Erroll Garner - Campus Concert

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:07
Size: 88,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:54)  1. Indiana (Back Home Again in Indiana)
(5:47)  2. Stardust
(2:21)  3. Mambo Erroll
(4:35)  4. Lulu's Back in Town
(4:11)  5. Almost Like Being in Love - Live
(5:30)  6. My Funny Valentine
(5:29)  7. These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)
(3:17)  8. In the Still of the Night
(3:59)  9. La Petite Mambo

This is the final live concert album released by Erroll Garner during his lifetime. It showcases the pianist in rare form, flanked by his classic trio and performing for an attentive and receptive audience of mostly young fans. This new edition includes a previously unreleased version of his rarely recorded “La Petite Mambo,” as well as fully restored musical introductions from the original masters. https://www.errollgarner.com/campus-concert-ors

Personnel: Erroll Garner: piano; Eddie Calhoun: bass; Kelly Martin: drums.

Campus Concert

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Erroll Garner - Concert By The Sea

Styles: Piano Jazz
Size: 60,0 MB
Time: 43:41
File: MP3 @ 192K/s
Released: 1955
Art: Front

1. I'll Remember April (4:18)
2. Teach Me Tonight (3:44)
3. Mambo Carmel (3:48)
4. Autumn Leaves (6:33)
5. It's All Right with Me (3:28)
6. Red Top (3:21)
7. April in Paris (4:56)
8. They Can't Take That Away from Me (4:15)
9. How Could You Do a Thing Like That to Me (4:09)
10. Where or When (3:15)
11. Erroll's Theme (1:47)

Concert by the Sea is certainly one of the biggest albums in jazz history, selling over 225,000 copies in the first year after its 1956 release and turning into such a steady seller over the next few years, it reportedly brought Columbia Records a million dollars by 1958 a nice sum at any time but astronomical in the late '50s. It should've turned Erroll Garner into a full-fledged superstar and, in a way, it did, because it was a reliable catalog item and earned him plenty of fans, including Johnny Carson, who frequently invited the pianist onto The Tonight Show.

Instead, Concert by the Sea turned into a pinnacle, with Garner and manager Martha Glaser sliding into contractual battles with Columbia that hampered his long-term growth. Glaser is the one who had the idea to turn the tapes of Garner's September 19, 1955 concert at the Sunset School in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California into a full-fledged album, taking tapes that may have otherwise wound up as a bootleg and turning them over to Columbia. The label whittled the 19-song concert into an 11-track single LP Columbia/Legacy's 2015 The Complete Concert by the Sea restores the entirety of the concert over the course of two CDs, adding the original LP as a third and, by doing so, they wound up distilling Garner's joyous appeal.

Supported by bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer Denzil Best, Garner seems at home skipping and swinging through a collection of bop and big-band standards, tunes that offer showcases for his sly skill of remaining melodic even when departing from the melody. Garner's playing is so robust and easy to enjoy that his flashier flourishes, such as the cloistered chords that call up "Caravan," almost seem camouflaged, but there are also subtler signatures, like how he slyly emphasizes staccato left-hand rhythms as much as the melody on "They Can't Take That Away from Me."

These are distinctions that appear on close listening but the wonderful thing about Concert by the Sea is how it's so infectious and open-hearted, it almost defies inspection: it's the kind of warm, inviting music that seems born from joy and can't help but engender bliss in the listener. [The 2015 expansion offers simply more of a good thing: the rest of the concert is every bit as good as the selections that made the official LP.] By Stephen Thomas Erlewine
https://www.allmusic.com/album/concert-by-the-sea-mw0000188078#review

Personnel: Erroll Garner – piano; Eddie Calhoun – bass; Denzil Best – drums

Concert By The Sea

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Erroll Garner - Nightconcert

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:47
Size: 183,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:18)  1. Where or When
(4:21)  2. Easy to Love
(4:47)  3. On Green Dolphin Street
(5:37)  4. Theme from "A New Kind of Love" (All Yours)
(4:52)  5. Night and Day
(5:29)  6. Cheek to Cheek
(8:20)  7. My Funny Valentine
(5:23)  8. Gypsy in My Soul
(6:07)  9. That Amsterdam Swing
(5:00) 10. Over the Rainbow
(4:46) 11. What Is This Thing Called Love
(5:21) 12. Laura
(4:37) 13. When Your Lover Has Gone
(5:33) 14. No More Shadows
(4:16) 15. 'S Wonderful
(0:53) 16. Thanks for the Memory

It's the jazz equivalent of finding a Van Gogh or a Ming vase in the attic: the discovery of a complete 1964 perfectly recorded concert by one of the music's greatest virtuoso solo pianists. In the beginning was Art Tatum. Then came Oscar Peterson. Finally and in many ways the most interesting of the holy trinity was Erroll Garner.  Garner was flashy, famed for his long, rambling introductions. In a section of the liner notes jazz historian Professor Robin D. G. Kelley writes: "His signature introductions left audiences not to mention his own sidemen in great anticipation of what was to come. He was prone to meandering, rubato introductions that initially bear little resemblance to the song or the key, before suddenly leaping into the melody." They have to be heard to be believed and to be honest can become irritating. Many a modern listener may find himself longing for the "less is more" approach to jazz piano taken by the likes of Ahmad Jamal. But Garner was at his peak for this midnight concert before an audience of 2,000 in the Royal Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, on November 7, 1964. Before it got underway, drummer Kelly Martin nervously asked bassist Eddie Calhoun about the set list for the night. 

"Man, I can't tell you nothing," said Calhoun. "We just get up there and play. I don't know what this cat is going to do."  In the event, as Professor Kelly gleefully puts it, the trio "rocked the 76-year-old concert hall like there was no tomorrow." Writing in the New Yorker, critic Whitney Balliett said "Garner's appeal stems from his style which is rococo and eccentric, and from the easily accessible flash, geniality, and warmth that continually propel it."  His words conjure up a magical age when jazz was still unfolding, rock was yet to be born and Garner's Concert By The Sea was the cornerstone to any self-respecting jazz fan's record collection. That classic album now has a worthy companion, blessed with all the aids of modern technology. A collector would have difficulty choosing between them. The program is pretty typical, overwhelmingly standards, kicking off with "Where Or When" and continuing with Cole Porter's "Easy To Love." "On Green Dolphin Street" is from 1947, composed for a film everyone's forgotten but which Miles Davis converted to a jazz classic. 

More interesting are Garner's versions of "Cheek To Cheek" and "My Funny Valentine," in which he doffs his cap to what was then the avant-garde. He arrives back on terra firma with the swinger "Gipsy In My Soul," which he made his very own.  In Garner's version of "Laura," Christian Sands, another contributor to the copious liner notes, hears echoes of believe it or not Cecil Taylor. More plausibly, he highlights Garner's examination of his stride roots in "When Your Lover Has Gone." In each number the maestro gives you something different to get your teeth into. It's what his particular genius was all about and it is truly marvellous to be reminded of it again. ~ Chris Mosey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/night-concert-erroll-garner-mack-avenue-records-review-by-chris-mosey.php?width=1920

Personnel:  Erroll Garner: piano;  Eddie Calhoun: bass;  Kelly Martin: drums.

Nightconcert

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Erroll Garner - Columbia Jazz (1950-1957)

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:07
Size: 124,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:10)  1. Lover
(3:16)  2. It's The Talk Of The Town
(3:43)  3. When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)
(2:43)  4. Laura
(3:15)  5. Dancing In the Dark
(3:23)  6. How High the Moon
(2:50)  7. Easy to Love
(5:25)  8. Moonglow
(3:13)  9. Lullaby of Birdland
(3:06) 10. Poor Butterfly
(4:26) 11. If I Had You
(4:14) 12. My Heart Stood Still
(3:51) 13. Love for Sale
(3:03) 14. Dreamy
(3:22) 15. St. Louis Blues

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 https://www.allmusic.com/artist/erroll-garner-mn0000206967/biography

Columbia Jazz (1950-1057)

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Erroll Garner - Verve Jazz Masters 7

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:26
Size: 164,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:33)  1. I've Got To Be A Rugcutter
(2:48)  2. Misty
(4:28)  3. A Smooth One
(5:33)  4. Love In Bloom
(3:22)  5. All Of A Sudden My Heart Sings
(6:26)  6. Don't Be That Way
(7:18)  7. 7-11 Jump
(6:12)  8. St. James Infirmary
(5:03)  9. Don't Worry Bout Me
(4:00) 10. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby?
(4:33) 11. Part Time Blues
(7:24) 12. Yesterdays
(2:33) 13. Oh Lady Be Good
(5:03) 14. Fandango
(4:01) 15. I've Got The World On A String

Pittsburgh born Jazz pianist, prolific composer, concert hall artist, and recording star. Garner was one of the most well known and influential pianists in the world during his lifetime. Surrounded by a musical family, Garner was by all accounts self-taught, began playing at the age of three and was performing professionally by the age of seven. Throughout his career Garner developed a distinctive and original piano style often compared with Art Tatum, Fats Waller, as well as Claude Debussy. Garner released music on over 40 labels, received multiple Grammy nominations, and recorded one of the greatest selling jazz albums of all time, Concert By The Sea. His published catalog contains nearly 200 compositions including “Misty”, which was named #15 on ASCAP’s list of the top songs of the 20th century. He scored for ballet, film, television, and orchestra. 

One of the most televised Jazz artists of his era, Garner appeared on TV shows all over the world, including: Ed Sullivan, Dick Cavitt, Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, and many others. His prolific career began on Allegheny riverboats and spanned from the clubs of 52nd street to the top concert halls of the world. Erroll Garner’s musical and cultural legacy is perhaps stronger today than at any point since his untimely passing in 1977, when Erroll lost his battle with lung cancer at the age of 55. Thanks to the renewed efforts of Octave Music the successor and namesake of the company Garner formed with his manager Martha Glaser in 1952 and it’s Erroll Garner Jazz Project, his music is once again finding fresh audiences through a series of new record releases, multimedia performances, and creative partnerships. https://www.errollgarner.com/biography

Verve Jazz Masters 7

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Kay Starr, Erroll Garner - Singin' Kay Starr, Swingin' Erroll Garner

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:45
Size: 62,9 MB
Art: Front

(1:52)  1. Ain't Misbehavin'
(3:04)  2. Good for Nothing Joe
(5:41)  3. Lover
(2:59)  4. Just You, Just Me
(1:49)  5. Them There Eyes
(6:06)  6. Blue Lou
(2:29)  7. Tenderly
(2:41)  8. Little Girl

A solid jazz singer whose early recordings tended to be forgotten after her ascendancy into the commercial sphere during the mid '50s, Kay Starr was among the first pop singers to capitalize on the "rock fad" with her 1955 novelty "Rock and Roll Waltz." Her biggest hit came with the era-defining "Wheel of Fortune," a prime slice of '50s adult pop with a suitably brassy reading. Born in Oklahoma, she moved to Dallas at a young age and made her debut on radio while still in school. A brief stay with Glenn Miller & His Orchestra precipitated her working with groups led by Bob Crosby, Joe Venuti, and finally Charlie Barnet. She recorded a few numbers with Barnet that earned her a solo contract with Capitol.  By 1948, Starr made her Your Hit Parade breakthrough with "You Were Only Foolin' (While I Was Falling in Love)." Subsequent hits like "Hoop-Dee-Doo," "Oh, Babe!," and "I'll Never Be Free" (the latter with Tennessee Ernie Ford) framed her in an emerging vein of the popular market that also looked back to traditional country and folk. In 1952, "Wheel of Fortune" became her biggest hit and one of the signature songs of the '50s pop sound. She struggled to reach a similar chart peak for several years afterwards, though "Comes A-Long A-Love" topped the British charts. With her move to RCA in 1955, the comical "Rock and Roll Waltz" spent several weeks at number one. It was her last major hit, followed by just one additional Top Ten entry, 1957's "My Heart Reminds Me." By the 1960s, she had begun to concentrate more on performing (especially in Las Vegas) than recording, despite moving back to Capitol in 1961. She subsequently played several oldies packages, including the 3 Girls 3 tour with Helen O'Connell and Margaret Whiting. Kay Starr died at her home in Los Angeles in November 2016; she was 94 years old. ~ John Bush https://www.allmusic.com/artist/kay-starr-mn0000857203/biography

Singin' Kay Starr, Swingin' Erroll Garner

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Erroll Garner - Serenade To Laura

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:15
Size: 100,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:44)  1. Laura
(2:59)  2. Love Walked In
(2:20)  3. This Can't Be Love
(2:39)  4. The Man I Love
(2:37)  5. Moonglow
(2:48)  6. I Want A Little Girl
(2:44)  7. It's Easy To Remember
(2:57)  8. Goodbye
(2:31)  9. She's Funny That Way
(2:52) 10. Until The Real Thing Comes Along
(3:01) 11. I'm Confessin' That I Love You
(3:09) 12. Stormy Weather
(3:03) 13. I Surrender Dear
(2:56) 14. I'm In The Mood For Love
(2:48) 15. All Of Me

In 1993, the original source recordings for this classic album, Erroll Garner's Serenade to Laura, were remastered in 24-bit digital audio, with quietly spectacular results  you can now hear every nuance of every key stroke, and also the action of the piano on some numbers, such as "Goodbye." 

This reissue also contains a previously unissued recording of "Love Walked In" that makes a perfect pairing with "Laura." ~ Bruce Eder https://www.allmusic.com/album/serenade-to-laura-mw0000111819   

Personnel: Erroll Garner (piano); John Levy, John Simons (bass); George De Hart, Alvin Stohler (drums).

Serenade To Laura

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Dexter Gordon, Wardell Gray - Citizens Bop

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:40
Size: 90.8 MB
Styles: Bop, Swing
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[2:58] 1. The Rubaiyat
[4:14] 2. My Kinda Love
[2:51] 3. Citizens Bop
[3:08] 4. One For Prez
[2:27] 5. Jingle Jangle Jump
[2:55] 6. Dell's Bells
[2:33] 7. I Hear You Knockin
[3:17] 8. The Man I Love
[3:01] 9. Easy Swing
[3:31] 10. Man With A Horn
[5:42] 11. Blue Lou
[2:55] 12. The Rubaiyat

Baritone Saxophone – Maurice Simon (tracks: 10); Bass – Red Callender; Drums – Chuck Thompson (tracks: 1 to 10, 12), Jackie Mills (tracks: 11); Piano – Dodo Marmarosa (tracks: 4, 6, 8, 9), Erroll Garner (tracks: 11); Piano, Organ – Gerry Wiggins (tracks: 1 to 3, 5, 7, 10, 12); Tenor Saxophone – Dexter Gordon (tracks: 1 to 3, 5, 7, 10, 12), Wardell Gray; Vocals – Gladys Bentley (tracks: 5).

Rare LA bop sides from Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray – two of the heaviest tenors to ever grace the west coast, recorded here in the prime of their late 40s careers. Tracks were recorded during the years 1946, 1947, and 1952 – and 6 tracks (including "The Rubiyat", "My Kinda Love", "Citizen's Bop", and "Man With A Horn") feature Gordon and Gray together in a group with Gerry Wiggins on piano and organ. The remaining 6 tracks feature Gray heading up bop quartets with either Dodo Marmaroso or Errol Garner on piano – and titles include "Dell's Bells", "One For Prez", "Blue Lou", and "Easy Swing".

Citizens Bop mc
Citizens Bop zippy

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Don Byas - Tenor Giant

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:41
Size: 79.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[2:55] 1. Three O'clock In The Morning
[2:44] 2. One O'clock Jump
[3:05] 3. Harvard Blues
[2:41] 4. Slammin' Around
[2:47] 5. Laura
[3:01] 6. Stardust
[3:00] 7. Slam, Don't Shake Like That
[3:00] 8. Dark Eyes
[2:44] 9. Humoresque
[2:57] 10. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
[2:47] 11. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
[2:53] 12. Slamboree

Bass – Slam Stewart; Drums – Harold "Doc" West, J.C. Heard; Piano – Erroll Garner, Johnny Guarnieri; Tenor Saxophone – Don Byas. Recorded August 30, September 6 and November 1, 1945.

One of the greatest of all tenor players, Don Byas' decision to move permanently to Europe in 1946 resulted in him being vastly underrated in jazz history books. His knowledge of chords rivalled Coleman Hawkins, and, due to their similarity in tones, Byas can be considered an extension of the elder tenor. He played with many top swing bands, including those of Lionel Hampton (1935), Buck Clayton (1936), Don Redman, Lucky Millinder, Andy Kirk (1939-1940), and most importantly Count Basie (1941-1943). An advanced swing stylist, Byas' playing looked toward bop. He jammed at Minton's Playhouse in the early '40s, appeared on 52nd Street with Dizzy Gillespie, and performed a pair of stunning duets with bassist Slam Stewart at a 1944 Town Hall concert. After recording extensively during 1945-1946 (often as a leader), Byas went to Europe with Don Redman's band, and (with the exception of a 1970 appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival) never came back to the U.S. He lived in France, the Netherlands, and Denmark; often appeared at festivals; and worked steadily. Whenever American players were touring, they would ask for Byas, who had opportunities to perform with Duke Ellington, Bud Powell, Kenny Clarke, Dizzy Gillespie, Jazz at the Philharmonic (including a recorded tenor battle with Hawkins and Stan Getz), Art Blakey, and (on a 1968 recording) Ben Webster. Byas also recorded often in the 1950s, but was largely forgotten in the U.S. by the time of his death. ~ Scott Yanow

Tenor Giant mc
Tenor Giant zippy

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Erroll Garner - Ready Take One

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:48
Size: 150.6 MB
Styles: Swing, Piano jazz
Year: 1967/2016
Art: Front

[3:47] 1. High Wire
[2:57] 2. I Want To Be Happy
[5:03] 3. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
[3:18] 4. Sunny
[5:06] 5. Wild Music
[6:23] 6. Caravan
[5:23] 7. Back To You
[4:23] 8. Night And Day
[2:54] 9. Chase Me
[5:51] 10. Satin Doll
[5:27] 11. Latin Digs
[4:48] 12. Stella By Starlight
[5:29] 13. Down Wylie Avenue
[4:52] 14. Misty

Unheard Erroll Garner recordings are a rarity, so the existence of Legacy's 2016 collection Ready Take One is remarkable in and of itself. To have it be excellent is something else, and to have it be a bit of a swinging revelation is another thing entirely. Consisting of sessions recorded in 1967, 1969, and 1971 but only recently discovered, Ready Take One finds Garner working in a trio setting sometimes augmented by a percussionist -- a standard setting for him, but the difference here is that he's often swinging with a soulful touch. Usually known as an elegant pianist, there is a rhythmic kick -- partially derived from soul, partially from Latin rhythms -- that gives this a feel that's distinctive from the rest of his work. Some of this can be chalked up to the era -- Garner's riding the trends, covering Bobby Hebb's AM pop hit "Sunny" and getting lightly funky on "High Wire," one of several Garner originals here. One of nicest things about Ready Take One is that there are several unheard originals, sitting alongside the loungey love song "Back to You" and the exuberant "Wild Music." A couple other originals accentuate the sly funkiness in his playing -- he rides the beat hard on "Latin Digs" and "Chase Me" is giddy with its uptempo bounce -- but that can also be heard with takes on such classics as "Caravan," "Stella by Starlight," and "Misty." Through it all, Garner's inventive, classy playing remains thoroughly recognizable -- this is still the same pianist who crossed over easily with Concert by the Sea -- but Ready Take One illustrates that he continued to stretch and push his playing and, for that, it's more than a welcome vault excavation, it's a joy to hear. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Ready Take One

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Erroll Garner - The Complete Savoy Master Takes (2-Disc Set)

Does it get any better than this? The nearly two hours of music on this double CD set covers Erroll Garner's complete released output for Savoy from January 1945 -- where he was part of the Slam Stewart Quartet -- through the summer of 1949. All of it has been transferred off original acetate sources and very carefully CEDAR-ized to bring out the musical detail in preference to the noise inherent in the masters, and the result is one up-close-and-personal get-together between one's ears and his piano, with bassist John Simmons and drummers Alvin Stoller or Jesse Price providing the underlying beat. From his dazzling first recording of "Laura" through the quieter joys of "I Only Have Eyes for You" (the only rendition that ever eclipsed the Flamingos' more extroverted version as this writer's favorite, with its quietly ornate glory) to "Stormy Weather," the material here is priceless in its alternately serene and playful elegance, and also one of the best cases (if one were still needed) for digital audio and CD playback -- this music is all too quiet to be interfered with by the flaws in vinyl, to be fully appreciated. The annotation is also extremely thorough, and the entire set is a must-own piece for fans of the pianist, or the piano. ~Bruce Eder

Album: The Complete Savoy Master Takes (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:26
Size: 131.5 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 2009

[2:43] 1. Laura
[2:46] 2. Star Dust
[2:44] 3. Somebody Loves Me
[2:33] 4. (Back Home Again In) Indiana
[3:00] 5. I Surrender, Dear
[2:57] 6. I Only Have Eyes For You
[3:05] 7. Stompin' At The Savoy
[3:00] 8. I Cover The Waterfront
[2:41] 9. It's Easy To Remember
[2:59] 10. Penthouse Serenade (When We're Alone)
[2:57] 11. Love Walked In
[3:02] 12. September Song
[2:56] 13. Body And Soul
[2:58] 14. All The Things You Are
[2:42] 15. (I Don't Stand ) A Ghost Of A Chance (With You)
[3:03] 16. Yesterdays
[2:56] 17. Goodbye
[2:53] 18. I'm In The Mood For Love
[2:36] 19. I Can't Believe That Your In Love With Me
[2:44] 20. More Than You Know

The Complete Savoy Master Takes (Disc 1)

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Album: The Complete Savoy Master Takes (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:15
Size: 135.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[2:40] 1. Undecided
[2:41] 2. Red Sails In The Sunset
[2:49] 3. All Of Me
[3:00] 4. Over The Rainbow
[2:57] 5. A Cottage For Sale
[2:18] 6. This Can't Be Love
[2:37] 7. The Man I Love
[2:36] 8. Moonglow
[2:46] 9. I Want A Little Girl
[2:29] 10. She's Funny That Way
[2:50] 11. Until The Real Thing Comes Along
[2:59] 12. (I'm) Confessin' (That I Love You)
[3:07] 13. Stormy Weather
[2:47] 14. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
[3:03] 15. Rosalie
[3:05] 16. Everything Happens To Me
[2:50] 17. A Stairway To The Stars
[2:46] 18. Play, Fiddle, Play
[2:58] 19. Dark Eyes
[2:56] 20. Laff, Slam Laff
[2:53] 21. Jumpin' At The Deuces

The Complete Savoy Master Takes (Disc 2)

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Erroll Garner Trio - Humoresque

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:11
Size: 166,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:11)  1. Humoresque
(5:28)  2. Moonglow
(4:19)  3. In A Mellow Tone
(5:03)  4. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
(3:12)  5. Exactly Like You
(4:42)  6. Creme De Menthe (Dreamy)
(2:35)  7. Oh, Lady Be Good
(4:00)  8. I've Got The World On A String
(2:37)  9. Rosalie
(3:10) 10. There's A Small Hotel
(3:14) 11. Mean To Me
(2:53) 12. Easy To Love
(3:20) 13. All Of A Sudden
(3:27) 14. You Are My Sunshine
(4:33) 15. Part Time Blues
(2:21) 16. I Wanna Be A Rug Cutter
(7:18) 17. 7-11 Jump
(3:39) 18. Alexander's Ragtime Band

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 http://www.allmusic.com/artist/erroll-garner-mn0000206967/biography

Humoresque

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Erroll Garner - Ready Take One

Styles: Piano Jazz

Year: 2016

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 66:02

Size: 152,4 MB

Art: Front

(3:47)  1. High Wire

(3:00)  2. I Want to Be Happy

(5:03)  3. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)

(3:19)  4. Sunny

(5:07)  5. Wild Music

(6:23)  6. Caravan

(5:25)  7. Back to You

(4:25)  8. Night and Day

(2:57)  9. Chase Me

(5:52) 10. Satin Doll

(5:27) 11. Latin Digs

(4:50) 12. Stella By Starlight

(5:29) 13. Down Wylie Avenue

(4:52) 14. Misty

During his lifetime, Erroll Garner was a somewhat controversial figure with jazz aficionados. The main knock was that he was a technical master of the piano with plenty of flair and piano-bar panache, but not enough soul and swing to be a jazz heavyweight. Despite the bickering among jazz critics, Garner (who died in 1977) did not have trouble filling performance spaces or selling albums, but his place in the public ear waned after his death. His live Concert by the Sea remains one of the best-selling jazz albums ever, and received a deluxe 3-CD reissue (and was nominated for a Grammy) last year. Now, Sony/Legacy has dipped into the archives of Garner’s late manager, Martha Glaser, and found 14 finished but never released recordings, the content of this new album. Ready Take One is composed of recordings made in 1967 at Universal Recording Studios in Chicago; in 1969 at Capitol Studios New York; and in 1971 at RCA Studios New York. The album closes with a live version of Garner’s hit, “Misty,” recorded in Paris in May 1969. For the 1967 sessions, Ike Isaacs on bass, Jimmie Smith on drums and Joe Mangual on congas backed Garner. For the 1969 and 1971 studio and live recordings, Earnest McCarty, Jr. replaced Isaacs on bass. The fact that the band and style of playing remains consistent throughout makes the album hold together as a coherent sequence of enjoyable tunes rather than an “archive dig” of disjointed musical examples.

According to Robin Kelly’s liner notes, Garner’s style in the studio was much like his style on stage with his band: he would call out a tune and then go, with the band responsible for keeping up with whatever improvisational twists he chose to explore. Fortunately, the backing musicians were up for the challenge, and the recordings sparkle with the excitement of a quartet doing what good jazz musicians do exploring and reacting to each other rather than playing heavily-rehearsed and written-down music. And, for the record, although all of the players are technically excellent, the album gushes with swing and soul. One admittedly minor criticism: although the liner notes emphasize the fact that the reissue producers chose to keep audio of Glaser calling out take numbers and a few seconds of studio banter here and there, this “bonus material” does not add anything to the music. In fact, it slightly interrupts the flow of the album. Six of the album’s 14 cuts are Garner originals; “High Wire” and “Wild Music” are particularly nice. The Paris recording of “Misty” also stands out because, despite playing the song thousands of times to ever-eager audiences, Garner could still bring excitement and a connection of “I’m playing this song just for you” to what was yet another performance. Also interesting is the band’s take on the Juan Tizol/Duke Ellington standard “Caravan.” Garner’s decision to take the melody apart and reassemble pieces of it on unusual beats doesn’t always work, but the approach shows how the band was not content to run through standards in any sort of traditional way. The 1971 sessions, especially, show the influence of funk and acid-jazz on more traditional performers. Garner sometimes sounds quite a bit like Ramsey Lewis (“The In Crowd”), and that more-soul/less-swing approach was probably preferred by live audiences of the time. But, Garner never shies away from virtuosity, so there is always crisp execution of complex right-hand runs and rock-solid left-hand rhythm. Sony/Legacy has an arrangement to mine the archives of Garner and Glaser, and more releases are promised. Hopefully, there is more of this kind of polished music in the vaults. And, hopefully, future reissues producers will assemble and sequence future releases into enjoyable, musically coherent albums like Ready Take One. ~ Tom Fine http://blackgrooves.org/erroll-garner-ready-take-one/

Personnel:  Erroll Garner (p) / Jimmie Smith (d) / Ernest McCarter Jr. (b) / Jose Magual (perc)

Ready Take One     

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Erroll Garner, Billy Taylor - Separate Keyboards

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 33:44

Size: 77.2 MB

Styles: Piano jazz

Year: 1955/2009

Art: Front

[2:56] 1. A Cottage For Sale

[3:02] 2. Rosalie

[3:02] 3. Everything Happens To Me

[2:48] 4. Stairway To The Stars

[3:01] 5. September Song

[2:56] 6. All The Things You Are

[2:36] 7. Mad Work

[2:32] 8. Solace

[2:40] 9. Night And Day

[2:43] 10. Alexander's Ragtime Band

[2:39] 11. The Bug

[2:43] 12. Take The 'A' Train

For this CD (put out by the Japanese Denon label), there are six selections apiece from pianists Erroll Garner and Billy Taylor. The Garner titles (which are also available elsewhere) are rhapsodic ballads that are both melodic and whimsical. The Taylor sides include the four songs that he cut at his very first session as a leader (March 20, 1945) plus two cuts made with a quintet (comprised of tenor saxophonist Jon Hardee, organist Milt Page, bassist John Simmons and drummer Shadow Wilson) in 1949. Despite the brief playing time (just 36 minutes) and lazy packaging (which includes three major misspellings on the back cover), the music is enjoyable and worth picking up if it can be found at a budget price. ~Scott Yanow

Separate Keyboards  

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Erroll Garner - The Complete Concert By The Sea (3-Disc Set)

There’s no way Erroll Garner could have foretold, from his perch at the piano on a Monday evening almost exactly 60 years ago, that he was creating one of the most popular albums in jazz history. He probably didn’t even know tape was rolling.

But as he led his trio in a converted school auditorium in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif., Garner, 34, locked into a high creative gear, captivating an audience that wasn’t shy about showing its approval. “Everybody was so beautiful,” he said after the concert, which stretched past an hour and a half. Had there been a way to go longer, he added, “I would have been glad to, sincerely, because they made me feel like playing.”

“The Complete Concert by the Sea,” a new three-CD boxed set from Sony Legacy and Octave Music Publishing, greatly expands and improves on the original album. Produced by Ms. Geri Allen and Steve Rosenthal, it includes 11 previously unissued tracks from the concert — doubling the amount of music — along with long introductions by the promoter, Jimmy Lyons, and that postgame interview by Thornbury. A windfall and in some ways a revelation, the boxed set is just the first sign of a major archival effort around Garner that seems likely to raise his stature in the jazz pantheon, and to reaffirm his place in the lineage of jazz pianists.

Album: The Complete Concert By The Sea (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:47
Size: 136.9 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2015

[0:37] 1. Announcement (Jimmy Lyons)
[5:04] 2. Night And Day
[5:13] 3. Spring Is Here
[4:23] 4. I'll Remember April
[4:45] 5. The Nearness Of You
[3:22] 6. Where Or When
[4:12] 7. Sweet And Lovely
[4:17] 8. Lullaby Of Birdland
[3:52] 9. Mambo Carmel
[3:48] 10. Teach Me Tonight
[3:56] 11. Will You Still Be Mine
[3:30] 12. I Cover The Waterfront
[4:37] 13. Bernie's Tune
[4:15] 14. How Could You Do A Thing Like That To Me
[3:49] 15. It's All Right With Me

The Complete Concert By The Sea (Disc 1)

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Album: The Complete Concert By The Sea (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:05
Size: 94.1 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2015

[2:47] 1. 2nd Announcement (Jimmy Lyons)
[4:18] 2. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[6:40] 3. Autumn Leaves
[2:39] 4. S'wonderful
[6:03] 5. Laura
[3:28] 6. Red Top
[4:55] 7. April In Paris
[7:42] 8. Caravan
[2:29] 9. Erroll's Theme

The Complete Concert By The Sea (Disc 2)

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Album: The Complete Concert By The Sea (Disc 3)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:58
Size: 132.7 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[ 4:22] 1. I'll Remember April
[ 3:42] 2. Teach Me Tonight
[ 3:54] 3. Mambo Carmel
[ 6:33] 4. Autumn Leaves
[ 3:31] 5. It's All Right With Me
[ 3:23] 6. Red Top
[ 4:55] 7. April In Paris
[ 4:15] 8. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[ 4:14] 9. How Could You Do A Thing Like That To Me
[ 3:11] 10. Where Or When
[ 1:45] 11. Erroll's Theme
[14:08] 12. Post Concert Interview

The Complete Concert By The Sea (Disc 3)

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Erroll Garner - Tappin' Your Feet

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 28:06

Size: 64.3 MB

Styles: Bop, Piano jazz

Year: 2009

Art: Front

[2:41] 1. Somebody Loves Me

[3:05] 2. Stompin' At The Savoy

[2:33] 3. (Back Home Again In) Indiana

[2:56] 4. Body And Soul

[2:34] 5. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me

[2:37] 6. Moonglow

[3:00] 7. Until The Real Thing Comes Along

[3:02] 8. Rosalie

[2:40] 9. Undecided

[2:52] 10. Jumpin' At The Deuces

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. ~Scott Yanow

Tappin' Your Feet  

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Erroll Garner Trio - 'Play, Piano, Play' 1950 - 1953

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:07
Size: 150,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:47)  1. The Way You Look Tonight
(2:50)  2. Sophisticated Lady
(2:23)  3. Fine And Dandy
(3:13)  4. The Petite Waltz Bounce
(3:00)  5. Body And Soul
(2:40)  6. I Never Knew
(3:15)  7. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
(2:25)  8. Play, Piano, Play
(2:43)  9. Ain't She Sweet?
(3:08) 10. Ja-Da
(2:49) 11. I Didn't Know
(2:43) 12. You're Blase
(3:19) 13. It's The Talk Of The Town
(3:09) 14. Undecided
(3:00) 15. Summertime
(2:27) 16. You're Driving Me Crazy
(4:01) 17. 'S Wonderful
(3:23) 18. St. Louis Blues
(3:19) 19. Robbin's Nest
(3:39) 20. Frenesi
(3:43) 21. Groovy-Day

Seeing as "Play Piano Play" was one of Erroll Garner's signature romp tunes, it's no surprise that at least four different Garner compilations have appeared bearing that title. What is surprising is that the Giants of Jazz label released two entirely different packages three years apart using the same title. The 1998 Play Piano Play contains material recorded during the years 1944-1947. The 1995 Play Piano Play 1950-1953 (which is the subject of this review) concentrates upon the marvelous trio recordings Garner made for the Columbia label in Hollywood and New York between October 7, 1950 and March 30, 1953. 

There are two trios at work in this chronologically chaotic compilation. Material pulled from the 1951 and 1952 recording sessions involved bassist John Simmons and drummer Shadow Wilson. The 1953 trio (tracks 13, 17, 18, 20 and 21) had bassist Wyatt Ruther and drummer Fats Heard. This wonderful stash of vintage, mainstream piano jazz is guaranteed to soothe, energize, please and entertain. ~ arwulf arwulf  http://www.allmusic.com/album/play-piano-play-1950-1953-mw0001050094

'Play, Piano, Play'1950 - 1953

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Erroll Garner - Penthouse Serenade

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 44:27

Size: 101.8 MB

Styles: Easy Listening, Piano jazz

Year: 2005

Art: Front

[2:17] 1. This Can't Be Love

[2:45] 2. I Want A Little Girl

[2:40] 3. Undecided

[2:56] 4. Love Walked In

[2:58] 5. Penthouse Serenade (When We're Alone)

[2:56] 6. All The Things You Are

[2:56] 7. Body And Soul

[2:43] 8. More Than You Know

[2:33] 9. (Back Home Again In) Indiana

[2:41] 10. Laura

[2:43] 11. Somebody Loves Me

[2:47] 12. All Of Me

[3:06] 13. Stormy Weather

[2:58] 14. I'm Confessin'

[2:35] 15. Moonglow

[2:46] 16. On The Sunny Side Of The Street

Taken from four separate sessions between 1945-1949, Penthouse Serenade showcases Erroll Garner's early recordings for Savoy. Garner's playful, melodic, and whimsical piano runs on this set of standards never cease to amaze. While the melodies of these tunes are immediately recognizable, Garner managed to exert artistic license while still connecting on a commercial level. On the majority of these tracks, Garner is supported by John Simmons on bass and Alvin Stoller on drums, with the exception of "(Back Home Again In) Indiana," "Laura," and "Somebody Loves Me," on which they are replaced by John Levy on bass and drummer George DeHart. This is a decent set for those who want to investigate Garner's pre-Columbia recordings. ~Al Campbell

Penthouse Serenade 

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Erroll Garner - Body & Soul

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 58:35
Size: 134.1 MB
Styles: Bop, Swing, Piano jazz
Year: 1991
Art: Front

[3:44] 1. The Way You Look Tonight
[2:59] 2. Body And Soul
[2:06] 3. Indiana
[3:23] 4. Honeysuckle Rose
[3:36] 5. I'm In The Mood For Love
[2:57] 6. I Can't Get Started
[2:22] 7. Play, Piano, Play
[3:08] 8. Undecided
[2:41] 9. You're Blase
[2:48] 10. Sophisticated Lady
[2:41] 11. Ain't She Sweet
[2:46] 12. I Didn't Know
[2:20] 13. Fine And Dandy
[3:17] 14. Robbins' Nest
[3:13] 15. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
[3:16] 16. It's The Talk Of The Town
[2:26] 17. You're Driving Me Crazy
[3:07] 18. Ja-Da
[2:58] 19. Summertime
[2:38] 20. I Never Knew

As was the case with Fats Waller, Erroll Garner's natural and advanced musical talent ingratiated him to jazz aficionados and experts alike. Garner took to the piano intuitively, never needing to take lessons because of his exceptional ear for music. Further breaking the mold, he transcended many of the jazz styles he came up with, including both swing and bebop. You hear the power of swing pianist Earl Hines in his fleet and robust approach, and, yes, he once played with Charlie Parker, but as heard on this Columbia collection from 1951-1952, Garner concocts a unique blend of the big band's svelte rhythms and bebop's heady swing. On the 20 gems found on Body and Soul, Garner employs a rush of dynamics, yet never compromises the inherent lyricism of the set's many standards. This balancing act cuts across a varied set of brisk swingers (Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose"), fine ballads ("I Can't Get Started"), and medium-tempo strollers ("It's the Talk of the Town"). In light of Garner's thoroughly engaging and self-contained work at the piano, even the fact that bassist John Simmons and drummer Shadow Wilson are practically inaudible becomes negligible. Garner bolsters many of these "little symphonies" with clever intros: a miniature recasting of the song's chord and harmonic structure, heard to sublime effect here on "Summertime" and "Body and Soul" (Garner would expand these preambles in the future, particularly on solo piano outings). And in response to criticisms of his playing being too ornate (extra tremolo on the ballads), it should be said that part of Garner's charm is his "old-fashioned" phrasing, part of the romantic and urbane touch he employs to keep said indulgences in check most of the time. Body and Soul is a fine collection of early Garner sides. Highly recommended. ~Stephen Cook

Body & Soul

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Erroll Garner - Mambo Moves Garner

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 51:47
Size: 118.5 MB
Styles: Swing, Piano jazz
Year: 1954/1991
Art: Front

[6:29] 1. Mambo Garner
[4:03] 2. Night And Day
[4:53] 3. Mambo Blues
[5:20] 4. That Old Black Magic
[3:51] 5. Cherokee
[3:53] 6. Sweet And Lovely
[3:23] 7. Russian Lullaby
[4:39] 8. Begin The Beguine
[4:09] 9. Mambo Nights
[7:29] 10. Sweet Sue
[3:34] 11. Imagination

For this lengthy session, pianist Erroll Garner added a conga player (Candido) to his trio (which includes bassist Wyatt Ruther and drummer Eugene Heard) for the first time. Throughout the remainder of his career he would occasionally play in the Latin idiom. This CD reissue (which adds two songs from the same session to the original LP program) finds the pianist in typically enthusiastic form and the highlights include "Mambo Garner," "Night and Day," "Cherokee" and "Sweet Sue." ~Scott Yanow

Mambo Moves Garner

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