| January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer whose distinctive and melodic style brought him both popular acclaim and the admiration of peers.Garner was never able to read sheet music.Erroll began playing piano at the age of 3.He attended George Westinghouse High School (as did Billy Strayhorn and Ahmad Jamal).Films from the early to mid 60's do show him seated on something resembling this.He was also known for his occasional vocalizations while playing, which can be heard on many of his recordings.Errol's style however, was unique and had neither obvious forerunners nor competent imitators although, at an amateur level, more players attempted to imitate him than any other pianist in jazz history.Errol was a jazz musician through and through, his popular appeal arising directly from his playing.It was achieved without the aid of jocular vocals or ingratiating announcements, in the manner of Louis Armstrong or Fats Waller (the only comparable figures in terms of earning universal affection), and it seems equally unlikely that he tailored his music to the demands of success.Garner had established himself an international reputation, and from that point until his death on January 2, 1977, he made many tours both at home and abroad, and produced a huge volume of recorded work.Garner is buried in Pittsburgh's Homewood Cemetery.Works
His record recording career started out in the late 1940s when several 7" EP records were made with tracks such as 'Fine and Dandy' and 'Sweet 'n' lovely'.Ironically this recording, in Carmel California, was made using relatively primitive sound equipment.Other notable works include 1951's Long Ago and Far Away and 1974's Magician, both of which see Erroll perform a number of classic standards in his own style.Often the trio was expanded to add Latin percussion, usually a conga, with electric results.Race introduced Garner's trio which presented Eddie Calhoun on bass and Kelly Martin on drums.Garner worked hard on the keyboard with perspiration streaming down his face with the programme making close shots of Garner's hands at work.He places his chords and octaves on syncopated beats that swing very hard and can be used to build excellent tension, such as between phrases.The approach also suggests he was influenced by the iconic rhythm guitar work of Count Basie's long time guitarist, Freddie Green.But discerning listeners could find that while his even four left hand was a fixture, it was far from being the only rhythmic approach he took to playing.Samples
of "Laura" by Erroll Garner
Erroll bridged the gap between stride and straight ahead styles.He was one of our greatest anomalies, with hands barely reaching an octave, he came to define a media filled with technical prowess on his own terms.His style might best be described as orchestral as his creations often maintained the energy and diversity of an entire band...We present the following wonderful profile as our Introduction to Erroll Garner.This June marks the 75th birthday anniversary of Erroll Garner, one of the jazz world's most original contributors.Erroll Garner was unlike any of the pianists who had come before him, or since.And yet, what has endeared him most to millions of music lovers around the world is not just his amazing technique or knack for creating beautiful melodies, but his absolute rapture in making music.There exists in Erroll Garner's playing an emotional infectiousness from which no one with the slightest affinity for music is immune.Listen to any Erroll Garner recording and you realize, above all else, this man loved to play piano.As a result, Erroll Garner became one of the most popular pianists of all time.Such was not the case with many of his modem jazz colleagues, however.Erroll Garner, on the other hand, was a favorite among jazz musicians, jazz fans and popular audiences alike.His style was far from "bebop," but he was a thoroughly modem player, whose explorations of melody, harmony and rhythm were totally unique.Still, he never lost that personal connection with the audience.Erroll Gamer's music was the embodiment of both joy and genius."There was always a rare kind of excitement when Erroll Garner played," explains Allen.It was almost like that kind of outburst when the man would perform.""He had what I used to call the 'Garner Rock.Whether he was playing an uptempo number or a romantic ballad, Erroll Garner always connected with his audiences on an emotional level.Fellow pianist Billy Taylor was a close friend to Garner and eventually replaced him in the Slam Stewart Trio during the late 1940's, once Erroll struck out on his own.He offers this explanation of the simpatico shared between Garner and listener.And how did Garner avoid losing the listener during his mysterious and sometimes lengthy introductions to songs?"In essence he would say, 'I'm going to do something a little bit complicated, but I want you to get it.Once the introductory riddle was solved by the first few notes of a familiar tune, Garner never strayed very far from the original melody."Erroll was so melodic he would appeal to anybody," according to jazz writer and educator Dan Morgenstern."When he became a concert pianist, what was so remarkable about Erroll was that without any showbiz trimmings or anything he could just sit down at that piano in front of thousands of people and completely enrapture them.He would draw them in just like he would have in a little club."Adds Billy Taylor, "The things that he did that really communicated with the audience were melodic.They could hear him playing "Penthouse Serenade" or some other popular tune, they could recognize the melody and, at the same time, they could also recognize the fact that he was taking liberties with the melody in the same way that Louis Armstrong and others did.But the melody was always there."That wasn't neccesarily the case with Gamer's bebop contemporaries, whose improvisations rarely hinted at a song's original line.Even though Erroll Garner remained loyal to the melody, he was no less on the "cutting edge" than were the beboppers."Even people who had no interest in jazz, who would have preferred to listen to rock or the classics, loved to watch Erroll Garner perform.And that is rare," explains Steve Allen."Sanctified" is how Dizzy Gillespie once described Erroll Garner."He had an aura there's no question about it," says George Avakian.He was really like a pixie or an elf.When you split with Erroll at the end of an evening you left with a happy smile and a good feeling.Off to bed feeling great.That's what Erroll did for people."Some have argued there is a certain amount of soul lacking in today's jazz, that record companies in their rush to create the next "young lion" are placing too much emphasis on marketing and hype and not enough on the importance of having an original voice with emotional integrity.Such is the joy of a genius.Biographyby Scott YanowOne 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.His unclassifiable style had an orchestral approach straight from the swing era but was open to the innovations of bop.His composition "Misty" became a standard.Paramount, MGM, Reprise and his own Octave label.Getty ImagesErroll Garner practices in London during a 1963 tour."Perhaps best known as the composer of "Misty," Erroll Garner was also one of the most original, intuitive and exciting pianists to emerge during the modern jazz era.Garner never learned to read music.Garner's natural ability was recognized by his high school band teacher, who encouraged him not to take lessons for fear it would corrupt his extraordinary talents.Today, "Misty" remains one of the most recognized and requested jazz standards.Columbia Records jazz artist of his day.In 1975, declining health forced him off the road.Garner will long be remembered for remaining true to his art and for his spirit and joy that he gave to his audiences all over the world.Web ResourcesErroll Garner ArchivesGarner At The PianoIt is easily his most famous composition, a simple tune played around the world in countless styles and arrangements.When it was premiered on wax, in this 1954 trio side with Wyatt Ruther (bass) and Eugene Heard (drums), Erroll Garner played it as an impressionistic ballad.Erroll Garner was no bebop musician, but in early 1947, he did make a record date with Charlie Parker.This side, based on a simple, relaxed blues riff, underscores Garner's versatility: he didn't play lines like the boppers did, but what he does play provides a welcome change of pace."Cool Blues" remains one of Bird's most heavily anthologized tunes, in large part for Garner's catchy intro, percussive comping and block chord solo.In 1955, Erroll Garner made his first live recording.Of course, that's all after one of his trademark introductions, wildly distinct but somehow perfect.Sign in to get personalized recommendations.Born in Pittsburgh in 1921 (Sy Johnson's biographical note in The Erroll Garner Songbook has June 15, 1923 as Garner's birthdate), Errol Garner started playing piano at the age of two (three according to Johnson).He never learned to read music, probably because it was never a necessity for him.Garner began to attract attention after he moved to New York in the early forties, and shortly afterwards he made his first recordings.By 1950, Garner had established himself an international reputation, and from that point until his death on January 2, 1977, he made countless tours both at home and abroad, and produced a huge volume of recorded work.But Garner was ultimately a very idiosyncratic player, and he doesn't fit well into any of the standard piano style groupings of 40's and 50's jazz.The major seventh arpeggio in octaves which introduces Garner's biggest hit, Misty is an example.These intros are often highly independent of the main part of the piece.That's my Kick, MGM SE4463, 1967.Magician, London Records APS640, 1974.Misty, Mercury 60662, 1954.Feeling is Believing, Columbia CL1014, 1956.Gemini, London Records XPS617, 1972.For more information on Erroll Garner, look for Erroll Garner: The Most Happy Piano by James M. |
