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
East Of The Sun
George Shearing Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'll build a dream house of love dear
Close to the sun in the day
Near to the moon at night
We'll live in a lovely way dear
Sharing our love in the pale moonlight
Just you and I,
Love will not die,
We'll keep it that way
Up among the stars
We'll find a harmony of life to a lovely tune
East of the sun and west of the moon dear
East of the sun and west of the moon
The lyrics of George Shearing's song "East of the Sun" seem to describe a perfect world, in which two lovers create a dream house of love somewhere beyond the horizon. The phrase "East of the sun and west of the moon" suggests that they are traveling to a distant or imaginary place, where they can live in peace and happiness. The idea of building a dream house of love suggests that this is a place that they will create together, with love as their foundation.
Throughout the lyrics, there is a contrast between day and night, sun and moon, and harmony and tune. The lovers would be close to the sun during the day, basking in its warmth and light, and close to the moon at night, enjoying its gentle glow. They would live in a lovely way, sharing their love in the pale moonlight. The imagery is very romantic and dreamlike, suggesting that this perfect world might exist only in the lovers' minds.
The final stanza suggests that their love will endure forever, even among the stars, and that they will find a harmony of life that is set to a lovely tune. This again reinforces the idea that the lovers' world is one of perfect harmony and balance. The repetition of the phrase "East of the sun and west of the moon" at the end of each verse reinforces the idea that the lovers are traveling to a distant, idealized place where they can create their own perfect world.
Line by Line Meaning
East of the sun and west of the moon
We will go beyond imagination to create a love that is all-encompassing
We'll build a dream house of love dear
Together, we will create a strong foundation for our love that will last a lifetime
Close to the sun in the day
We will bask in the warmth and energy of the bright and powerful sun during the day
Near to the moon at night
As we rest in each other's arms at night, we will be inspired by the peaceful and calming moon
We'll live in a lovely way dear
Together, we will live with intention and care for each other
Sharing our love in the pale moonlight
We will openly and honestly express our affection for each other, even in the quiet and vulnerable moments
Just you and I,
Our love will be exclusive and intimate
Forever and a day
Our love will endure for eternity
Love will not die,
Our love will prevail over any obstacle or challenge
We'll keep it that way
We will work together to maintain and strengthen our relationship
Up among the stars
We will reach for the highest aspirations and ideals in our relationship
We'll find a harmony of life to a lovely tune
We will discover a beautiful and meaningful balance in our lives together
East of the sun and west of the moon dear
Our love will be an extraordinary and unique adventure
East of the sun and west of the moon
Our love will transcend the mundane and ordinary
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brooks Bowman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sandracid4987
Best of the best. I adore his music and his presence. Bravo Sir George. ❤❤❤
@kevinparker6938
Wonderful it gets better every time you hear it I'm 82 y old and could listen all day
@alfredpratt3934
This tune takes me back a very long time. I am 87 years old & it has never lost it's magic. The words are also beautiful. So many performers have spoiled it by altering the tempo but George Shearing has it just right. The music brings back many kinds of memory to me, romantic & warm, or friendly. When I was at school, there was a boy swimmer, same age as I & his name was MacRae - he swan the crawl like a fish & he was, clearly, great. He moved through the water with hardly a splash & with a perfect rhythm. I never asked him about it but, when I watched, in wonder, that boy going like a torpedo, I matched the rhythm in my head. It was slow & sure & the strokes matched, precisely, "East of the Sun & West of the Moon". I add this as, some good swimmers might try it out. Thank you for providing this superb rendering of a masterpiece in modern music played by "A Master". Alfred P. J.H.S. 1947-1951
@22464388
I used to listen to this in England on BBC radio in the 40/50s I live in the US now,I'm 89 and get in my Chevy turn Sirius Sinatra on and I'm transported right back in time to those really good old days of big bands and dance halls. Woke up this morning with this classic playing in my head. WOW !
@robertrstevens
O what power this has to recall the 50s! Long Live George Shearing and his Magic!
@emhaz73
I loved George Shearing! I first heard him when I was about 7 and now I am 67. I can play his music all day! The song Nothing but D Best is the bomb!! Thank you for sharing!
@silverfox4743
D Best ---for Denzel Best, right?, if I remember correctly !! LOL!!, about 60 years ago?? I am 74 now, !!
@r4b32t11
DIVINE ❤❤❤❤
@exjazzbassbaz
one of the great performances by sir george a classic.one of the great piano players in the history of jazz.he will never be forgotten.many thanks.
@ronniewoodsbellmontsounds7045
That Shearing sound, just awesome.