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
Pick Yourself Up
George Shearing Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nice teacher, teach me something.
I'm as awkward as a camel, that's not the worst,
My two feet haven't met yet,
But I'll be teacher's pet yet,
'Cause I'm gonna learn to dance or burst.
Nothing's impossible I have found,
I pick myself up,
Dust myself off,
Start all over again.
Don't lose your confidence if you slip,
Be grateful for a pleasant trip,
And pick yourself up,
Dust yourself off,
Start all over again.
Work like a soul inspired,
Till the battle of the day is won.
You may be sick and tired,
But you'll be a man, my son!
Will you remember the famous men,
Who had to fall to rise again?
So take a deep breath,
Pick yourself up,
Dust yourself off,
Start all over again.
I'll get some self assurance
If your endurance is great.
I'll learn by easy stages
If you're courageous and wait.
To feel the strength I want to,
I must hang on to your hand,
Maybe by the time I'm fifty
I'll get up and do a nifty.
Nothing's impossible I have found,
For when my chin is on the ground,
I pick myself up,
Dust myself off,
Start all over again.
Don't lose your confidence if you slip,
Be grateful for a pleasant trip,
And pick yourself up,
Dust yourself off,
Start all over again.
Work like a soul inspired,
Till the battle of the day is won.
You may be sick and tired,
But you'll be a man, my son!
Will you remember the famous men,
Who had to fall to rise again?
So take a deep breath,
Pick yourself up,
Dust yourself off,
Start all over again.
The song "Pick Yourself Up" by George Shearing sends an uplifting message about perseverance and resilience. The song seems to be a conversation between a student and a teacher as the student asks the teacher to teach him something. The student admits to being awkward and clumsy, but determined to learn to dance or "burst." The teacher reassures the student that "nothing's impossible" and encourages him to pick himself up, dust himself off, and start all over again, even after making mistakes. The lyrics encourage the listener to keep going even in the face of adversity, to be courageous, and to never give up.
Furthermore, the lyrics suggest that one can learn from one's mistakes just as many famous men have fallen only to rise again. The song provides a positive message about resilience that is applicable to many walks of life. It encourages the listener to work hard and never give up in the face of exhaustion, sickness, or difficulties. Overall, the lyrics of "Pick Yourself Up" are motivating, inspiring, and thought-provoking.
Line by Line Meaning
Please teacher, teach me something,
I am seeking guidance and knowledge from a teacher figure.
Nice teacher, teach me something.
I politely request that the teacher impart wisdom and expertise.
I'm as awkward as a camel, that's not the worst,
I am clumsy and ungainly, but there are worse things in life.
My two feet haven't met yet,
I am not coordinated enough to move my feet in unison.
But I'll be teacher's pet yet,
I will strive to be the teacher's favorite student by learning well.
'Cause I'm gonna learn to dance or burst.
I am determined to learn how to dance, even if it means failing repeatedly.
Nothing's impossible I have found,
I have discovered that all goals are achievable.
For when my chin is on the ground,
Even when I am feeling down and defeated, I persevere.
I pick myself up,
I rally from failures and setbacks and carry on.
Dust myself off,
I shake off the dirt and debris of failure and carry on.
Start all over again.
I begin anew with a fresh perspective and determination.
Don't lose your confidence if you slip,
Do not let a stumble or setback erode your self-assurance.
Be grateful for a pleasant trip,
Appreciate the good experiences and moments in life.
And pick yourself up,
Collect yourself and begin again after a failure.
Dust yourself off,
Cleanse yourself of negativity and prepare for success.
Start all over again.
Begin a new journey towards your goals and aspirations.
Work like a soul inspired,
Devote yourself to your tasks with passion and energy.
Till the battle of the day is won.
Continue working hard until you have achieved victory.
You may be sick and tired,
You might feel exhausted and worn out,
But you'll be a man, my son!
But you will be strong and resilient, my child.
Will you remember the famous men,
Do not forget the successful people who overcame obstacles.
Who had to fall to rise again?
Who failed before they succeeded?
So take a deep breath,
Relax, collect yourself, and prepare.
Pick yourself up,
Rally from failure and try again.
Dust yourself off,
Shake off negative experiences and feelings.
Start all over again.
Begin anew with a fresh mindset and determination.
I'll get some self assurance
I will gain confidence in myself.
If your endurance is great.
If I see the strength and perseverance you exemplify.
I'll learn by easy stages
I will slowly and methodically improve my skills and knowledge.
If you're courageous and wait.
If I am willing to be patient and bold.
To feel the strength I want to,
I aspire to be strong and capable.
I must hang on to your hand,
I require guidance and support to grow.
Maybe by the time I'm fifty
Eventually,
I'll get up and do a nifty.
I will accomplish something truly impressive.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jerome Kern
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rock Martinez
One of my favorite progressive jazz hits. Years later Johnny Carson used it on his daytime show before the Tonight Show. What a great mix of jazz masters on one record, cool and hip and timeless. Chuck Wayne on guitar is superb.
ljliljohn
Chuck wayne guitar, Marjorie Hyams vibes, John Levy bass, Denzil Best, drums, George Shearing, piano. 1950 original on MGM. Personnel info from CD 'George Shearing Verve Jazz Masters 57'. I personally saw this very group at the Earle theater in Philadelphia in 1950. The song is from the movie 'Swing Time' from 1936 with Astaire and Rogers, where Ginger sings the song. Search youtube for the clip.
Michaela Coppola
Lionel Hampton and who's playing guitar? Kenny Burrell?