The way it works: The orchestra plays a few selections of its own and I terminate the first part of the programme on piano, usually with a movement from a Mozart concerto.

Along with dozens of musical stars of his day Shearing appeared on ABC's The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom. In 1940 Shearing joined Harry Parry's popular band and contributed to the comeback of Stéphane Grappelli. Around that time he was also a member of George Evans's Saxes 'n' Sevens band.

He died of heart failure on February 14 2011 in New York City at the age of 91. Sir George Shearing OBE (August 13 1919 – February 14 2011) was an Anglo-American jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for Discovery Records MGM Records and Capitol Records.