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
It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing
George Shearing Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If it ain't got that swing
(doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah
Doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah)
It don't mean a thing
All you got to do is sing
(doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah
Doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah)
If it's sweet or hot
Just give that rhythm
Ev'rything you got
Oh, it don't mean a thing
If it ain't got that swing
(doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah
Doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah)
George Shearing's classic jazz standard, "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing," conveys the belief that without the essential element of swing, music is lifeless and incomplete. The song's lyrics go beyond a mere statement of opinion, suggesting that music's most important ingredient is the rhythmic flow that is often referred to as "swing." Shearing underscores the point that it does not matter if a piece of music is uplifting or dark and edgy. If it is devoid of that essential attribute, it is essentially flat.
The song is both a call to arms and a true classic that appeals to musicians of all skill levels, from beginners to professionals. Like many classic jazz tunes, "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing" played a significant role in introducing traditional music to those who had never heard it before. It has an upbeat and energetic rhythm that practically dares listeners to resist joining in, and this is what makes it a positive, life-affirming song.
The song was a huge success upon its initial release, and its infectious rhythm and memorable tune have made it a favorite among jazz fans for decades. The lyrics and music of "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing" embody the vibrant spirit and exuberance of jazz music, and they have delighted audiences for years. It's a true classic that earned a solid spot among the jazz cannon and one that will undoubtedly continue to entertain music lovers for years to come.
Line by Line Meaning
It don't mean a thing
Nothing of significance is conveyed
If it ain't got that swing
Unless there is a strong sense of rhythm and beat present
(doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah
Instruments emphasizing the beat
Doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah)
Continuation of the instrumental rhythm
It don't mean a thing
Nothing of significance is conveyed
All you got to do is sing
Singing can add to the overall musical experience
(doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah
Instruments emphasizing the beat
Doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah)
Continuation of the instrumental rhythm
It makes no diff'rence
No matter the qualities of a composition
If it's sweet or hot
Whether it's slow or fast-paced
Just give that rhythm
Emphasizing the importance of rhythm
Ev'rything you got
Giving it your all and putting forth effort
Oh, it don't mean a thing
Nothing of significance is conveyed
If it ain't got that swing
Unless there is a strong sense of rhythm and beat present
(doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah
Instruments emphasizing the beat
Doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah)
Continuation of the instrumental rhythm
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Duke Ellington, Irving Mills
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JOHN MENUIS
Many people copy Grapelli but no one really captures his essence. There was only one.
Wade Older
I was thinking the same thing as I was watching a lady that did a tribute show. She was good but just did not have the magic touch Stephane has.
MrJimmienoone
Grappelli - to all accounts a held-back, civilized gentleman in private - just swung like a wild bull. In every tempo, in every conceivable setting. I like George Shearing, but listen to the difficulty he has here following Grappelli's speed.