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.