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Sir George Albert Shearing, (13 August 1919 14 February 2011) was a British
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for Discovery Records, MGM Records and
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
. Shearing was the composer of over 300 titles, including the jazz standards "
Lullaby of Birdland "Lullaby of Birdland" is a jazz standard and popular song composed by George Shearing with lyrics by George David Weiss (under the pseudonym "B. Y. Forster"). Background George Shearing wrote "Lullaby of Birdland" in 1952 for Morris Levy, the ...
" and " Conception", and had multiple albums on the '' Billboard''
charts A chart (sometimes known as a graph) is a graphical representation for data visualization, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart". A chart can represent tab ...
during the 1950s, 1960s, 1980s and 1990s. He died of heart failure in New York City, at the age of 91.


Biography


Early life

Born in Battersea, London, Shearing was the youngest of nine children. He was born blind to working-class parents: his father delivered coal and his mother cleaned trains in the evening. He started to learn piano at the age of three and began formal training at Linden Lodge School for the Blind, where he spent four years. Though he was offered several scholarships, Shearing opted to perform at a local
pub A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
, the Mason's Arms in
Lambeth Lambeth () is a district in South London, England, in the London Borough of Lambeth, historically in the County of Surrey. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The population of the London Borough of Lambeth was 303,086 in 2011. The area expe ...
, for "25 bob a week" playing piano and
accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...
. He joined an all-blind band, Claude Bampton's Blind Orchestra, during that time, and was influenced by the records of
Teddy Wilson Theodore Shaw Wilson (November 24, 1912 – July 31, 1986) was an American jazz pianist. Described by critic Scott Yanow as "the definitive swing pianist", Wilson had a sophisticated, elegant style. His work was featured on the records of many ...
and Fats Waller. Shearing made his first
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
radio broadcast during this time, after being befriended by
Leonard Feather Leonard Geoffrey Feather (13 September 1914 – 22 September 1994) was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer, who was best known for his music journalism and other writing. Biography Feather was born in London, England, into an u ...
, with whom he started recording in 1937. In 1940, Shearing joined
Harry Parry Harry Owen Parry (22 January 1912 – 18 October 1956) was a Welsh jazz clarinetist and bandleader. Biography Parry was born in Bangor, Wales. He played cornet, tenor horn, flugelhorn, drums, and violin as a child, and began on clarinet a ...
's popular band. Around 1942 he was recruited by
Stéphane Grappelli Stéphane Grappelli (; 26 January 1908 – 1 December 1997, born Stefano Grappelli) was a French jazz violinist. He is best known as a founder of the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the fi ...
(domiciled in London during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
) to join his band, which appeared at Hatchets Restaurant in Piccadilly in the early years of the war, and subsequently toured as "the Grappelly Swingtette" from 1943 onward. Shearing won six consecutive Top Pianist ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
'' polls from this time onward. Around that time he was also a member of George Evans's Saxes 'n' Sevens band.


United States years

Shearing emigrated to the United States, where his harmonically complex style mixing swing, bop and modern classical influences gained popularity. One of his first performances was at the Hickory House. He performed with the
Oscar Pettiford Oscar Pettiford (September 30, 1922 – September 8, 1960) was an American jazz double bassist, cellist and composer. He was one of the earliest musicians to work in the bebop idiom. Biography Pettiford was born in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, United ...
Trio and led a jazz quartet with
Buddy DeFranco Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco (February 17, 1923 – December 24, 2014) was an Italian-American jazz clarinetist. In addition to his work as a bandleader, DeFranco led the Glenn Miller Orchestra for almost a decade in the 1960s and ...
, which led to contractual problems, since Shearing was under contract to
MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
and DeFranco to
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
. In 1949, he formed the first George Shearing Quintet, a band with
Margie Hyams Marjorie Hyams (August 9, 1920 – June 14, 2012) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, and arranger. She began her career as a vibraphonist in the 1940s, playing with Woody Herman (from 1944 to 1945), the Hip Chicks (1945), Mary Lou W ...
(
vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist,' ...
),
Chuck Wayne Chuck Wayne (February 27, 1923 – July 29, 1997) was an American jazz guitarist. He came to prominence in the 1940s, and was among the earliest jazz guitarists to play in the bebop style. Wayne was a member of Woody Herman's First Herd, the f ...
(guitar), later replaced by
Toots Thielemans Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans, was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for his chromatic harmonica playing, as well as his guitar and whistl ...
(listed as John Tillman), John Levy (bass), and
Denzil Best Denzil DaCosta Best (April 27, 1917 – May 24, 1965) was an American jazz percussionist and composer born in New York City. He was a prominent bebop drummer in the 1950s and early 1960s. Biography Best was born in New York City, into a musi ...
(drums). This line-up recorded for Discovery, Savoy, and MGM, including the immensely popular single "
September in the Rain "September in the Rain" is a popular song about nostalgia by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, published in 1937. The song was introduced by James Melton in the film '' Melody for Two''. It has become a standard, having been recorded by many artists ...
" (MGM), which sold over 900,000 copies; "my other hit" to accompany "
Lullaby of Birdland "Lullaby of Birdland" is a jazz standard and popular song composed by George Shearing with lyrics by George David Weiss (under the pseudonym "B. Y. Forster"). Background George Shearing wrote "Lullaby of Birdland" in 1952 for Morris Levy, the ...
". Shearing said of this hit that it was "as accidental as it could be." At this time
Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Of French-Canadian a ...
heard him play in Birdland and describes the performance in Part Two of ''
On the Road ''On the Road'' is a 1957 novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, based on the travels of Kerouac and his friends across the United States. It is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat and Counterculture generations, with its protagonis ...
''. Shearing's interest in classical music resulted in some performances with concert orchestras in the 1950s and 1960s, and his solos frequently drew upon the music of
Satie Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (, ; ; 17 May 18661 July 1925), who signed his name Erik Satie after 1884, was a French composer and pianist. He was the son of a French father and a British mother. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, Paris Conse ...
,
Delius Delius, photographed in 1907 Frederick Theodore Albert Delius ( 29 January 1862 – 10 June 1934), originally Fritz Delius, was an English composer. Born in Bradford in the north of England to a prosperous mercantile family, he resisted atte ...
, and
Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...
for inspiration. He became known for a piano technique known as "The Shearing Sound", a type of double melody
block chord A block chord is a chord or voicing built directly below the melody either on the strong beats or to create a four-part harmonized melody line in " locked-hands" rhythmic unison with the melody, as opposed to broken chords. This latter style, ...
, with an additional fifth part that doubles the melody an octave lower. With the piano playing these five voices, Shearing would double the top voice with the vibraphone and the bottom voice with the guitar to create his signature sound. (This piano technique is also known as "locked hands" and the jazz organist Milt Buckner is generally credited with inventing it. In Shearing's later career he played with a more conventional piano technique while maintaining his recognizable improvisational style.) In 1956, Shearing became a
naturalized citizen Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...
of the United States. He continued to play with his quintet, with augmented players through the years, and recorded with Capitol until 1969. He created his own label, Sheba, that lasted a few years. Along with dozens of musical stars of his day, Shearing appeared on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
's ''
The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
''. Earlier, he had appeared on the same network's reality show, ''
The Comeback Story ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'', in which he discussed how to cope with blindness.


Later career

In 1970, he began to "phase out his by-now-predictable quintet" and disbanded the group in 1978. One of his more notable albums during this period was ''The Reunion, with George Shearing'' (Verve 1976), made in collaboration with bassist
Andy Simpkins Andrew Simpkins (April 29, 1932 – June 2, 1999) was an American jazz bassist. Born in Richmond, Indiana, he first became known as a member of the group The Three Sounds, with which he performed from 1956 to 1968.allmusic biography/ref> After ...
and drummer Rusty Jones, and featuring
Stéphane Grappelli Stéphane Grappelli (; 26 January 1908 – 1 December 1997, born Stefano Grappelli) was a French jazz violinist. He is best known as a founder of the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the fi ...
, the musician with whom he had debuted as a sideman decades before. Later, Shearing played in a trio, as a soloist, and increasingly in a duo. Among his collaborations were sets with the
Montgomery Brothers The Montgomery Brothers were a jazz trio consisting of the brothers Wes Montgomery (electric guitar, 1923–1968), Buddy Montgomery (piano, vibraphone, 1930–2009) and Monk Montgomery (electric bass, double bass, 1921–1982). During the mid-1 ...
,
Marian McPartland Margaret Marian McPartland OBE ( Turner;Hasson, Claire"Marian McPartland: Jazz Pianist: An Overview of a Career" PhD Thesis. Retrieved 12 August 2008. 20 March 1918 – 20 August 2013), was an English–American jazz pianist, composer, and wri ...
, Brian Q. Torff, Jim Hall,
Hank Jones Henry Jones Jr. (July 31, 1918 – May 16, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, arranger, and composer. Critics and musicians described Jones as eloquent, lyrical, and impeccable. In 1989, The National Endowment for the Arts honored ...
,
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (, 27 May 1946 – 19 April 2005), also known by his abbreviated nickname NHØP, was a Danish jazz double bassist. Biography Pedersen was born in Osted, near Roskilde, on the Danish island of Zealand, the son of ...
and
Kenny Davern John Kenneth Davern (January 7, 1935 – December 12, 2006) was an American jazz clarinetist. Biography He was born in Huntington, Long Island, to a family of mixed Jewish and Irish-Catholic ancestry. His mother's family originally came from ...
. In 1979, Shearing signed with
Concord Records Concord Records is an American record label owned by Concord and based in Los Angeles, California. Concord Records was launched in 1995 as an imprint designed to reach beyond the company's foundational Concord Jazz label. The label's artists have ...
, and recorded for the label with Mel Tormé. This collaboration garnered Shearing and Tormé two
Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
s, one in 1983 and another in 1984. Shearing remained fit and active well into his later years and continued to perform, even after being honoured with an Ivor Novello Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993. He never forgot his native country and, in his last years, would split his year between living in New York and
Chipping Campden Chipping Campden is a market town in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. It is notable for its terraced High Street, dating from the 14th century to the 17th century. ("Chipping" is from Old English ''cēping'', 'market', 'market- ...
, Gloucestershire, where he bought a house with his second wife, singer Ellie Geffert. This gave him the opportunity to tour the UK, giving concerts, often with Tormé, backed by the BBC Big Band. He was appointed OBE in 1996. In 2007, he was knighted. "So", he noted later, "the poor, blind kid from Battersea became Sir George Shearing. Now that's a fairy tale come true." He was the subject of '' This Is Your Life'' in 1992 when he was surprised by
Michael Aspel Michael Terence Aspel (born 12 January 1933) is an English retired television newsreader and host of programmes such as '' Crackerjack'', ''Aspel & Company'', '' Give Us a Clue'', ''This is Your Life'', '' Strange but True?'' and ''Antiques Ro ...
while performing at
Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz club that has operated in Soho, London, since 1959. History The club opened on 30 October 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London's Soho district. It was set up and managed by musicians Ronnie Sc ...
. In 2004, he released his memoirs, ''Lullaby of Birdland'', which was accompanied by a double-album "musical autobiography", ''Lullabies of Birdland''. Shortly afterwards, however, he had a fall at his home and retired from regular performing. In 2012
Derek Paravicini Derek Paravicini (born 26 July 1979) is an English autistic savant known as a musical prodigy. He resides in London. Biography On 26 July 1979, Paravicini was born at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, He was born extremely prematurely, at ...
and jazz vocalist Frank Holder did a tribute concert to the recordings of Shearing. Ann Odell transcribed the recordings and taught Paravicini the parts, as well as being the MD for the concerts. Lady Shearing also endorsed the show, sending a letter to be read out before the Watermill Jazz Club performance.


Personal life

Shearing was married to Trixie Bayes from 1941 to 1973. Two years after his divorce he married his second wife, the singer Ellie Geffert. He was a member of the Bohemian Club and often performed at the annual
Bohemian Grove Bohemian Grove is a restricted 2,700-acre (1,100 ha) campground at 20601 Bohemian Avenue, in Monte Rio, California, United States, belonging to a private San Francisco–based gentlemen's club known as the Bohemian Club. In mid-July each year, ...
Encampments. He composed music for two of the Grove Plays.


Awards and honors

* Performed at
Royal Command Performance A Royal Command Performance is any performance by actors or musicians that occurs at the direction or request of a reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. Although English monarchs have long sponsored their own theatrical companies and commis ...
for
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
and
Prince Philip Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...
* Performed for US Presidents
Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
,
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
, and
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
* 1968 Golden Plate Award of the
American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet ...
* 1975 Honorary degree of
Doctor of Music The Doctor of Music degree (D.Mus., D.M., Mus.D. or occasionally Mus.Doc.) is a higher doctorate awarded on the basis of a substantial portfolio of compositions and/or scholarly publications on music. Like other higher doctorates, it is granted b ...
from
Westminster College, Salt Lake City Westminster College is a private college in Salt Lake City, Utah. The college comprises four schools: the School of Arts and Sciences, the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business, the School of Education, and the School of Nursing and Health Sci ...
, Utah * 1978 Horatio Alger Award for Distinguished Americans * 1983 Grammy Award, ''
An Evening with George Shearing & Mel Tormé ''An Evening with George Shearing & Mel Tormé'' is a live album by Mel Tormé, accompanied by George Shearing. It was the first of six albums that Tormé and Shearing recorded together for Concord Records, and Tormé's performance on this album ...
'' * 1984 Grammy Award, ''
Top Drawer ''Top Drawer'' is a 1983 album by Mel Tormé, accompanied by George Shearing. At the 26th Grammy Awards, Tormé's performance on this album won him the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male. Track listing # "A Shine on Your Shoes ...
'' * 1993
Ivor Novello Award The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been ...
for Lifetime Achievement * 1994 Honorary degree of Doctor of Music from
Hamilton College Hamilton College is a private liberal arts college in Clinton, Oneida County, New York. It was founded as Hamilton-Oneida Academy in 1793 and was chartered as Hamilton College in 1812 in honor of inaugural trustee Alexander Hamilton, following ...
in New York * 1996 Included in Queen's Birthday Honours List, invested by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for "services to music and Anglo-US relations" * 1998 Received the first
American Music Award The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produ ...
by the National Arts Club, New York City * 2002 Honorary degree of Doctor of Music from
DePauw University DePauw University is a private liberal arts university in Greencastle, Indiana. It has an enrollment of 1,972 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the ...
in Indiana * 2003 Lifetime Achievement Award from BBC Jazz Awards * 2007 Knighted for services to music


Discography


As leader

* ''Pianology'' ( London Records, 1948) * ''Piano Solos with Rhythm'' (
Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. Savo ...
, 1950) * ''Shearing in Hi-Fi'' (
MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
, 1955) * ''The Shearing Spell'' (
Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...
, 1955) * ''Midnight on Cloud 69'' with Red Norvo (Savoy, 1956) * '' Black Satin'' (Capitol, 1956) * ''Lullaby of Birdland'' (MGM, 1957) * ''The Shearing Piano'' (Capitol, 1957) * ''Taking a Chance on Love'' with Billy Eckstine, Teddi King (MGM, 1958) * ''Jazz Conceptions'' (MGM, 1958) * '' In the Night'' (Capitol, 1958) * '' Latin Lace'' (Capitol, 1958) * ''Rap Your Troubles in Drums'' (MGM, 1959) * '' Blue Chiffon'' (Capitol, 1959) * ''Shearing on Stage!'' (Capitol, 1959) * ''
Beauty and the Beat! ''Beauty and the Beat!'' is a 1959 album (see 1959 in music) by Peggy Lee, accompanied by the George Shearing Quintet. Sleeve notes The notes on the back cover of the original 1959 LP are in the exaggerated style that was common at the time an ...
'' with Peggy Lee (Capitol, 1959) * ''George Shearing Goes Hollywood'' (MGM, 1959) * ''
The Shearing Touch ''The Shearing Touch'' is a 1960 album by the George Shearing quintet and orchestra, arranged by Billy May. The AllMusic reviewer commented on the album containing "unorthodox time signatures, incorporating classical techniques, as well as usin ...
'' (Capitol, 1960) * '' White Satin'' (Capitol, 1960) * '' Latin Affair'' (Capitol, 1960) * '' On the Sunny Side of the Strip'' (Capitol, 1960) * ''
George Shearing and the Montgomery Brothers ''George Shearing and the Montgomery Brothers'' is an album by Anglo-American jazz pianist George Shearing and jazz trio The Montgomery Brothers, released in 1961. Reception In his Allmusic review, music critic Scott Yanow called the album an " ...
'' ( Jazzland, 1961) * ''Mood Latino'' (Capitol, 1961) * ''Jazz Moments'' (Capitol, 1962) * ''San Francisco Scene'' (Capitol, 1962) * ''Satin Affair'' (Capitol, 1962) * ''Smooth & Swinging'' (MGM, 1962) * ''Soft and Silky'' (MGM, 1962) * ''Concerto for My Love'' (Capitol, 1962) * '' Shearing Bossa Nova'' (Capitol, 1962) * ''Sassy Meets Shearing'' with Sarah Vaughan (Camay, 1962) * ''
Nat King Cole Sings/George Shearing Plays ''Nat King Cole Sings/George Shearing Plays'' is a 1962 studio album by Nat King Cole, featuring the pianist George Shearing. Containing new arrangements of two songs that Nat King Cole made famous in earlier versions: I'm Lost and Lost April.A ...
'' (Capitol, 1962) * ''
Touch Me Softly ''Touch Me Softly'' is a 1963 album by George Shearing accompanied by his quintet and a string orchestra. Reception Scott Yanow reviewed the album for Allmusic and wrote that "Best is a touching version of "Sunday, Monday or Always"...Actually, ...
'' (Capitol, 1963) * ''It's Easy to Remember'' (Ace of Clubs, 1963) * '' Jazz Concert'' (Capitol, 1963) * '' Out of the Woods'' (Capitol, 1964) * ''
Old Gold and Ivory ''Old Gold and Ivory'' is a 1963 album by George Shearing accompanied by his quintet and a string orchestra, conducted by Milt Raskin. Reception The initial '' Billboard'' review from April 25, 1964 said that "The results are smooth, uncomplica ...
'' (Capitol, 1964) * ''It's Real George'' (Coronet, 1965) * '' Rare Form!'' (Capitol, 1966) * '' New Look!'' (Capitol, 1967) * ''Shearing Today!'' (Capitol, 1968) * ''The Young George Shearing'' (1968) * ''The Fool on the Hill'' (Capitol, 1969) * ''Out of This World'' (Sheba, 1971) * '' The Heart and Soul of Joe Williams and George Shearing'' (Sheba, 1971) * '' Music to Hear'' (Sheba, 1972) * ''G.A.S. (George Albert Shearing)'' (Sheba, 1972) * ''As Requested'' (Sheba, 1972) * ''Light, Airy & Swinging'' ( MPS/BASF, 1973) * ''The Way We Are'' (MPS/BASF, 1974) * ''
Continental Experience ''Continental Experience'' is a studio album by British jazz pianist George Shearing, billed as part of the 'George Shearing Quintet and Amigos'. Critical reception Ken Dryden of AllMusic thought that while the album was an improvement over the ...
'' (MPS/BASF, 1974) * ''My Ship'' (MPS, 1975) * '' The Reunion'' with
Stéphane Grappelli Stéphane Grappelli (; 26 January 1908 – 1 December 1997, born Stefano Grappelli) was a French jazz violinist. He is best known as a founder of the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the fi ...
(MPS, 1977) * ''The Shearing Piano'' (Capitol, 1977) * ''The Many Facets of George Shearing'' (MPS, 1978) * ''Windows'' (MPS, 1978) * '' Two for the Road'' with
Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpre ...
(
Concord Jazz Concord Jazz is a record company and label founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, the former owner of Jefferson Motors Lincoln Mercury dealership in Concord, California. The label was named after the city in the East San Francisco Bay area, and the j ...
, 1978) * ''500 Miles High'' (MPS, 1979) * ''Lullaby of Birdland'' (MGM, 1979) * ''Getting in the Swing of Things'' (MPS, 1980) * '' Blues Alley Jazz'' with Brian Torff (Concord Jazz, 1980) * '' On a Clear Day'' with Brian Torff (Concord Jazz, 1980) * ''Alone Together'' with Marian McPartland (Concord Jazz, 1981) * ''
An Evening with George Shearing & Mel Tormé ''An Evening with George Shearing & Mel Tormé'' is a live album by Mel Tormé, accompanied by George Shearing. It was the first of six albums that Tormé and Shearing recorded together for Concord Records, and Tormé's performance on this album ...
'' (Concord Jazz, 1982) * '' First Edition'' with Jim Hall (Concord Jazz, 1982) * ''
Top Drawer ''Top Drawer'' is a 1983 album by Mel Tormé, accompanied by George Shearing. At the 26th Grammy Awards, Tormé's performance on this album won him the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male. Track listing # "A Shine on Your Shoes ...
'' with Mel Tormé (Concord Jazz, 1983) * '' Live at the Café Carlyle'' with Don Thompson (Concord Jazz, 1984) * ''An Evening at Charlie's with Mel Torme'' (Concord Jazz, 1984) * ''
Grand Piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
'' (Concord Jazz, 1985) * '' An Elegant Evening'' with Mel Tormé (Concord Jazz, 1986) * '' George Shearing & Barry Tuckwell Play the Music of Cole Porter'' (Concord, 1986) * '' More Grand Piano'' (Concord Jazz, 1987) * '' Breakin' Out'' (Concord Jazz, 1987) * ''
Dexterity Fine motor skill (or dexterity) is the coordination of small muscles in movement with the eyes, hands and fingers. The complex levels of manual dexterity that humans exhibit can be related to the nervous system. Fine motor skills aid in the growt ...
'' with Ernestine Anderson (Concord Jazz, 1988) * '' A Vintage Year'' with Mel Tormé (Concord, 1988) * '' A Perfect Match'' with Ernestine Anderson(Concord Jazz, 1988) * '' The Spirit of 176'' with Hank Jones (Concord Jazz, 1989) * '' George Shearing in Dixieland'' (Concord Jazz, 1989) * ''
Piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
'' (Concord Jazz, 1990) * '' Mel and George "Do" World War II'' with Mel Tormé (Concord Jazz, 1991) * ''Get Happy!'' (EMI, 1991) * ''I Hear a Rhapsody: Live at the Blue Note'' (Telarc, 1992) * ''How Beautiful Is Night'' with the Robert Farnon Orchestra (Telarc, 1993) * ''That Shearing Sound'' (Telarc, 1994) * ''Walkin' '' with Neil Swainson, Grady Tate (Telarc, 1995) * ''Paper Moon'' (Telarc, 1996) * ''Favorite Things'' (Telarc, 1997) * ''Live at the Forum, Bath 1992'' (BBC Music, 2000) * ''Just for You: Live in the 1950s'' (2000) * ''Back to Birdland'' (Telarc, 2001) * ''Out of This World'' (2001) * ''The George Shearing Trio'' (2002) * ''Like Fine Wine'' (Mack Avenue, 2004) * ''The Classic Concert Live'' with Mel Tormé, Gerry Mulligan (Concord Jazz, 2005) * ''Live Jazz from Club 15'' (2006)


As sideman

With Nancy Wilson * ''
The Swingin's Mutual! ''The Swingin's Mutual!'' is an album by the George Shearing quintet, accompanied on the original 1961 release on six songs by the vocalist Nancy Wilson (singer), Nancy Wilson. Reception The initial ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' review fr ...
'' (Capitol, 1961) * ''Hello Young Lovers'' (Capitol, 1962) * ''R.S.V.P. (Rare Songs, Very Personal)'' (MCG, 2004) * ''Guess Who I Saw Today'' (Capitol, 2005) With others *
Claude Bolling Claude Bolling (10 April 1930 – 29 December 2020) was a French jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and occasional actor. Biography He was born in Cannes, France, and studied at the Nice Conservatory, and then in Paris. A child prodigy, by the ...
, ''Concerto for Classic Guitar and Jazz Piano'' (Angel, 1980) *
Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...
, ''Blee Blop Blues'' (1990) * Dave Brubeck, ''Young Lions & Old Tigers'' (Telarc, 1995) *
Michael Feinstein Michael Jay Feinstein (born September 7, 1956) is an American singer, pianist, and music revivalist. He is an archivist and interpreter for the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988 he won a Drama Desk Special Award for cele ...
, '' Hopeless Romantics'' (Concord, 2005) *
Mark Isham Mark Ware Isham (born September 7, 1951) is an American musician and film composer. A trumpeter and keyboardist, Isham works in a variety of genres, including jazz and electronic. He is also a film composer, having worked on numerous films and ...
, ''At First Sight'' (Milan, 1998) *
John Pizzarelli John Paul Pizzarelli Jr. (born April 6, 1960, in Paterson, New Jersey) is an American jazz guitarist and vocalist. He has recorded over twenty solo albums and has appeared on more than forty albums by other recording artists, including Paul McCa ...
, '' The Rare Delight of You'' (Telarc, 2002) *
Tito Puente Ernest Anthony Puente Jr. (April 20, 1923 – June 1, 2000), commonly known as Tito Puente, was an American musician, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer of Puerto Rican descent. He is best known for dance-oriented mambo and Latin jazz ...
, ''Mambo Diablo'' (Concord Jazz Picante, 1985) * Joe Williams, ''Here's to Life'' (Telarc, 1994)


Filmography

* 2003: ''George Shearing – Jazz Legend'' * 2004: ''George Shearing: Lullaby of Birdland'' * 2004: ''Swing Era – George Shearing'' * 2004: ''Joe Williams with George Shearing: A Song is Born'' * 2005: ''Duo Featuring Neil Swainson''


References


External links


George Shearing
– official website * *
George Shearing
discography at VH1
Receives Honorary Doctorate
from
DePauw University DePauw University is a private liberal arts university in Greencastle, Indiana. It has an enrollment of 1,972 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the ...
. 1 June 2002
Sir George Shearing obituary
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
, 15 February 2011 {{DEFAULTSORT:Shearing, George 1919 births 2011 deaths American jazz pianists American male pianists British jazz pianists Bebop pianists Cool jazz pianists Swing pianists Grammy Award winners Blind musicians British emigrants to the United States Jazz musicians from New York (state) Musicians awarded knighthoods Knights Bachelor Officers of the Order of the British Empire Ivor Novello Award winners Savoy Records artists Capitol Records artists Concord Records artists Pausa Records artists Blue Note Records artists MGM Records artists People from Battersea People educated at Linden Lodge School 20th-century British musicians 20th-century American pianists American male jazz musicians Mack Avenue Records artists Telarc Records artists Discovery Records artists