George Shearing (1919-2011)

[BillF]

The BBC has just announced the death of George Shearing.

Edited February 14, 2011 by BillF

[Free For All]

Sad news, but a great career. RIP

[Matthew]

RIP, sad news indeed.

[mmilovan]

RIP Sir George.

One of the most delicate piano touches, ever.

[GA Russell]

Very sorry to hear this. He was the first jazz musician I was aware of when I was a little boy.

I remember that he suffered a fall a few years ago, and I never heard about him since.

Just yesterday I heard a duet of him with Mel Torme on Sirius.

I'll play something of his tonight.

[Lazaro Vega]

After that fall and broken hip he retired from international touring. I thought maybe Alyn Shipton mentioned Sir George would sometimes play around London for fun, but was pretty much retired.

[ghost of miles]

NY Times obit.

[king ubu]

R.I.P.

[alocispepraluger102]

.........a part of myself has died.

thank you, sir george.

[sidewinder]

Sad news. And when you hear news like this it does feel like the end of an era. I'll try to spin an LP or two from his Mosaic box tonight.

They never dish out 'Sirs' to jazz-men lightly over here (rare as hens teeth) but Sir George Shearing's was totally merited.

Edited February 14, 2011 by sidewinder

[JohnT]

RIP

I need to pull out the Mosaic box.

[alocispepraluger102]

i'm digging into my dozens of old caps, grand piano, the torme stuff, the farnon stuff.

my favorite might be his sheerest old cap 'blue chiffon' or the absolutely gorgeous 'concerto for my love' with full orchestra and chorus, or the dakota, or the nancy, or, or,........................

Edited February 14, 2011 by alocispepraluger102

[clifford_thornton]

Whoa.

I didn't really follow his career, but still this is a serious loss. RIP.

[Ken Dryden]

It is sad news that George Shearing has passed away. I feel fortunate that I got the opportunity to hear him in person, both in a duo with Neil Swainson

and with his quintet a few years later.

He was a delightful interview subject, always ready with a quip, with a gift for impromptu puns.

He will be missed.

[Guest Bill Barton]

R.I.P. to a truly iconic figure in so many ways.

[mikeweil]

Very sad news - R.I.P.

I will take some of his records with on the long drive tomorrow - I was just thinking about what to take.

p.s. Just spinned his MGM sessions with cal Tjader, Toots Thielemans, Al McKibbon and Bill Clark, plus several guest percussionists: Armando Peraza, Cándido Camero, Catalino Rolón (well Peraza was a regular). Great, diversified stuff - Shearing's MGM sides would deserve the Mosaic treatment.

[mikeweil]

The video has an earlier quintet with Don Elliott, Chuck Wayne, John Levy, and Denzil Best - there's more on YouTube.

[Teasing the Korean]

When I was a kid, the Shearing vibes-piano-guitar block chord sound represented an idealized vision of suave, post-war adulthood. I thought the vibes were ice cubes being dropped into a glass.

[Chuck Nessa]

The Shearing Quintet was the first "name" group I experienced "in person" back in the '50s.

G'bye George.

[Jim R]

I feel fortunate that I got the opportunity to hear him in person

I feel the same way, even though I only saw him once (quintet with Stewart, Nelson, Swainson and Clarke- SF, '95). Very memorable. RIP.

[B. Goren.]

RIP Mr. Shearing.

[brownie]

His music was always playing on the radio when I started getting interested in jazz in the early '50s. Been a fan ever since.

Thanks for all the good music and the high spirit, Sir George!

[Michael Weiss]

Had the pleasure of sharing the stage (a great one - Volkstheater in Vienna) in 1995 (with the Jazztet) on a double-bill with Shearing's trio. A totally beautiful guy.

Gonna play Conception today.

[AndrewHill]

First heard of Shearing's music when a friend loaned me a copy of "Midnight on Cloud 69" about 20 years ago. I've never forgotten what an impact that had on me. RIP Sir George.

[sidewinder]

I like the comment in The Times today where he said that his dad was a real 'coal porter' and not 'the' Cole Porter. Great achievements from such a humble starting point - and having to deal with blindness too.