themselves warm, similar to what Eskimos wear.
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
It's a common knowledge that turkey and mistletoe are associated with Christmas.
Help to make the season bright
They contribute to making the Christmas season cheerful and joyful.
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow
Small children with bright and shining eyes.
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.
Due to the excitement, they will have difficulty sleeping tonight.
They know that Santa's on his way
Children are aware that Santa Claus is coming.
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh
Santa Claus has filled his sleigh with many toys and treats.
And every mother's child is gonna spy
All children, without exception, will try to catch a glimpse of Santa Claus.
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.
They want to see if reindeer are truly capable of flying.
And so I'm offering this simple phrase
Therefore, I would like to offer this uncomplicated expression.
To kids from one to ninety-two
To all children and adults of all ages.
Although it's been said many times, many ways
Even though this phrase has been expressed repeatedly, in various forms.
Merry Christmas to you!
Wishing you a happy and joyful Christmas!
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mel Torme, Robert Wells
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Garyskiman L
Gotta' luv the vibes! Nice, classy Xmas selections - great variety of styles too! Shearing's music combo's among the best. Features the other instrumentalists at times. Health & Happiness to Everyone! 🎅🎈🎄🎁🤶
Fred Destang
Great stuff....nostalgic..listen to this late at night when other sounds have died out. Blissful !!!
legOldtimer
Very fine music!
colin gray
my group since the fifties the best
ThisGuyFrritz
Sounds like something out of "A Charlie Brown Christmas".
DistHerbedMinds
What album's this from?
Amy Turner
God Take Five ye Merry Gentlemen.
;p
Michael Dougan
take 5 XMAS
John Tiggleman
The record pictured is not what is played. Sheesh.