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 Might as Well Be Spring
George Shearing Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm as jumpy as a puppet on a string
I'd say that I had spring fever
But I know it isn't spring
I am starry-eyed and vaguely discontented
Like a nightingale without a song to sing
Oh, why should I have Spring fever
I keep wishing I were somewhere else
Walking down a strange new street
Hearing words that I have never heard
From a girl I've yet to meet
I'm as busy as a spider spinning daydreams
I'm as giddy as a baby on a swing
I haven't seen a crocus or a rosebud or a robin on the wing
But I feel so gay in a melancholy way
That it might as well be spring
It might as well be spring
The lyrics to George Shearing's song It Might as Well Be Spring describe the feeling of restlessness that comes with the anticipation of new possibilities and desires. The imagery in the first verse depicts a sense of being caught up in a whirlwind of emotions and wanting to break free from it. The simile "restless as a willow in a windstorm" emphasizes the sense of being blown about by strong forces beyond one's control. The second verse describes a feeling of vague discontentment and longing, represented by the nightingale who wants to sing but can't find the right words. The lyrical repetition of the phrase "But I know it isn't spring" emphasizes the irony of feeling these intense emotions at a time of year when nothing is blooming and the weather is still cold and gray.
The third verse takes on a more dreamlike quality, as the singer imagines being somewhere else, walking down a strange new street and hearing new words from someone they have yet to meet. The comparison to a spider spinning daydreams emphasizes the amount of time spent lost in one's own thoughts and desires, while the reference to a baby on a swing invokes a sense of carefree joy and abandon. The final lines of the song bring together the opposites of melancholy and happiness, suggesting that even if spring isn't here yet and there are no flowers or birds to be seen, the feeling of hope and possibility is already in the air.
Overall, the lyrics to It Might as Well Be Spring capture the sense of anticipation, restlessness, and longing that comes with the changing of the seasons and the beginning of new possibilities. The use of vivid imagery and comparisons creates a sense of movement and intensity that mirrors the emotions the singer is feeling.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm as restless as a willow in a windstorm
I am feeling agitated and uneasy, like a willow tree that is swaying uncontrollably in a storm.
I'm as jumpy as a puppet on a string
I am anxious and nervous, like a puppet that is being moved around by someone else.
I'd say that I had spring fever
I might describe my current state as spring fever, a feeling of restlessness and energy associated with the arrival of spring.
But I know it isn't spring
However, I am aware that it is not actually springtime.
I am starry-eyed and vaguely discontented
I am dreaming and hopeful, but still somewhat dissatisfied or unhappy with my current situation.
Like a nightingale without a song to sing
I feel like I am missing something important or valuable, like a nightingale that cannot sing.
Oh, why should I have Spring fever
I wonder why I feel this restless and energetic, even though it is not springtime.
When it isn't even spring?
It is confusing to feel this way when the season has not changed yet.
I keep wishing I were somewhere else
I constantly daydream about being in a different place or situation.
Walking down a strange new street
I imagine myself exploring unfamiliar surroundings.
Hearing words that I have never heard
I picture myself having new experiences and hearing things that are completely new to me.
From a girl I've yet to meet
I anticipate meeting someone new and having a meaningful conversation or interaction with them.
I'm as busy as a spider spinning daydreams
I am constantly creating plans and imagining different scenarios, like a spider that is always spinning its web.
I'm as giddy as a baby on a swing
I feel lightheaded and excited, like a baby that is swinging back and forth on a playground swing.
I haven't seen a crocus or a rosebud or a robin on the wing
I have not yet observed any of the natural signs of spring, such as blooming flowers or migrating birds.
But I feel so gay in a melancholy way
Despite my feelings of restlessness and anxiety, I also feel happy or joyful, albeit with a tinge of sadness or melancholy.
That it might as well be spring
My emotions are so strong and vivid that they give me the impression of being in the season of spring, even though it is not actually springtime.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Tratore, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind