George Shearing (13 August 1919 – February 14, 2011) was a well-known jazz … Read Full Bio ↴George Shearing (13 August 1919 – February 14, 2011) was a well-known jazz pianist and inventor of the famous "Shearing Sound": a form of smooth cocktail jazz characterised by block chords played on the piano along with similar chords played on the vibraphone.
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
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
Good To The Last Bop
George Shearing Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by George Shearing:
A Beautiful Friendship This is the end of a beautiful friendship It ended a…
A Foggy Day I was a stranger in the city Out of town were…
A Garden in the Rain The leaves of brown came tumbling down Remember, in Septembe…
a Ghost of a Chance I need your love so badly, I love you, oh,…
A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square When two lovers meet in Mayfair so the legends tell Songbird…
A Ship Without A Sail I don't know what day it is, Or if it's dark…
After The Waltz Is Over After the waltz is over After the music ends After I held…
After You Now won't you listen honey, while I say, How could…
After You've Gone Now won't you listen honey, while I say, How could…
All God Chillun', listen here to me This is my philosophy To see me…
All God's Chillun Got Rhythm Chillun', listen here to me This is my philosophy To see m…
All Or Nothing At All All or nothing at all Half a love, never appealed to…
All This And Heaven Too You give me your lips and your lips are so…
All Through the Day The day is my enemy, the night my friend, For I'm…
All Too Soon You give me your lips and your lips are so…
An Affair to Remember Our love affair is a wondrous thing That we'll rejoice in…
And Then I Wrote You look at me and wonder You look at me and…
Aquarius When the moon is in the Seventh House And Jupiter aligns…
As I Love You I'm in the mood for love Simply because you're near me. Funn…
As Long As There's Music As long as there's music and words of romance The spell…
Autumn Leaves The falling leaves drift by the window The autumn leaves of…
Away In A Manger Away in a manger, no crib for his bed, The little…
Azure-Te Nat King Cole Azure-te Lyrics Gone and got the blues in par…
Blame It On My Youth If I expected love when first we kissed, Blame it on…
Blue Island Blues Baby here I stand before you With my heart in my…
Blue Moon Blue moon you saw me standing alone Without a dream in…
Blues In 9/4 When I hear that Serenade in blue I'm somewhere in another…
Bluesette Poor little, sad little blue Bluesette Don't you cry, don't…
Body And Soul My heart is sad and lonely For you I sigh, for…
Bop "Have you met Miss Jones?" someone said as we shook…
Born To Be Blue Some folks were meant to live in clover But they are…
Can't We Be Friends? Took each word she said as gospel truth the way…
Canadian Sunset Once I was alone So lonely and then You came, out of…
Caravan Night and stars above that shine so bright The myst'ry…
Christmas Song Chestnuts roasting on an open fire Jack Frost nipping at you…
Conception Eat, drink and be miserable While it's a miracle that we're…
Continental I get no kick from champagne, Mere alcohol, Doesn't thrill…
Coquette Hear me, why you keep fooling Little coquette, making fun o…
Cuban Love Song I love you that's what my heart is saying While every…
Cuckoo In The Clock It's three o'clock in the morning We've danced the whole nig…
Dancing on the Ceiling The world is lyrical Because a miracle Has brought my love…
Dear Heart Dear heart wish you were here to warm this night My…
Deep Night Deep night, stars in the sky above Moonlight, lighting our p…
Dinah Carolina Gave me Dinah; I'm the proudest one Beneath the…
Do I Love You Beyond the shadow of a dove As the mighty river…
Do You Know The Way To San Jose Do you know the way to San Jose? I've been away…
Don't Blame Me Ever since the lucky night I found you I've hung around…
Don't Ever Leave Me I was created for one man alone It wasn't easy to…
Don't Get Around Much Anymore Missed the Saturday dance Heard they crowded the floor Could…
Dream If dreams come true My dream's of you At night when you…
Dream Dancing When shades enfold The sunset's gold And stars are bright ab…
East of the Sun East of the sun and west of the moon We'll build…
Easy I know too well that I'm just wasting precious time In…
Eleanor Rigby Ah look at all the lonely people Ah look at all…
Emily Emily, Emily, Emily Has the murmuring sound of may All silve…
Everything Happens To Me I make a date for golf, You can bet you life…
Fly Me To The Moon Oh poets often use many words to say a simple…
For You You made me leave my happy home You took my love…
Friendly Persuasion Thee I love more than the meadow so green and…
Gentleman Friend I'm riding high and I approve of the trend, Look what…
Ghost of a Chance I need your love so badly, I love you, oh,…
Girl from Ipanema Tall and tan and young and lovely The girl from Ipanema…
Goodnight My Love Goodnight my love, the tired old moon is descending Goodnigh…
Guilty Though you've decided that our love is wrong And think that…
Happy Days Are Here Again Forget your troubles (Happy days) Come on get happy (are he…
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas Have yourself a merry little Christmas Let your heart be li…
Heart and Soul Heart and soul I fell in love with your heart and…
Heather on the Hill Can't we two go walkin' together out beyond the valley…
Here's That Rainy Day Maybe I should have saved those left over dreams Funny, but…
Hey Jude Hey Jude, don't make it bad Take a sad song and…
High on a Windy Hill High on a windy hill I feel my heart stand still All…
How Come You Do Me Like You Do How come you do me like you do do do? How…
How Deep Is The Ocean How much do I love you? I'll tell you no lie How…
How Deep Is The Ocean? How much do I love you? I'll tell you no lie How…
How Do You Say How come you do me like you do do do? How…
How High the Moon Somewhere there's music How faint the tune Somewhere there's…
How Long Has This Been Going On As a tot, when I trotted in little velvet panties, I…
How Long Has This Been Going On? As a tot, when I trotted in little velvet panties, I…
I I cover the waterfront, I'm watching the sea,, Will the on…
I Could Write A Book If they ask me, I could write a book About the…
I Cover The Waterfront I cover the waterfront, I'm watching the sea,, Will the one …
I Didn Once I was young Yesterday, perhaps Danced with Jim and Pa…
I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance I need your love so badly, I love you, oh,…
I got rhythm Chillun', listen here to me This is my philosophy To see me…
I Hear A Rhapsody i hear music mighty fine music the murmur of the…
I Lost My Sugar in Salt Lake City I lost my sugar in Salt Lake City Oh, why…
I Love You I'm in the mood for love Simply because you're near me. Funn…
I Only Have Eyes for You My love must be a kind of blind love I can't…
I Remember You This lovely day will lengthen into evening We'll sigh goodby…
I Wish You Love Beyond the shadow of a dove As the mighty river…
I'll Be Around I'll be around, No matter how You treat me now I'll be aroun…
I'll Never Let a Day Pass By I'll never let a day pass by, Without a prayer or…
I'll Never Smile Again I'll never smile again Until I smile at you I'll never laugh…
I'll Remember April This lovely day will lengthen into evening We'll sigh goodby…
I'm Getting Sentimental over You Never thought I'd fall, But now I hear love call, I'm gettin…
I'm Thru With Love I'm thru with love, I'll never fall again. Said I do to…
I've Got You Under My Skin I've got you under my skin. I've got you deep in…
If If dreams come true My dream's of you At night when you…
If I Had You I could show the world how to smile I could be…
If I Should Lose You If I should lose you The stars would fall from the…
If You Were Mine If you were mine I could be a ruler of kings And…
If You Were The Only Girl In The World If you were the only girl in the world And I…
In The Blue Of Evening When I hear that Serenade in blue I'm somewhere in another…
In The Night Strangers in the night, Exchanging glances Wandering the ni…
In The Still Of The Night In the still of the night As I gaze out of…
Isn The weather is frightening. The thunder and lightning Seem t…
Isn't It A Pity Isn't it romantic? Music in the night, a dream that can…
It Don It don't mean a thing If it ain't got that swing (doo…
It Had To Be You It had to be you, it had to be you. I…
It Might as Well Be Spring I'm as restless as a willow in a windstorm I'm as…
It's Christmas Time Once I was young Yesterday, perhaps Danced with Jim and Pa…
It's Not You How did I know that the warmth of the glow…
It's Only a Paper Moon Say, it's only a paper moon Sailing over a cardboard sea B…
It's You Or No One How did I know that the warmth of the glow…
I’ll Be Around I'll be around, No matter how You treat me now I'll be aroun…
I’ll Remember April This lovely day will lengthen into evening We'll sigh goodby…
Just Imagine from Good News Just imagine That he loves me dearly. Just imagine That I…
Killing Me Softly With His Song Strumming my pain with his fingers Singing my life with his…
Last Night When We Were Young Last night when we were young Love was a star, a…
Laura You know the feeling of something half remembered Of somethi…
Let Oh the weather outside is frightful But the fire is so…
Let There Be Love Let there be you, let there be me Let there be…
Let's Live Again When I look at you, a dream came true And suddenly…
Like Someone In Love Lately, I find myself out gazing at stars, Hearing guitars…
Little White Lies The moon was all aglow But heaven was in your eyes The…
Lonely Moments L is for the way you look at me. O is…
Long Ago Long ago and far away I dreamed a dream one day And…
Lost April Lost April Where did you go? Like winter's snow I saw you va…
Love I'm in the mood for love Simply because you're near me. Funn…
Love Is Just Around the Corner Beautiful miracle, pardon my lyrical rhapsody, But can't you…
Love Love L is for the way you look at me. O is…
Love Walked In Love walked right in and drove the shadows away Love walked…
Lullaby Lullaby of Birdland, that's what I Always hear when you…
Mack The Knife Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear And it shows…
Magic Old black magic has me in its spell Old black magic…
Making Love to You Beyond the shadow of a dove As the mighty river…
Memories Of You Waking skies at sunrise Every sunset too Seems to be bring…
Midnight in the Air [Instrumental]…
Midnight Sun I can't explain the silver rain that found me, Or was…
Mine If you were mine I could be a ruler of kings And…
Miss Invisible Pa' Variar tú solo en la casa, (no) no es nada…
Moonlight Becomes You Moonlight becomes you, it goes with your hair You certainly …
More Than You Know Whether you are here or yonder, Whether you are false…
My Foolish Heart The night is like a lovely tune, beware my foolish…
My One and Only Love The very thought of you makes my heart sing Like an…
My Silent Love Goodnight my love, the tired old moon is descending Goodnigh…
New York New York Medley: For Me and My Gal/Mack the Knife/Birth of th Start spreading the news I'm leaving today I want to be a…
Night Flight Listen to the melody entrancing Blending in a soft and sweet…
No Greater Love There is no greater love Than what I feel for you No…
Nobody Nobody's heart belongs to me Heigh-ho, who cares? Nobody wri…
Nobody Else But Me I want to be no one but me I am in…
Nobody's Heart Nobody's heart belongs to me Heigh-ho, who cares? Nobody wri…
Nothing But D Best The night is young, the skies are clear So if…
Oh When they met, the way they smiled, I saw that…
Oh Lady Be Good Listen to my tale of woe, It's terribly sad but…
Oh Lady Be Good! Listen to my tale of woe, It's terribly sad but…
Oh, Lady Be Good! (from Lady Be Good) Listen to my tale of woe, It's terribly sad but true, All…
On Green Dolphin Street It seems like a dream, yet I know it happened A…
On the Street Where You Live I have often walked Down the street before, But the paveme…
On The Sunny Side Of The Street Walked with no one and talked with no one And I…
One for the Woofer I'm in the mood for love Simply because you're near me. Funn…
Our Waltz Our waltz is music fashioned in heaven, Angels composed it …
Out Of This World You're clear out of this world When I'm looking at you, I…
Over The Rainbow Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high There's a land that…
P.S. I Love You Beyond the shadow of a dove As the mighty river…
Pick Yourself Up Please teacher, teach me something, Nice teacher, teach me s…
Polka Dots And Moonbeams A country dance was being held in a garden I felt…
Prelude To A Kiss If you hear A song in blue Like a flower crying For the…
Ramona I wander out yonder o'er the hills Where the mountains high …
Reverie Our love is a dream, but in my reverie I can…
September in the Rain The leaves of brown came tumbling down Remember, in Septembe…
and many more tracks by George Shearing.
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RøβєяŦ R๏ƙɨ F.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing B)