George Shearing: Lullabies of Birdland

"Shearing, blind since birth ... had been a superstar of the jazz world since a couple of years after he arrived in the United States in 1947 from his native England, where he was already hugely popular. ... He remained active well into his 80s, releasing a CD called 'Lullabies of Birdland' as well as a memoir, 'Lullaby of Birdland,' in early 2004. ... Shearing's bebop-influenced sound became identified with a quintet – piano, vibes, guitar, bass and drums – which he put together in 1949. More recently, he played mostly solo or with only a bassist. He excelled in the 'locked hands' technique, in which the pianist plays parallel melodies with the two hands, creating a distinct, full sound. ... In 1952, Shearing wrote his greatest hit: 'Lullaby of Birdland,' an ode to the famous New York jazz club. He acknowledged composing it in just 10 minutes. 'But I always tell people, it took me 10 minutes and 35 years in the business'" (Jake Coyle and Charles A. Gans, "George Shearing, Legendary Jazz Pianist, Dies at 91," Huffington Post, 2/14/11).
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