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Biography
Infobox musical artist| name = Sir George Shearing| image =| caption =| image_size =| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist| alias =| birth_date = birth date|1919|8|13|mf=y| birth_place = Battersea , London , England | death_date = death date and age|2011|2|14|1919|8|13|mf=y| death_place = New York City , New York , United States|U.S. | origin =| instrument = Piano | genre = Jazz Bebop Swing music|Swing Cool jazz | years_active = 19472011| occupation = Musician | label = MGM Records|MGM Capitol Records|Capitol Concord Records|Concord Savoy Records|Savoy | associated_acts =| notable_instruments =| website = www.georgeshearing.net/ Sir George Shearing , Order of the British Empire|OBE (August 13, 1919spaced ndashFebruary 14, 2011) was an United Kingdom|Anglo - United States|American jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for Discovery Records, MGM Records and Capitol Records . The composer of over 300 titles, he had multiple albums on the Billboard (magazine)|Billboard record chart|charts during the 1950s, 1960s, 1980s and 1990s.cite web|url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p7527|pure_url=yes|title=George Shearing|author=Richard S. Ginell|accessdate=2007-02-26 He died of heart failure on February 14, 2011 in New York City , at the age of 91.
Early life
Born in Battersea , London , Shearing was the youngest of nine children. He was born Blindness|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.cite web|url= http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php? id=1961|title=George Shearing Biography|accessdate=2007-02-26
Though offered several scholarship s, Shearing opted to perform at a local public house|pub , the Mason's Arms in Lambeth , for "25 bob a week"cite web|url= http://www.jazzprofessional.com/interviews/George%20Shearing_1|title=George Shearing: How I found the Sound|author=George Shearing w/ Les Tomkins|year=1966|accessdate=2007-02-26 playing piano and accordion . He even joined an all-blind band during that time and was influenced by the records 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 Stιphane Grappelli . Shearing won seven consecutive Melody Maker polls during this time. Around that time he was also a member of George Evans (bandleader)|George Evans 's Saxes 'n' Sevens band.
U.S. Years
In 1947, 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 in the US was at the Hickory House. He performed with the Oscar Pettiford Trio and led a quartet#Jazz|quartet with Buddy DeFranco , which led to contractual problems, since Shearing was under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|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 (musician)|John Levy ( bass (instrument)|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 Erik Satie|Satie , Frederick Delius|Delius and Claude Debussy|Debussy for inspiration. He became known for a piano technique known as "Shearing's Voicing (music)|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 naturalization|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 American Broadcasting Company|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.
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 and drummer Rusty Jones (musician)|Rusty Jones , and featuring Stιphane 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 Torff|Brian Q. Torff , Jim Hall (musician)|Jim Hall , Hank Jones and Kenny Davern . In 1979, Shearing signed with Concord Records , and recorded for the label with Mel Tormι . This collaboration garnered Shearing and Tormι two Grammy Award|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 Tormι, 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."
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.Jake Coyle, " Jazz pianist George Shearing dies at 91," Associated Press, Feb. 14, 2011 http://apnews.myway.com/article/20110214/D9LCMR500.html
Awards & honors
Performed for President of the United States|U.S. Presidents
:* Gerald Ford :* Jimmy Carter :* Ronald Reagan
Performed at Royal Command Performance for Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Prince Philip .
In 1975, received honorary degree of Doctor of Music from Westminster College, Salt Lake City , Utah .
In 1978, received the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans|Horatio Alger Award for Distinguished Americans.
Grammy Award|Grammys :
:* Grammy Awards of 1983|1983 - An Evening with George Shearing & Mel Tormι :* Grammy Awards of 1984|1984 - Top Drawer
In 1993, received the Ivor Novello Awards for Lifetime Achievement.
In 1994, received honorary degree of Doctor of Music from Hamilton College (New York)|Hamilton College in New York .
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 City .
In 2002, received an honorary degree of Doctor of Music from DePauw University in Indiana .
In 2003, received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" from BBC Jazz Awards. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3107607.stm BBC Jazz Awards
In 2007, was knight 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 Satin 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 Night with Dakota Staton Capitol
1959: Satin Brass Capitol
1959: Satin Latin MGM
1959: Beauty and the Beat! (with Peggy Lee ) Capitol
1960: San Francisco Scene Capitol
1960: On the Sunny Side of the Strip GNP
1960: The Shearing Touch Capitol (T1472)
1960: White Satin Capitol
1961: George Shearing and the Montgomery Brothers Jazz
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 Birdland Telarc (Live)
2002: The Rare Delight of You (with John Pizzarelli ) - 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 Hear Koch
2005: Hopeless Romantics (with Michael Feinstein ) Concord
Filmography
2003: George Shearing - Jazz Legend
2004: George Shearing: Lullaby of Birdland http://www.view.com/george_shearing_lullaby_of_birdland_dvd.aspx VIEW DVD Listing
2004: Swing Era - George Shearing
2004: Joe Williams with George Shearing: A Song is Born http://www.view.com/joe_williams_with_george_shearing_a_song_is_born_dvd.aspx VIEW DVD Listing
2005: Duo Featuring Neil Swainson
References
Reflist
External links
Main sites
http://www.georgeshearing.net George Shearing official website
discogs artist
IMDb name|0790471
http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/shearing_george/albums.jhtml George Shearing discography at VH1
Other
http://www.depauw.edu/news/index.asp? id=12101 Receives Honorary Doctorate from DePauw University . 1 June 2002
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/feb/15/sir-george-shearing-obituary Sir George Shearing obituary. The Guardian , 15 February 2011
Persondata | NAME =Shearing, George | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = United Kingdom|Anglo - United States|American jazz pianist | DATE OF BIRTH =August 13, 1919 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Battersea , London , England | DATE OF DEATH =February 14, 2011 | PLACE OF DEATH = New York City , New York DEFAULTSORT:Shearing, George Category:1919 births Category:2011 deaths Category:British jazz pianists Category:Bebop pianists Category:Cool jazz pianists Category:Swing pianists Category:American jazz pianists Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:Blind musicians Category:Knights Bachelor Category:Musicians awarded knighthoods Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Ivor Novello Award winners Category:Savoy Records artists Category:Capitol Records artists Category:Pausa Records artists Category:Blue Note Records artists Category:MGM Records artists Category:People from Battersea Category:English emigrants to the United States Category:Concord Records artists Category:Deaths from heart failure
