Don Shirley
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Biography
Donald Walbridge Shirley, born on January 29, 1927, in Pensacola, Florida, was an American-Jamaican jazz pianist and composer. He began playing the piano at age two and by ten, he was performing as a concert pianist with a repertoire that included classical standards. Shirley studied organ and composition under Conrad Bernier and Thaddeus Jones at the Catholic University of America in Washington. Shirley performed with notable orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and NBC Symphony Orchestra of the Air between 1954 and 1958. He also composed works like Divertimento for Duke by Don, premiered in 1974. Shirley's transition to jazz and popular music began on the advice of his agent Sol Hurok, leading him to perform in nightclubs with a trio that included bass and cello. His notable albums include Tonal Expressions (1955), Piano Perspectives (1956), and Don Shirley Plays Gershwin (1960). He also recorded instrumental versions of popular songs like "If I Had a Hammer" and "Olâ Man River", followed by Drown in My Own Tears (1962) and The Don Shirley Point Of View (1972). Shirley's life was the subject of the 2018 film Green Book â Eine besondere Freundschaft, directed by Peter Farrelly, which sparked controversy due to its portrayal of his relationship with Tony Lip. Shirley passed away on April 6, 2013, in Manhattan, New York City, at the age of 86.
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Albums
Top Tracks
- Track Popularity
- Just For A Thrill
- One For My Baby
- Makin' Whoopee
- Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe
- Amen
- Lullaby of Birdland
- At Last
- The Lonesome Road by Kris Bowers
- Georgia On My Mind
- I Got Rhythm
- Willow Weep for Me
- Stand By Me
- Margie
- Drown in My Own Tears
- Orpheus In The Underworld, Pt. 1
- Orpheus In The Underworld, Pt. 4
- Orpheus In The Underworld, Pt. 5
- Orpheus In The Underworld, Pt. 2
- Orpheus In The Underworld, Pt. 3
- I Can't Get Started With You
- Orpheus In The Underworld, Pt. 8
- Orpheus In The Underworld, Pt. 9
- Orpheus In The Underworld, Pt. 6
- Orpheus In The Underworld, Pt. 7
