Erroll Garner
One of the most distinctive of all pianists, Erroll Garner proved that it was possible to be a sophisticated player without knowing how to read music, that a creative jazz musician can be very popular without watering down his music, and that it is possible to remain an enthusiastic player without changing one's style once it is formed. A brilliant virtuoso who sounded unlike anyone else, on medium tempo pieces, Erroll Garner often stated the beat with his left hand like a rhythm guitar while his right played chords slightly behind the beat, creating a memorable effect. His playful free-form introductions (which forced his sidemen to really listen), his ability to play stunning runs without once glancing at the keyboard, his grunting, and the pure joy that he displayed while performing were also part of the Erroll Garner magic.
Garner, whose older brother Linton was also a fine pianist, appeared on the radio with the Kan-D-Kids at the age of ten. After working locally in Pittsburgh, he moved to New York in 1944 and worked with Slam Stewart's trio during 1944-1945 before going out on his own. By 1946, Garner had his sound together, and when he backed Charlie Parker on his famous Cool Blues session of 1947, the pianist was already an obvious giant. His unclassifiable style had an orchestral approach straight from the swing era but was open to the innovations of bop. From the early '50s on, Garner's accessible style became very popular and he never seemed to have an off day up until his forced retirement (due to illness) in early 1975. His composition "Misty" became a standard. Garner, who had the ability to sit at the piano without prior planning and record three albums in one day (all colorful first takes), made many records throughout his career for such companies as Savoy, Mercury, RCA, Dial, Columbia, EmArcy, ABC-Paramount, MGM, Reprise, and his own Octave label.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
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Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'/People Will Say We're In Love/The Surrey With The Fringe On Top (Medley/Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, March 26, 1961)
Jazz - Released by SOFA - AV Catalog DD on Jan 12, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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You're Driving Me Crazy
Pop - Released by Bearsong on Jul 10, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Early in Paris
Jazz - Released by Blue Music Group on Feb 8, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bounce with me, Erroll Garner
Bebop - Released by Digimusic on Oct 12, 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
25 Standards
Jazz - Released by Inner City Records on Jul 8, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Small Wonders
Jazz - Released by nagel heyer records on Feb 5, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Only Because - Body and Soul
Jazz - Released by nagel heyer records on Sep 22, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
All Of A Sudden My Heart Sings Erroll Garner
Jazz - Released by M.Z.Records on Jun 27, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
In The Mood For Love With Erroll Garner
Jazz - Released by M.Z.Records on Jun 27, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo