George Shearing

Anglo-American blind jazz pianist and composer. Born: Aug. 13th, 1919 in Battersea, London, UK - died: Feb. 14th, 2011 in NYC, NY. He moved to the US in 1947, and was amongst the first post-war British jazz musicians to make a solid career there. He was appointed OBE in 2007, and then knighted in 2007, both by Queen Elizabeth II. He became known for a piano technique known as "The Shearing Sound", a type of double melody block chord, with an additional fifth part that doubles the melody an octave lower. With the piano playing these five voices, Shearing would double the top voice with the vibraphone and the bottom voice with the guitar to create his signature sound. One of his most notable composition: '[i]Lullaby Of Birdland[/i]'.

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