Lullaby of Birdland - The Shearing Touch.

Format:

Video

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Jazz.

Europe.

British.

(1919), George Shearing,.

Local Subjects:

Jazz.

Europe.

British.

(1919), George Shearing,.

Genre:

Documentary

Physical Description:

1 online resource (50 minutes)

Place of Publication:

Paris, Ile-de-France : Qwest TV, 1994.

Language Note:

In English.

Original language in English.

System Details:

video file

Summary:

To listen to George Shearing is to listen to a virtuoso and an exceptional composer. Directed by Jill Marshall, this film of about fifty minutes begins with a significant synthesis of the London pianist’s phrasing. This is followed by an interview in which first music lessons are discussed, which the blind performer recalls with nostalgia. Filled with a variety of archival material, this interview also details the various figures with whom George Shearing distinguished himself. As such, the performance given with the young Stéphane Grappelli is a pure marvel, as are the staggering demonstrations on the chromatic accordion. Obviously the American career of the virtuoso of Battersea occupies an essential place in the discussion. And the interventions at the piano quickly take on the feel of a master class, with a focus placed on different repertoires, whether classical or jazz. A hundred leagues from the swing or boogie woogie imagery that is often attributed to it, the part reserved for bebop (and in particular Charlie Parker or Dizzy Gillespie) recalls the openness shown by the singular composer and performer. Dazzling and fertile, this artistic characteristic puts its stamp on the documentary Lullaby Of Birdland and on the musician concerned: to (re)discover… Vincent Caffiaux

Notes:

Title from resource description page (viewed July 15, 2024).