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George Shearing
Born August 13, 1919 (1919-08-13) (age 89)
Origin Battersea, London, UK
Genre(s) jazz
bebop
swing
cool jazz
Instrument(s) piano
Years active 1950s — present
Label(s) MGM Records
Capitol Records
Concord Records

Sir George Shearing OBE (b. August 13, 1919) is a British jazz pianist who, during the 1950s, had a popular Jazz group for MGM Records and Capitol Records. He has written over 300 compositions and has had multiple albums on the Billboard magazine charts throughout the '50s, '60s, '80s and '90s.1

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.

Shearing's interest in classical music resulted in some performances with concert orchestras in the 1950s and 1960s, and his solos frequently draw upon the music of Debussy and, particularly, Erik Satie for inspiration.

Contents

Biography

Beginnings

Shearing was born on August 13, 1919 in Battersea, South London, England and 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.2

Though offered several scholarships, Shearing opted to perform at local pub, the Mason's Arms in Lambeth, for "25 bob a week"3 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.1 He made his first BBC radio appearance during this time after befriending Leonard Feather, whom he started recording with in 1937.2 In 1940 , Shearing joined Harry Parry's popular band and contributed to the comeback of Stéphane Grappelli. Shearing also won seven consecutive Melody Maker polls during this time. Around that time he was also a member of George Evans' Saxes 'n' Sevens band.

The US years

In 1947, Shearing moved to the United States, where he began to play in a harmonically complex style that mixed swing, bop and modern classical influences. One of his first gigs in the States was at the Hickory House. He performed with the Oscar Pettiford Trio and led a quartet with Buddy DeFranco, which led to recording problems since Shearing was with MGM and DeFranco was with Capitol Records. In 1949, he formed the first "George Shearing Quintet", a band with Marjorie Hyams (vibraphone), Chuck Wayne (guitar), John Levy (bass) and Denzil Best (drums) and recorded for Discovery, Savoy and MGM, including the immensely popular single, September in the Rain (MGM), which sold over 900,000 copies. Shearing himself would write of this hit that it was "as accidental as it could be."3

In 1956, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States.3 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.

1970s

Starting in 1970, Shearing began to "phase out his by-now-predictable quintet"1 and disbanded the group finally in 1978. One of his more notable albums during this period of time (1976) done in collaboration with bassist Andy Simpkins and drummer Rusty Jones (musician), is The Reunion, With George Shearing (Verve), which featured Stéphane Grappelli, the musician he had debuted with as a sideman many years before. 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 Q. Torff, Jim Hall, Hank Jones and Kenny Davern. In 1979, Shearing signed with Concord Records, in particular working with Mel Tormé. This collaboration garnered Shearing and Tormé two Grammys, one in 1982 and then another in the following year.

Musical collaborations

Over the years, Shearing has also collaborated with singers including Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, Ernestine Anderson, Dakota Staton, Carmen McRae, Nancy Wilson and, most notably, Mel Tormé, with whom he performed frequently in the late 80s and early 90s at festivals, on radio and for recordings.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Shearing performed and recorded extensively in a duo format with the extraordinary Canadian bassist Neil Swainson.

Shearing also made a recording with the classical French horn player Barry Tuckwell.

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.

Recognition

  • In 1993, received the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement.
  • In 1994, received honorary degree of Doctor of Music from Hamilton College in New York State.
  • 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 Club, New York, New York.
  • In 2003, received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" from BBC Jazz Awards.4
  • In 2007, was knighted for services to Music.

Discography

References

  1. ^ a b c Richard S. Ginell. "George Shearing". Retrieved on 2007-02-26.
  2. ^ a b "George Shearing Biography". Retrieved on 2007-02-26.
  3. ^ a b c George Shearing w/ Les Tomkins (1966). "George Shearing: How I found the Sound". Retrieved on 2007-02-26.
  4. ^ BBC Jazz Awards

External links
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