This article appeared in the Sunday Show section of The Chicago Sun-Times on Dec. 11, 1977.

Since the London House closed two years ago, Shearing has had too few opportunities to entertain his legion of fans here. There’s good news today, however, because Rick’s Cafe Americain has booked Shearing and bassist Victor Gaskin for three weeks in March and April.

In the meantime, Shearing’s fans will be happy to know that all is well with the master. Not long ago, I heard Shearing and Gaskin working together beautifully at the Cafe Carlyle in New York City before a warm, appreciative audience. They were offering a blend of Shearing classics, bebop numbers and contemporary songs—although whatever and whenever Shearing plays, time never seems more elusive, and yesterday becomes today.

One evening before he performed at the Carlyle, Shearing reminisced with me about his early days in New York, where he emigrated from his native London in 1947. The two creators of bebop, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, dominated the jazz scene. Shearing made nightly visits to all the jazz clubs on 52d Street and in Harlem. Before long, he was working with house trios at the Three Deuces, eventually with Oscar Pettiford and J.C. Heard.

The First Shearing Quintet

It was Shearing’s first quintet, formed in 1949, which took the jazz world by surprise and brought him to national attention. "I had John Levy on bass and Denzel Best on drums in tow for a gig at the Clique Club," Shearing recalled. "The owner asked if we’d mind adding Buddy DeFranco on clarinet. Would we mind? Buddy’s just about one of the world’s greatest clarinet players. So we formed a quartet.

"Buddy was negotiating with Capitol Records, and I with M-G-M. Our careers couldn’t exist side by side with separate negotiations. So Leonard Feather and I conceived of maintaining the rather subdued rhythm section while adding Marjie Hyams on vibes and Chuck Wayne on guitar. The five of us—John Levy, Denzil Best, Marjie Hyams, Chuck Wayne and myself—sat down at an accidental rehearsal and accidentally played September in the Rain and accidentally sold 900,000 copies!"

The Shearing sound is easily identifiable, emphasizing clear melodic lines, rich harmonies and strong bebop influences.

"Our sound was doubly derivative," Shearing explained, "from the Glenn Miller saxophone section and from Lionel Hampton’s pianist, Milt Buckner, who used it in the blues." Shearing was referring to Buckner’s locked-hand or block-chord style. The Miller influence was subtler.

Miller voiced the lead clarinet, playing the melody line, in unison with, but one octave higher than, the lead tenor sax, while the other three saxes provided divided harmonies. Shearing voiced the guitar (without vibrato) one octave higher than the vibes (without a motor), both playing the melody in unison while Shearing played harmonies in the block-chord style. The bass and drums remained subdued.

Marjie Hyams (who contributed a number of songs to the original quintet, including the haunting "November Seascape") left Shearing’s group in late 1950 and moved to Chicago, where she married Bill Ericsson, a banker. She continued to play professionally and teach music here until recently.

"There was a lot of excitement in that first-quintet," she recalled. "All of us worked so well together. George marveled at our ability to outguess him, to sense where he was headed. And we always played behind the beat, adding still another dimension to the distinctive sound of the quintet.

"Today, you can hear something resembling the Shearing sound just riding an elevator. But the initial reaction was one of amazement. Black as well as white audiences accepted us; we even played the Apollo on several occasions. And Miles Davis was one of our biggest fans.

"Perhaps we were too well received by the public. George came to restrain us on our solos, returning to the melody sooner than some of us liked, which is partly why I left. As far as pianists go, though, there will always be only one George Shearing."

You can bet Marjie Hyams will be at Rick’s Cafe Americain to hear Shearing in March, along with the rest of his fans here. "Chicago always has been one of my favorite cities," Shearing said. "What’s become of the London House?"

Feeling like a messenger carrying bad news, I told him it had been turned into a Burger King.

"A Burger King? Oh, no!" Shearing replied. "Well, it won’t be the first or the last time I haven’t had it my way."

George Spink
Los Angeles
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George Shearing's autobiography, aptly entitled Lullaby of Birdland, is filled with the anecdotes he has shared with his legions of fans for more than half a century. One highlight among many: the early years of bebop in New York City, when he arrived from Great Britain to play an integral part in this musical explosion. His quintet introduced many to the world of jazz, to people who otherwise might never had discovered it. George has never stood still, always exploring new musical ideas, encouraging new talent, writing new chapters.

Discography

(Please note that the albums mentioned below were originally issued as LPs; however, many, if not all, have been reissued as CDs since this article appeared in 1977. Vist Amazon.com using the links above to locate them.)

George Shearing’s albums, often available at larger record stores, may require special order from smaller shops. Here are some suggestions.

• The Best of George Shearing (Capitol)—A dozen Shearing classics, including Lullaby of Birdland, September in the Rain, East of the Sun, Early Autumn and You Stepped Out of a Dream. Capitol also has reissued a number of early Shearing albums—those with Latin influences, Billy May’s orchestral arrangements and vocals by Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee and Nancy Wilson.

• Wes and Friends (Milestone)—This reissue once again makes available some Jazzland 55 sides recorded in 1961 by Shearing, Wes Montgomery and his two brothers, Buddy and Monk, Walter Perkins, Armando Perazza and Richard Chimelis. Sides include Love Walked In, The Lamp is Low, Double Deal and Mambo in Chimes. An exceptional album—everyone stretches out!

• As Requested (Sheba)—A recent version of the quintet plays Shearing old and new: I’ll Never Smile Again, There’ll Be Another Spring, My Silent Love, Close to You, We’ve Only Just Begun, and more. Chicagoans will recognize drummer Rusty Jones who used to accompany Judy Roberts here.

• Out of This World (Sheba)—Shearing by himself is sometimes Shearing at his very best--playing soft ballads, ("I believe that If a man has the health and strength to stay in bed," Shearing proclaims, "he shouldn’t get up.") Harry Warren’s Serenade in Blue, Harold Arlen’s Out of This World, John Lennon’s and Paul McCartney’s Here, There and Everywhere and Shearing’s own Funny Sunny and The Road to Nowhere confirm the master’s philosophy.

• George Shearing: The Early Years and The Young George Shearing (both Everest)—These albums bring back Shearing before the Quintet. The first album contains sides originally recorded in 1948 on Decca. Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie can be felt on The Man from Minton’s, The Fourth Deuce, Consternation and To Be or Not to Bop (the Shearing dilemma). The second album includes some January 1939 sides by then 20 year-old Shearing that suggest why the annual Melody Maker poll would select him as Britain’s top pianist seven times before he emigrated to the States after the war.

Finally, be on the lookout for those old 10-inch LP's by the original quintet on the MGM label. They turn up at used record stores, garage sales, and swap meets — and they’re priceless if they are in good condition.

Links

Bennett Morgan & Associates, Ltd. - Booking Agent

The Rare Delight of You - George Shearing and his Quintet with guitarist John Pizzarelli (Telarc 2002).

Telarc International's George Shearing Bio and Tour Schedule

George Shearing at the Kennedy Center (Dec. 5, 2000) by Alan Greenblatt (2000)

Interviews with George Shearing by Les Tomkins (1966-1984)