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
Heather on the Hill
George Shearing Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Out where there's a hillside of heather curtseyin' gently in the breeze
That's what I'd like to do; see the heather but with you.
The mist of May is in the gloamin',and all the clouds are holdin' still
So take my hand and let's go roamin'through the heather on the hill.
The mornin' dew is blinkin' yonder,there's lazy music in the rill,
And all I want to do is wander through the heather on the hill.
There may be other days as rich and rare,
But the won't be the same, they'll come and go
For this I know;
That when the mist is in gloamin'
And all the clouds are holdin' still,
If you're not there I won't go roamin' through the heather on the hill,
The heather on the hill.
The mist of May is in the gloamin',and all the clouds are holdin' still
So take my hand and let's go roamin'through the heather on the hill.
The mornin' dew is blinkin' yonder,there's lazy music in the rill,
And all I want to do is wander through the heather on the hill.
There may be other days as rich and rare,
There may be other springs as full and fare,
But the won't be the same, they'll come and go
For this I know;
That when the mist is in gloamin'
And all the clouds are holdin' still,
If you're not there I won't go roamin' through the heather on the hill,
The heather on the hill.
"Heather on the Hill" is a love song from the 1954 musical "Brigadoon," composed by Frederick Loewe, with lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. George Shearing's version of the song was one of the most popular covers at the time. The song describes a desire to escape to the hills with a loved one, where the heather is in bloom and the mist of May is in the air.
The singer of the song wants to walk with his lover beyond the valley of trees, to a hillside where heather grows, swaying gently in the breeze. He longs to wander and roam through this idyllic landscape with his lover by his side. The imagery of nature is used to heighten the sensual experience, with the mist of May enveloping the hills and the morning dew glistening in the sunlight. The song expresses the timeless yearning to be with someone you love, in a place of natural beauty and peace.
Overall, "Heather on the Hill" is a romantic song that speaks to the power of nature and the desire for connection with a loved one. Its poetic lyrics and memorable melody have made it a classic in the musical theater canon.
Line by Line Meaning
Can't we two go walkin' together out beyond the valley of trees?
Can we explore a new and unfamiliar place hand in hand?
Out where there's a hillside of heather curtseyin' gently in the breeze
A serene and peaceful environment where nature sways and welcomes calmly.
That's what I'd like to do; see the heather but with you.
I want to experience the beauty of nature with you only.
The mist of May is in the gloamin',and all the clouds are holdin' still
The environment is relaxed and tranquil; the weather depicts a certain ease
So take my hand and let's go roamin'through the heather on the hill.
Let's take a walk and wander through the serene heather while we appreciate each other's company.
The mornin' dew is blinkin' yonder,there's lazy music in the rill,
In the morning, nature awakens, little droplets of dew shimmer, and the sound of water in tiny streams is soothing.
And all I want to do is wander through the heather on the hill.
All I want to do is to explore and appreciate the beauty of nature with you by my side.
There may be other days as rich and rare,
There may be other springs as full and fare,
But the won't be the same, they'll come and go
For this I know;
There will be other moments of beauty, but not the same as this; we need to cherish it.
That when the mist is in gloamin'
And all the clouds are holdin' still,
If you're not there I won't go roamin' through the heather on the hill,
The heather on the hill.
If you're not there to share the moment, it won't be the same; I want to cherish it with you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALAN JAY LERNER, FREDERICK LOEWE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jackbeecroft672
Exquisite. A beautiful song played by the greatest. Thank you
@contrabaixo10
Real music to my ears, thank you so much for this marvel.
@contrabaixo10
Imagine if the world were like these arrangements ?
@DonyaLane
Dear Lord! Stunning... Just when I thought Shearing couldn't be improved upon, I hear this arrangement... That's it... game over!
@Poopaloo55
Honestly, one of my fave songs of all time. Fantastic video, David!!
@richard4677
Delicious to my ears, Farnon's arrangements were always superb and George Shearing was also the best in soft music.
@r4b32t11
My favourite song being played by My two favourite people, BLISS ❤️❤️❤️
@KPO6859
Wow. What a gem. Thank you for sharing this wonderful arrangement and performance, and for assembling a visual experience to go with it. I am deeply moved on a sleepless summer night, taken on a musical journey that honestly helped to re-center my universe in five minutes. Who needs therapy when you have music?
@jorgestramusic
Wow my friend ! Very, very nice... You have such sensitivity for this !... This one is another beautiful achievement !... Very rare pictures from "Brigadoon" and nice pictures of the late great Shearing ! I only wish there would be more pictures of my idol Robert Farnon... after all, The arranger makes all the magic !... But I enjoyed it very much !...Keep it coming my friend !
@MyTroubadour
Excellente musique. Merci, David Speed pour cette mise en ligne.