George Shearing was the first jazz player I heard as a kid. He’s remained one of my favorite pianists all my life. Part of me has died along with him.
Shucks – I loved listening to him.
Thanks for letting us know. I’m going to put in Back to Birdland.
Oh, that’s so sad. What a beautiful person he was, and what a great sense of humour. There’s a fantastic medley ‘New York, New York’ that he did with Mel Torme which is brimming with musical jokes and outstanding playing.
Sorry to see him go. I’m digitizing most of my jazz vinyl at the moment and finding lots of gold in there.
Here he is jamming with Stephan Grappelli & some younger cats. Yet another reason to love him? He “contributed to the comeback of Stephan Grappelli.”
Somewhere in her scrapbook of memorabilia, my wife keeps a small piece of light cardstock with the name “George Shearing” in Grade Two Braille.
She swears that she got it from him.
I am presently listening to Beauty and the Beat featuring Peggy Lee and the George Shearing quintet. An memorable and classic album.
As OP of this thread I’m proposing we use this space to post YouTube (or other) links to special Shearing things.
One that’s just gone up is Rare George Shearing Radio Interview from 1972
I haven’t been able to locate the Shearing Quintet version of Vic Damone Strange Enchantment but the tune was my favorite one from the first Shearing album I bought in the mid-50’s: LATIN ESCAPADE - George Shearing
And here’s George Shearing - Lullaby of Birdland which I used as a theme song for two jazz shows I did on the radio in the 60’s.
This George Shearing On Piano Jazz hour program has been linked to on several of the obit/tribute pages since his death, but I wanted to be sure anybody who may have missed the wit and humor of these two British-Americans, and their mastery of the piano, has another chance to hear the program. It’s one that was originally recorded in 1987. Both George and Marian were in much better control of their fingers then, and this show is a legacy to them both.