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
Street of Dreams
George Shearing Lyrics
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Come on and trade in your old dreams for new
Your new dreams for old
I know where they're bought
I know where they're sold
Midnight, you've got to get there at midnight
And you'll be met there by others like you
Brothers as blue
Love laughs at a king
Kings don't mean a thing
On the street of dreams
Dreams broken in two can be made like new
On the street of dreams
Gold, sliver and gold
All you can hold is in the moonbeams
Poor, no one is poor
Long as love is sure
On the street of dreams
Midnight, look at the steeple, it's midnight
Unhappy people, it's ringing with joy
It's ringing with cheer
'Cause yesterday's gone
Tomorrow is near
Midnight, the heart is lighter at midnight
Things will be brighter the moment you find
More of your kind
Smiling on the street of dreams
Love laughs at a king
Kings don't mean a thing
On the street of dreams
Dreams broken in two can be made like new
On the street of dreams
Gold, sliver and gold
All you can hold is in the moonbeams
Poor, no one is poor
Long as love is sure
On the street of dreams
The lyrics of George Shearing's "Street of Dreams" paint a picture of a late night journey to a dreamland of sorts, where lost souls come to trade in their old dreams for new ones. At midnight, the singer is urged to abandon his old hopes that haven't panned out and seek out a new kind of happiness. The street referenced here represents a gateway to a world of new possibilities, and those who have walked the same path shine a blue light to guide newcomers along the way. Love is the king of this dream world, as the lyrics suggest that all kings, who represent status and power, are irrelevant in this magical place.
The song's upbeat tempo and jazzy instrumentation provide a hopeful backdrop for these lyrics, as "Street of Dreams" paints a picture of a world where anything is possible. The chorus is a reassuring message that broken dreams can be restored, and wealth is not the key to happiness.
Overall, "Street of Dreams" is a song about finding a new direction in life, and a metaphor for anyone seeking a fresh start. The street itself represents the endless possibilities open to us all, regardless of our background or current circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Midnight, you heavy laden, it's midnight
It's night-time and you're weighed down by burdens or worries.
Come on and trade in your old dreams for new
Start afresh by swapping your unfulfilled aspirations for new ones.
Your new dreams for old
If your current goals aren't fulfilling, exchange them for new ones.
I know where they're bought
I know where you can obtain these new aspirations.
I know where they're sold
I know where you can dispose of your old, unfulfilled aspirations.
Midnight, you've got to get there at midnight
To start anew, you must arrive at the designated location at midnight.
And you'll be met there by others like you
You'll be greeted by individuals who, like yourself, seek a fresh start.
Brothers as blue
Fellow strugglers who are also unhappy or unfulfilled.
Smiling on the street of dreams
Despite their troubles, these hopeful individuals beam on this 'street' of new goals.
Love laughs at a king
Even the highest rulers can't compete with love's laughter.
Kings don't mean a thing
No matter how high up one may be, love still trumps.
Dreams broken in two can be made like new
Even if former aspirations are shattered, they can be made whole again.
Gold, sliver and gold
All the riches in the world are still limited to what the moonbeams illuminate.
All you can hold is in the moonbeams
Despite what one may amass, wealth remains limited and finite.
Poor, no one is poor
Even someone with nothing is rich as long as they have love.
Long as love is sure
As long as love is present, one can find contentment even without material possessions.
Midnight, look at the steeple, it's midnight
The church bell is ringing at midnight.
Unhappy people, it's ringing with joy
Despite their unhappiness, the bell's ringing brings joy to the people.
It's ringing with cheer
The bell's chimes convey a sense of happiness and hope.
'Cause yesterday's gone
The past is the past and cannot be altered.
Tomorrow is near
A new day with new possibilities lies ahead.
Midnight, the heart is lighter at midnight
At night, people often feel a sense of relief and a lighter emotional burden.
Things will be brighter the moment you find
Once you obtain new aspirations, things will start to look up for you.
More of your kind
Other individuals who seek a new beginning.
Smiling on the street of dreams
Together, these hopeful individuals smile on the street of newfound aspirations.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sam Lewis, Victor Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Erica McCool
So sweet! Two masters of harmony and the subtle touch at work!!!
ragpiano
One of the last songs my piano teacher gave me. She said I would like it. She's totally right. 🎹🎼🎶
坂巻洋
🙄💙🌱🌾