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
Over The Rainbow
George Shearing Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
High above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
High above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
The song "Over the Rainbow" is a classic song that tells a story of a place far, far away where troubles do not exist; a place where dreams come true. The lyrics convey a longing for this utopian place, which exists beyond the rainbow. The first verse tells us that this magical land is only known through a lullaby, and it's a place where we can make our dreams a reality.
The second verse suggests that the only way to reach this magical land is by wishing upon a star, and once we do, we will wake up in this place where troubles melt away. This idea is reinforced by the line "where troubles melt like lemon drops." It is the idea of leaving behind all the problems and difficulties of everyday life.
The final verse suggests there is a longing to fly over the rainbow alongside the bluebirds. It is the desire for the freedom to exist outside of the limitations of the everyday world. Ultimately, the song expresses a strong yearning for a better life beyond our current reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a place in the sky that is far above us, but can be imagined.
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
This place is like a dream or a fairytale, and seems almost too good to be true.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
In this imagined place, everything is perfect and beautiful, with blue skies and white clouds.
And the dreams that you dare to dream, Really do come true.
Despite the impossibility of this place, the things you hope and wish for can still come true there.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
With a strong desire and wishful thinking, anything is possible in this place.
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
In this imagined place, all negative or troublesome thoughts and emotions are left behind, allowing only the good to remain.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops, High above the chimney tops, That's where you'll find me.
This imagined place is like a utopia, where happiness is the only thing that exists.
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
In this perfect place, even the birds are happy and free to fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow
Reinforcement and repetition of the idea that even the birds can enjoy the perfect place over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?
Despite this seemingly perfect place, this person is stuck in reality and cannot gain access to it, causing them to question and wonder 'why not me?'
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
The birds are happy and blissful in this place, making the human desire to be there even stronger.
Why, oh why can't I?
The desire to be in this perfect place is so strong, it's almost painful to think about why it isn't possible for them to be there.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: E.Y. Harburg, Harold Arlen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@clairebywalec7001
One of the most underrated performances on YouTube.
@sansespoir1809
How amazing that the harmony is so perfect with these chords. A hallmark of Shearing - and such a perfect performance!
@classicallover8153
I am about to start learning this very beautiful piece with my teacher. I’ve only played piano for 2 years and am quite scared, but also excited.
@cranez006
Very well done! If not played properly, this version can sound quite messy. Your effort at this is remarkable.
@LouisCoupe
Beautifully played! And your keyboard is epic!
@whitestone4805
Often play this last thing or early morning.
Very restful and beautifully played.
Thank you.
@johnbresnik
Obviously a concert pianist - vey well done. No average piano player could play like he's playing...
@14.1guy2
John Bresnick https://youtu.be/Kz580OWwLkg
@magesterium2485
Loving your performance ! U play with conviction and passion sadly lacking in some other performances on youtube.
@pianobysarah
Beautifully done. Thank you.