He was the author of more than 300 themes, including “Lullaby of Birdland” which is one of his greatest successes.
Anglo-American jazz pianist Sir George Shearing, author of the standard Lullaby of Birdlanddied Monday in New York at the age of 91, his agent Dave Sheets announced. Blind since birth, George Shearing had taken up the piano as a child in London, where he was born, and had emigrated to the United States in 1947. There he formed a quintet with which he recorded records that made him famous, including a cover of the song September in the Rain the Harry Warren.
The pianist was the author of around a hundred titles, including his biggest hit Lullaby of Birdland (1952), which he composed in ten minutes – an ode to the famous New York jazz club of the same name. At the head of his quintet, the George Shearing Quintet, he is responsible for several other jazz standards including I’ll Never Smile Again, Mambo Inn, Conception, Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off or even East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)Throughout his career, George Shearing has collaborated with the greatest such as Miles Davis, Nat King Cole, Stéphane Grappelli, Toots Thielemans…
George Shearing Quintet – Conception
He continued to be active until the 80s, when he received two Grammy Awards in 1982 and 1983 with singer Mel Tormé. In 2004, he released a CD album entitled Lullabies of Birdland and a collection of memoirs. In March of that year, he was hospitalized after a bad fall at his home and had to spend several months convalescing. It was after this accident that he became less visible to his audience. In 2007, Shearing was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his contribution to music. “It’s very surprising to be honored in this way for something I love doing.”he noted during the ceremony.
At the height of his fame, George Shearing was immortalized by Jack Kerouac in his cult novel On the Road (1957). The writer describes the magical atmosphere of a Shearing concert at Birdland, a Chicago club.
Lullaby of Birdland – George Shearing – 1987
