George Shearing
Encyclopedia
Sir George Shearing, OBE
(August 13, 1919 February 14, 2011) was an Anglo
-American
jazz
pianist
who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for MGM Records
and Capitol Records
. The composer of over 300 titles, he had multiple albums on the Billboard
charts
during the 1950s, 1960s, 1980s and 1990s. He died of heart failure on February 14, 2011 in New York City
, at the age of 91.
, London
, Shearing was the youngest of nine children. He was born blind
to working class
parents: his father delivered coal
and his mother cleaned train
s 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 offered several scholarship
s, Shearing opted to perform at a local pub
, the Mason's Arms in Lambeth
, for "25 bob a week" playing piano and accordion
. He even joined an all-blind band during that time and was influenced by the albums of Teddy Wilson
and Fats Waller
. He made his first BBC
radio appearance during this time after befriending Leonard Feather
, with whom he started recording in 1937. In 1940, Shearing joined Harry Parry
's popular band and contributed to the comeback of Stéphane Grappelli
. Shearing won seven consecutive Melody Maker
polls during this time. Around that time he was also a member of George Evans
's Saxes 'n' Sevens band.
, where his harmonically complex style mixing swing, bop and modern classical influences gained popularity. One of his first performances in the US was at the Hickory House. He performed with the Oscar Pettiford
Trio and led a quartet with Buddy DeFranco
, which led to contractual problems, since Shearing was under contract to MGM
and DeFranco to Capitol Records
. In 1949, he formed the first 'George Shearing Quintet', a band with Margie Hyams
(vibraphone
), Chuck Wayne
(guitar
), later replaced by Toots Thielemans
(listed as John Tillman—), John Levy (bass
) and Denzil Best
(drum
s) and recorded for Discovery, Savoy and MGM, including the immensely popular single "September in the Rain
" (MGM), which sold over 900,000 copies; "my other hit" to accompany "Lullaby of Birdland
". Shearing, himself, would write of this hit that it was "as accidental as it could be." Shearing credited the Glenn Miller Orchestra
's reed section of the late 1930s and early 1940s as an important influence.
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
, Delius
and Debussy
for inspiration. He became known for a piano technique known as "Shearing's voicing
," a type of double melody block chord
, with an additional fifth part that doubles the melody an octave lower. In 1956, he became a naturalized citizen
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
's The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom
. Earlier, he had appeared on the same network's reality show, The Comeback Story
, in which he discusses how to cope with blindness.
and drummer Rusty Jones
, and featuring Stéphane Grappelli
, the musician with whom he had debuted as a sideman decades before. Later, Shearing played with a trio, as a soloist and increasingly in a duo. Among his collaborations were sets with the Montgomery Brothers
, Marian McPartland
, Brian Q. Torff, Jim Hall
, Hank Jones
and Kenny Davern
. In 1979, Shearing signed with Concord Records
, and recorded for the label with Mel Tormé
. This collaboration garnered Shearing and Tormé two Grammy
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, Oxfordshire, UK, where he'd bought a house with his second wife, singer Ellie Geffert. This gave him the opportunity to tour the UK, giving concerts, often with his long-time friend and collaborator, Mel Tormé, backed by with 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."
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 suffered a fall at his home and retired from regular performing.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(August 13, 1919 February 14, 2011) was an Anglo
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for MGM Records
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
and Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. The composer of over 300 titles, he had multiple albums on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
during the 1950s, 1960s, 1980s and 1990s. He died of heart failure on February 14, 2011 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, at the age of 91.
Early life
Born in BatterseaBattersea
Battersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Shearing was the youngest of nine children. He was born blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
to working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
parents: his father delivered coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
and his mother cleaned train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s 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 offered several scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
s, Shearing opted to perform at a local pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, the Mason's Arms in Lambeth
Lambeth
Lambeth is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated southeast of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:...
, for "25 bob a week" playing piano and accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
. He even joined an all-blind band during that time and was influenced by the albums of Teddy Wilson
Teddy Wilson
Theodore Shaw "Teddy" Wilson was an American jazz pianist whose sophisticated and elegant style was featured on the records of many of the biggest names in jazz, including Louis Armstrong, Lena Horne, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.-Biography:Wilson was born in Austin, Texas in...
and Fats Waller
Fats Waller
Fats Waller , born Thomas Wright Waller, was a jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer...
. He made his first BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio appearance during this time after befriending Leonard Feather
Leonard Feather
Leonard Geoffrey Feather was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer who was best known for his music journalism and other writing.-Biography:...
, with whom he started recording in 1937. In 1940, Shearing joined Harry Parry
Harry Parry
Harry Owen Parry was a Welsh jazz clarinetist and bandleader.Parry was born in Bangor, Wales. He played cornet, tenor horn, flugelhorn, drums, and violin as a child, and began on clarinet and saxophone in 1927. After moving to London in 1932, he played with several dance bands, including Percival...
's popular band and contributed to the comeback of Stéphane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli was a French jazz violinist who founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands....
. Shearing won seven consecutive Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
polls during this time. Around that time he was also a member of George Evans
George Evans (bandleader)
George Evans, born London, died February 16, 1993, was an English jazz bandleader, arranger and tenor saxophonist.Having started playing ukelele-banjo, he moved on to the saxophone at 14, and was doing local gigs at age 15...
's Saxes 'n' Sevens band.
U.S. Years
In 1947, Shearing emigrated to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where his harmonically complex style mixing swing, bop and modern classical influences gained popularity. One of his first performances in the US was at the Hickory House. He performed with the Oscar Pettiford
Oscar Pettiford
Oscar Pettiford was an American jazz double bassist, cellist and composer known particularly for his pioneering work in bebop.-Biography:...
Trio and led a quartet with Buddy DeFranco
Buddy DeFranco
Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco is an American jazz clarinet player.-Biography:DeFranco began his professional career just as swing music and big bands — many of which were led by clarinetists like Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and Woody Herman — were fading in popularity...
, which led to contractual problems, since Shearing was under contract to MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
and DeFranco to Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. In 1949, he formed the first 'George Shearing Quintet', a band with Margie Hyams
Margie Hyams
Marjorie "Marjie" Hyams, , a noted vibraphonist, pianist and arranger, had her own trio and quartet [from 1940-1944] played with Woody Herman and Flip Phillips in the mid 1940s. She formed another trio with such noted guitarists as Tal Farlow, Mundell Lowe, and Billy Bauer from 1945 to 1948...
(vibraphone
Vibraphone
The vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
), Chuck Wayne
Chuck Wayne
Chuck Wayne was a jazz guitarist who came to prominence in the 1940s. He is best known for his work with Woody Herman's First Herd, and for being the first guitarist in the George Shearing quintet...
(guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), later replaced by Toots Thielemans
Toots Thielemans
Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans , known as Toots Thielemans, is a Belgian jazz musician well known for his guitar and harmonica playing as well as his whistling. Thielemans is credited as one of the greatest harmonica players of the 20th century...
(listed as John Tillman—), John Levy (bass
Bass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
) and Denzil Best
Denzil Best
Denzil DaCosta Best was an American jazz percussionist and composer born in New York City. He was a prominent bebop drummer in the 1950s and early '60s....
(drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s) and recorded for Discovery, Savoy and MGM, including the immensely popular single "September in the Rain
September in the Rain
"September in the Rain" is a popular song by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, published in 1937. The song was introduced by James Melton in the film Melody for Two...
" (MGM), which sold over 900,000 copies; "my other hit" to accompany "Lullaby of Birdland
Lullaby of Birdland
"Lullaby of Birdland" is a 1952 popular song with music by George Shearing and lyrics by George David Weiss under the pseudonym "B. Y. Forster" in order to circumvent the rule that ASCAP and BMI composers could not collaborate....
". Shearing, himself, would write of this hit that it was "as accidental as it could be." Shearing credited the Glenn Miller Orchestra
Glenn Miller Orchestra
The Glenn Miller Orchestra was originally formed in 1938 by Glenn Miller. It was arranged around a clarinet and tenor saxophone playing melody, while three other saxophones played the harmony...
's reed section of the late 1930s and early 1940s as an important influence.
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
Erik Satie
Éric Alfred Leslie Satie was a French composer and pianist. Satie was a colourful figure in the early 20th century Parisian avant-garde...
, Delius
Frederick Delius
Frederick Theodore Albert Delius, CH was an English composer. Born in the north of England to a prosperous mercantile family of German extraction, he resisted attempts to recruit him to commerce...
and Debussy
Claude Debussy
Claude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
for inspiration. He became known for a piano technique known as "Shearing's voicing
Voicing (music)
In music composition and arranging, a voicing is the instrumentation and vertical spacing and ordering of the pitches in a chord...
," a type of double melody block chord
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...
, with an additional fifth part that doubles the melody an octave lower. In 1956, he became a naturalized citizen
Naturalization
Naturalization is the acquisition of citizenship and nationality by somebody who was not a citizen of that country at the time of birth....
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
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom
The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom
The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom is a half-hour variety show that aired on ABC from October 3, 1957 to June 23, 1960, starring the young singer Pat Boone and a host of top-name guest stars. The program was of course sponsored by Chevrolet...
. Earlier, he had appeared on the same network's reality show, The Comeback Story
The Comeback Story
The Comeback Story is a half-hour drama reality show which aired on ABC from October 2, 1953 to February 5, 1954, in which celebrities explain how they overcame physical disabilities or other kinds of adverse fortunes in their lives.-Production history:...
, in which he discusses 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 SimpkinsAndy Simpkins
Andy Simpkins was an American jazz bassist.Born Andrew Simpkins in Richmond, Indiana, he first became known as a member of the group The Three Sounds, with which he performed from 1956 to 1968. After that, until 1974, he was a member of pianist George Shearing's group, and from 1979 to 1989 toured...
and drummer Rusty Jones
Rusty Jones (musician)
Isham Russell Jones II aka "Rusty" Jones is an American jazz drummer who is Chicago-based. Jones' father was a saxophonist and his mother a vocalist with most of their gigs being in and around the Chicago area. His mother was working at the Bismark Hotel in 1936 when the two were wed...
, and featuring Stéphane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli
Stéphane Grappelli was a French jazz violinist who founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands....
, the musician with whom he had debuted as a sideman decades before. Later, Shearing played with a trio, as a soloist and increasingly in a duo. Among his collaborations were sets with the Montgomery Brothers
Montgomery Brothers
The Montgomery Brothers were a jazz trio consisting of the brothers Wes Montgomery , Buddy Montgomery and Monk Montgomery ....
, Marian McPartland
Marian McPartland
Margaret Marian McPartland, OBE is an English-born jazz pianist, composer, writer, and the host of Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz on National Public Radio, NPR.-Early life:...
, Brian Q. Torff, Jim Hall
Jim Hall (musician)
James Stanley Hall is an American jazz guitarist.-Biography:Educated at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Hall moved to Los Angeles where he began to attract national, and then international, attention in the late 1950s...
, Hank Jones
Hank Jones
Henry "Hank" Jones 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 him with the NEA Jazz Masters Award...
and Kenny Davern
Kenny Davern
Kenny Davern , born John Kenneth Davern, was one of the premier jazz clarinetists of his generation.-Biography:He was born in Huntington, Long Island to a family of mixed Jewish and Irish-Catholic ancestry...
. In 1979, Shearing signed with Concord Records
Concord Records
Concord Records is a U.S. record label now based in Beverly Hills, California. Originally known as Concord Jazz, it was established in 1972 as an off-shoot of the Concord Jazz Festival in Concord, California by festival founder Carl Jefferson, a local automobile dealer and jazz fan who sold his...
, and recorded for the label with Mel Tormé
Mel Tormé
Melvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
. This collaboration garnered Shearing and Tormé two Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
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, Oxfordshire, UK, where he'd bought a house with his second wife, singer Ellie Geffert. This gave him the opportunity to tour the UK, giving concerts, often with his long-time friend and collaborator, Mel Tormé, backed by with 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."
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 suffered a fall at his home and retired from regular performing.
Personal life
Shearing was married twice, first to the former Trixie Bayes, to whom he was married from 1941 to 1973. Two years after his divorce he married his second wife, the singer Ellie Geffert. Geffert survived him after he died on February 14, 2011.Awards & honors
- Performed for U.S. PresidentsPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
- Gerald FordGerald FordGerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
- Jimmy CarterJimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
- Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
- Performed at Royal Command PerformanceRoyal Command PerformanceFor the annual Royal Variety Performance performed in Britain for the benefit of the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund, see Royal Variety Performance...
for Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II of the United KingdomElizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
and Prince PhilipPrince Philip, Duke of EdinburghPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
. - In 1957, Jack Kerouac's novel On the RoadOn the RoadOn the Road is a novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, written in April 1951, and published by Viking Press in 1957. It is a largely autobiographical work that was based on the spontaneous road trips of Kerouac and his friends across mid-century America. It is often considered a defining work of...
contains two scenes describing Shearing concerts, one in New York City, one in Chicago. - In 1975, received honorary degreeHonorary degreeAn honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
of Doctor of MusicDoctor of MusicThe Doctor of Music degree , like other doctorates, is an academic degree of the highest level. The D.Mus. is intended for musicians and composers who wish to combine the highest attainments in their area of specialization with doctoral-level academic study in music...
from Westminster College, Salt Lake CityWestminster College, Salt Lake CityWestminster College is a private liberal arts college located in the Sugar House neighborhood of 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...
, UtahUtahUtah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. - In 1978, received the Horatio AlgerHoratio Alger Association of Distinguished AmericansThe Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans is a nonprofit organization based in Alexandria, Virginia, that was founded in 1947 to honor the achievements of outstanding Americans who have succeeded in spite of adversity and to emphasize the importance of higher education...
Award for Distinguished Americans. - GrammysGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
: - 1983Grammy Awards of 1983The 25th Grammy Awards were held February 23, 1983. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.-Awards:*Record of the Year**Toto for "Rosanna"*Album of the Year**Toto for Toto IV...
- An Evening with George Shearing & Mel TorméAn Evening with George Shearing & Mel TorméAn 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 won him the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance,... - 1984Grammy Awards of 1984The 26th Grammy Awards were held on February 28, 1984, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1983...
- Top DrawerTop DrawerTop 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:... - In 1993, received the Ivor Novello AwardsIvor Novello AwardsThe Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They are presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and were first introduced in 1955.Nicknamed The Ivors, the awards take place...
for Lifetime Achievement. - In 1994, received honorary degree of Doctor of Music from Hamilton College in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. - In 1996, was included in the Queens Birthday Honours List and was invested by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his "service to music and Anglo-US relations".
- In 1998, received the first American Music Award by the National Arts ClubNational Arts ClubThe National Arts Club is a private club in Gramercy Park, New York City, New York, USA. It was founded in 1898 to "stimulate, foster, and promote public interest in the arts and to educate the American people in the fine arts". Since 1906 the organization has occupied the Samuel J...
, New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. - In 2002, received an honorary degree of Doctor of Music from DePauw UniversityDePauw UniversityDePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
in IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. - In 2003, received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" from BBC Jazz Awards.
- In 2007, was knightKnightA knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed for services to music.
Discography
- 1947: Piano Solo — Savoy
- 1947: Great Britain's Marian McPartland & George Shearing — Savoy Jazz (Released 1994)
- 1949: Midnight on Cloud 69 — Savoy
- 1949: George Shearing Quintet — Discovery
- 1950: You're Hearing George Shearing and his Quintet — MGM (E-3216)
- 1951: An Evening with the George Shearing Quintet
- 1951: Souvenirs — London
- 1951: Touch of Genius — MGM
- 1952: I Hear Music — Metro
- 1955: Shearing Caravan — MGM
- 1955: Shearing in Hi Fi — MGM
- 1955: The Shearing Spell — Capitol
- 1956: Latin Escapade — Capitol
- 1956: Black SatinBlack SatinBlack Satin is a 1956 studio album by the George Shearing quintet and orchestra, arranged by Billy May. - Track listing :# "The Folks Who Live On the Hill" – 7:19...
— Capitol (T858) - 1956: By Request — London
- 1956: Velvet Carpet — Capitol
- 1957: Shearing on Stage — Capitol
- 1958: Blue Chiffon — Capitol
- 1958: Burnished Brass — Capitol
- 1958: Latin Lace — Capitol
- 1958: George Shearing on Stage! — Capitol
- 1958: Latin Affair — Capitol
- 1958: In the NightIn the NightIn the Night is a ballet made by New York City Ballet balletmaster Jerome Robbins to solo piano music of Chopin: The premiere took place on Thursday, January 29, 1970, at the New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, with costumes by Anthony Dowell and lighting by Jennifer Tipton...
with Dakota StatonDakota StatonDakota Staton , also known by the Muslim name Aliyah Rabia for a period, was an American jazz vocalist who found international acclaim with the 1957 No...
— Capitol - 1959: Satin Brass — Capitol
- 1959: Satin Latin — MGM
- 1959: Beauty and the Beat!Beauty and the Beat!Beauty and the Beat! is a 1959 album by Peggy Lee, accompanied by the George Shearing Quartet.-Track listing:# "Do I Love You?" – 3:03# "I Lost My Sugar in Salt Lake City" – 2:27...
(with Peggy LeePeggy LeePeggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
) — Capitol - 1960: San Francisco Scene — Capitol
- 1960: On the Sunny Side of the StripOn the Sunny Side of the StripOn the Sunny Side of the Strip is a 1960 live album by the George Shearing quintet, one of five live albums recorded by the quintet. -Track listing:#"Jordu" – 4:10#"As I Love You" – 3:15...
— GNP - 1960: The Shearing TouchThe Shearing TouchThe Shearing Touch is a 1960 album by the George Shearing quintet and orchestra, arranged by Billy May.-Track listing:#"Autumn Nocturne" – 2:42#"Nola" – 2:28...
— Capitol (T1472) - 1960: White SatinWhite SatinWhite Satin is a 1960 studio album by the George Shearing quintet and orchestra, arranged by Billy May.- Track listing :# "Your Name is Love" # "Dream" # "Laura" # "There's a Small Hotel"...
— Capitol - 1961: George Shearing and the Montgomery Brothers — Jazz
- 1961: Mood Latino — Capitol
- 1961: Nat King Cole Sings/George Shearing PlaysNat King Cole Sings/George Shearing PlaysNat King Cole Sings/George Shearing Plays is a 1962 studio album by Nat King Cole, featuring the pianist George Shearing. - Track listing :# "September Song" – 2:59...
(with Nat King ColeNat King ColeNathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
) — Capitol - 1961: Satin Affair — Capitol
- 1961: The Swingin's Mutual!The Swingin's Mutual!The Swingin's Mutual! is an album by the George Shearing quintet, accompanied by the vocalist Nancy Wilson.-Track listing:# "The Things We Did Last Summer" – 2:41# "All Night Long" – 3:06...
(with Nancy Wilson) — Capitol - 1962: Concerto For My Love - ST-1755 Capitol
- 1962: Jazz Moments — Blue Note
- 1962: Shearing Bossa Nova — Capitol
- 1962: Soft and Silky — MGM
- 1962: Smooth & Swinging — MGM
- 1963: Touch Me Softly — Capitol
- 1963: Jazz Concert — Capitol
- 1963: Rare Form — Capitol
- 1963: Old Gold and Ivory — Capitol
- 1963: Latin Rendezvous — Capitol
- 1964: Out of the Woods — Capitol
- 1964: Deep Velvet — Capitol
- 1966: That Fresh Feeling — Capitol
- 1966: Live Jazz from Club 15 — Request (Live, released 2006)
- 1969: In the Mind — Capitol
- 1970: Out of This World (Sheba Records)
- 1971: The Heart and Soul of George Shearing and Joe Williams (Sheba)
- 1972: As Requested (Sheba)
- 1972: Music to HearMusic to HearMusic to Hear is a 1972 solo studio album by George Shearing, one of five albums that Shearing released on his own record label, Sheba. The title comes from Shakespeare's sonnet 08, "Music to hear, why hear'st thou music sadly?"- Track listing :...
(Sheba) - 1972: The George Shearing Quartet (Sheba)
- 1973: GAS (Sheba)
- 1973: The George Shearing Trio, Vol. 1
- 1974: Light Airy and Swinging — MPS/BASF
- 1974: Swinging in a Latin Mood — MPS/BASF
- 1974: My Ship — MPS/BASF
- 1974: The Way We Are — MPS/BASF
- 1975: The Best of George Shearing — Capitol
- 1975: Continental ExperienceContinental ExperienceContinental Experience is a studio album by British jazz pianist George Shearing, billed as part of the 'George Shearing Quintet and Amigos'.- Track listing :# "Lullaby of Birdland" – 3:08...
— MPS/BASF - 1976: The Many Facets of George Shearing - MPS/BASF
- 1976: The Reunion — MPS/BASF (with Stephane GrappelliStéphane GrappelliStéphane Grappelli was a French jazz violinist who founded the Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt in 1934. It was one of the first all-string jazz bands....
) - 1977: Windows — MPS/BASF
- 1977: 500 Miles High - MPS/BASF
- 1977: Feeling Happy - MPS/BASF
- 1979: Getting in the Swing of Things — MPS/BASF
- 1979: Live — Concord Jazz
- 1979: Blues Alley JazzBlues Alley JazzBlues Alley Jazz is a 1980 live album by the pianist George Shearing, accompanied by the double bassist Brian Torff. - Track listing :# "One for the Woofer" – 8:04# "Autumn in New York" – 4:42...
(Live) — Concord Jazz - 1979: Concerto for Classic Guitar and Jazz Piano — Angel
- 1980: Two for the RoadTwo for the Road (Carmen McRae and George Shearing album)Two for the Road is an album by Carmen McRae and George Shearing. -Track listing:# "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You" – 3:41# "You're All I Need" – 3:15...
(with Carmen McRaeCarmen McRaeCarmen Mercedes McRae was an American jazz singer, composer, pianist, and actress. Considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century, it was her behind-the-beat phrasing and her ironic interpretations of song lyrics that made her memorable...
) — Concord - 1980: In Concert at the Pavilion — Concord Jazz
- 1980: On a Clear Day — Concord Jazz
- 1981: Alone Together — (with Marian McPartlandMarian McPartlandMargaret Marian McPartland, OBE is an English-born jazz pianist, composer, writer, and the host of Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz on National Public Radio, NPR.-Early life:...
) Concord Jazz - 1981: First Edition — Concord Jazz
- 1982: An Evening with George Shearing & Mel TorméAn Evening with George Shearing & Mel TorméAn 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 won him the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance,...
(Live, with Mel TorméMel TorméMelvin Howard Tormé , nicknamed The Velvet Fog, was an American musician, known for his jazz singing. He was also a jazz composer and arranger, a drummer, an actor in radio, film, and television, and the author of five books...
) - 1983: Top DrawerTop DrawerTop 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:...
— Concord Jazz (Live, with Mel Tormé) - 1984: Live at the Cafe Carlyle — Concord
- 1985: An Elegant EveningAn Elegant EveningAn Elegant Evening is a 1985 album by the American jazz singer Mel Tormé, accompanied by George Shearing.-Track listing:#"I'll Be Seeing You" - 3:29...
— Concord Jazz (with Mel Tormé) - 1985: Grand PianoGrand Piano (album)Grand Piano is a 1985 studio album by the pianist George Shearing. This was Shearing's first album of solo piano for Concord Records, it was followed by More Grand Piano .-Track listing:...
— Concord Jazz - 1986: Plays Music of Cole Porter — Concord
- 1986: More Grand PianoMore Grand PianoMore Grand Piano is a 1985 studio album by the pianist George Shearing, the sequel to his 1985 album Grand Piano. - Track listing :# "My Silent Love" – 4:19# "Change Partners" – 4:49...
— Concord Jazz - 1987: A Vintage YearA Vintage Year-Track listing:# "Whisper Not"/"Love Me or Leave Me" , – 4:17# "Out of This World" – 5:11# "Someday I'll Find You" – 2:52...
— Concord Jazz (Live, with Mel Tormé) - 1987: Breakin' OutBreakin' OutBreakin' Out is a 1987 studio album by the pianist George Shearing, accompanied by Ray Brown and Marvin "Smitty" Smith. - Track listing :# "Just Squeeze Me " – 5:57...
— Concord Jazz - 1987: Dexterity — Concord Jazz (Live, featuring Ernestine AndersonErnestine AndersonErnestine Anderson is an American jazz and blues singer. In a career spanning more than five decades, she has recorded over 30 albums. She was nominated four times for a Grammy Award. She has sung at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Monterey Jazz Festival , as well as at jazz festivals all...
) - 1988: The Spirit of 176 — Concord Jazz (with Hank JonesHank JonesHenry "Hank" Jones 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 him with the NEA Jazz Masters Award...
) - 1988: Perfect Match — Concord Jazz (with Ernestine AndersonErnestine AndersonErnestine Anderson is an American jazz and blues singer. In a career spanning more than five decades, she has recorded over 30 albums. She was nominated four times for a Grammy Award. She has sung at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Monterey Jazz Festival , as well as at jazz festivals all...
) - 1989: George Shearing in Dixieland — Concord
- 1989: Piano — Concord Jazz
- 1990: Mel and George "Do" World War II — Concord (Live, with Mel Tormé)
- 1991: Get Happy! - EMI Classics
- 1992: I Hear a Rhapsody: Live at the Blue Note - Telarc (Live)
- 1992: Walkin': Live at the Blue Note — Telarc (Live)
- 1992: How Beautiful Is Night — Telarc
- 1994: That Shearing Sound — Telarc
- 1994: Cocktail for Two — Jazz World
- 1995: Paper Moon: Songs of Nat King Cole
- 1997: Favorite Things — Telarc
- 1998: Christmas with The George Shearing Quintet — Telarc
- 2000: Just for You: Live in the 1950s — Jazz Band
- 2001: Live at the Forum, Bath 1992 — BBC Legends (Live)
- 2001: Back to BirdlandBack to BirdlandBack to Birdland is an album by jazz musician Freddie Hubbard recorded in August 1982 and released on the Real Time label. The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow calls the album "Hubbard's first worthwhile studio recording since the mid-'70s".- Track listing :# "Shaw 'Nuff" - 5:19# "Star Eyes" Back...
— Telarc (Live) - 2002: The Rare Delight of YouThe Rare Delight of YouThe Rare Delight of You is a 2002 album by jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli accompanied by pianist George Shearing and his quintet. Interspersed throughout are some established jazz standards as well as a few traditional pop ballads.- Track listing :...
(with John PizzarelliJohn PizzarelliJohn Paul Pizzarelli, Jr. is an American jazz guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and bandleader. He has had a lengthy career as a recording artist, performing for a variety of labels that include Telarc Records, RCA Records and Chesky Records, among others...
) - Telarc - 2002: Pick Yourself Up — Past Perfect
- 2002: Here and Now. New Look - with G.S. Quintet and String Choir
- 2004: Like Fine Wine — Mack Avenue
- 2005: Music to HearMusic to HearMusic to Hear is a 1972 solo studio album by George Shearing, one of five albums that Shearing released on his own record label, Sheba. The title comes from Shakespeare's sonnet 08, "Music to hear, why hear'st thou music sadly?"- Track listing :...
— Koch - 2005: Hopeless RomanticsHopeless RomanticsHopeless Romantics is a 2005 album by American vocalist Michael Feinstein accompanied by pianist George Shearing, recorded in 2002 and released on the Concord label. The album is a tribute to the American composer Harry Warren, who Feinstein met in his twenties...
(with Michael FeinsteinMichael FeinsteinMichael Jay Feinstein is an American singer, pianist, and music revivalist. He is an interpreter of, and an anthropologist and archivist for, the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988 he won a Drama Desk Special Award for celebrating American musical theatre songs...
) — Concord
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
Main sites
- George Shearing – official website
- George Shearing discography at VH1VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
Other
- Receives Honorary Doctorate from DePauw UniversityDePauw UniversityDePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...
. 1 June 2002 - Sir George Shearing obituary. The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 15 February 2011