George Shearing(1919-2011)

British (later naturalized American) jazz pianist/composer, accidentally blinded when only a few days old. A prolific recording artist for the MGM, Capitol, and Concord Jazz labels, with his quintet and trio, his theme song, which he also composed, is "Lullabye of Birdland."

Everything, everything, whether jazz or classical music, literature or conversation, must have architecture and direction. And those who criticize us for confining jazz to such a requirement do not appreciate that in music, abandonment is fine, but indiscipline is death.