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http://www.accordions.com/news.aspx?d=25-Feb-2011&lang=es&s=3988
http://www.accordions.com/news.aspx?d=25-Feb-2011&lang=es&s=3988
25-Feb-2011
by Rob Howard
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| Sir George Shearing, the London-born blind pianist and composer died on February 14th in New York, at the age of 91. A gifted pianist from the age of three, George Shearing later also learned to play the accordion, studying at the London-based British College of Accordionists in the late 1930s. In the 1940s Shearing played a lot of accordion in addition to his rising career as a jazz pianist, and played the distinctive looking Uniform Keyboard system. Shearing made numerous recordings on accordion, many of which have become available on CD in recent years. The CD box set ‘Squeeze Me: The Jazz & Swing Accordion Story’ includes several Shearing tracks. Shearing was discovered by the jazz critic and pianist Leonard Feather in the late 1930s playing accordion and piano in an all-blind band. From 1947 Shearing lived in the USA, taking out US citizenship, formed the George Shearing Quintet, and created one of the most recognized sounds in jazz. He performed and recorded with the likes of Nat King Cole, Mel Tormé, Peggy Lee, Stephane Grappelli, Buddy DeFranco, Arthur Fiedler, Carmen McRae, and Nancy Wilson. Shearing has around 300 compositions to his name. His best-known piece, ‘Lullaby of Birdland’, has become one of jazz’s true anthems. He once commented, “I get tired of playing it, but not of collecting the royalties!” George Shearing became Sir George Shearing in 2007 when he was knighted for his services in music. |
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