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
Midnight Sun
George Shearing Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or was that a moonlit veil?
The music of the universe around me,
Or was that a nightingale?
And then your arms miraculously found me,
Suddenly the sky turned pale,
I could see the midnight sun.
It's still a thrill I don't quite believe;
But after you were gone
There was still some stardust on my sleeve!
The flame of it may dwindle to an ember,
And the stars forget to shine,
And we may see the meadow in December,
Icy white and crystalline.
But oh, my darlin', always I'll remember
When your lips were close to mine,
And I saw the midnight sun.
The flame of it may dwindle to an ember,
And the stars forget to shine,
And we may see the meadow in December,
Icy white and crystalline.
But oh, my darlin', always I'll remember
When your lips were close to mine,
And I saw the midnight sun,
The midnight sun,
The midnight sun,
The midnight sun.
The lyrics of George Shearing's song "Midnight Sun" convey a sense of wonder and nostalgia, depicting a magical and transformative experience. The first verse suggests a surreal encounter with nature, as the singer is unable to explain a silver rain or a moonlit veil that they encounter. They question whether the music surrounding them is the universe itself or the melodic voice of a nightingale. Suddenly, in this enchanting moment, the arms of their beloved find them, causing the sky to pale and revealing the beauty of the midnight sun.
The second verse reflects on the lingering memory of this extraordinary night. The singer wonders if it was truly a remarkable evening, still filled with excitement and disbelief. Even after their lover departed, there was a trace of stardust on their sleeve, symbolizing the enduring enchantment and special connection they shared. The following lines acknowledge that the intense flame of their experience might fade and the stars might lose their shine. They recognize the inevitable passing of time, like the meadow turning icy white in December. However, the singer promises to always remember the moment when their lips were close to theirs, when they witnessed the mesmerizing beauty of the midnight sun.
Overall, the song portrays a transformative encounter with nature and love, capturing the fleeting yet profound impact they have on our lives. It reminisces about a magical night that remains etched in the singer's memory, embodying the power of connection and the enduring presence of special moments.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't explain the silver rain that found me,
I am unable to comprehend the mysterious blessings that have come into my life like a shower of precious silver.
Or was that a moonlit veil?
Or maybe it was a delicate and dreamlike moonlit curtain enveloping my surroundings with enchantment.
The music of the universe around me,
The glorious symphony of the cosmos resonating harmoniously with my being.
Or was that a nightingale?
Or perhaps it was the sweet serenade of a nightingale filling the air with its melodic song.
And then your arms miraculously found me,
And then, to my utter astonishment, your loving embrace miraculously enveloped me.
Suddenly the sky turned pale,
Instantly, the once vibrant sky transformed into a pale and muted hue, as if overwhelmed by the profound beauty of our connection.
I could see the midnight sun.
In that wondrous moment, I beheld the ethereal radiance of the midnight sun, a symbol of everlasting love and bliss.
Was there such a night?
Did a night like this truly exist? It still feels like an exhilarating fantasy that I struggle to believe.
It's still a thrill I don't quite believe;
The excitement of that cherished memory continues to captivate me, yet I find myself unable to fully comprehend its reality.
But after you were gone
But even after you departed from my life,
There was still some stardust on my sleeve!
There remained traces of enchantment and magic lingering on my sleeve, as if celestial stardust had graced our encounter.
The flame of it may dwindle to an ember,
Though the intensity of our passion may fade into a gentle ember,
And the stars forget to shine,
And even if the stars were to lose their brilliance,
And we may see the meadow in December,
And perhaps we may witness a wintry meadow in the cold month of December,
Icy white and crystalline.
Covered in a pristine coat of icy white, sparkling with crystalline beauty.
But oh, my darlin', always I'll remember
But oh, my beloved, forever I shall cherish
When your lips were close to mine,
That precious moment when our lips were near,
And I saw the midnight sun.
And I witnessed the celestial glow of the midnight sun, a testament to our love's enduring radiance.
The midnight sun,
The midnight sun,
The midnight sun,
The midnight sun,
The midnight sun,
The midnight sun.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sentric Music
Written by: ERROLL GARNER, JOHNNY BURKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
elaine wise
Such a beautiful mello sound. I love George Shearing. That's when music was music!!! Long live his music. It will.never go out of STYLE. 😎
Rick C
nice mellow tune
Geraldine Kestner
❤
Sergio Muñoz Music
El estilo se llama "Lock Hand " o " Block"