Erroll Garner
Encyclopedia
Erroll Louis Garner was an American
jazz
pianist
and composer
known for his swing playing and ballads. His best-known composition, the ballad "Misty
", has become a jazz standard
. Allmusic.com calls him "one of the most distinctive of all pianists" and a "brilliant virtuoso".
, to an African American
family in 1923 , Erroll began playing piano at the age of three. He attended George Westinghouse High School
, as did fellow pianists Billy Strayhorn
and Ahmad Jamal
. Garner was self-taught and remained an "ear player" all his life – he never learned to read music. At the age of seven, Garner began appearing on radio station KDKA
in Pittsburgh with a group called the Candy Kids. By the age of 11, he was playing on the Allegheny
riverboats. At age 14 in 1937, he joined local saxophonist Leroy Brown
.
He played locally in the shadow of his older pianist brother Linton Garner
and moved to New York
in 1944. He briefly worked with the bassist Slam Stewart
, and though not a bebop
musician per se, in 1947 played with Charlie Parker
on the famous "Cool Blues" session. Although his admission to the Pittsburgh music union was initially refused because of his inability to read music, they eventually relented in 1956 and made him an honorary member. Garner is credited with having a superb memory of music. After attending a concert by the Russian classical pianist Emil Gilels
, Garner returned to his apartment and was able to play a large portion of the performed music by recall.
Short in stature (5 foot 2 inches), Garner performed sitting on multiple telephone directories
, except when playing in New York City
, where a Manhattan phone book
was sufficient. He was also known for his occasional vocalizations while playing, which can be heard on many of his recordings. He helped to bridge the gap for jazz musicians between nightclubs and the concert hall.
Until his death from a cardiac arrest on January 2, 1977, he made many tours both at home and abroad, and produced a large volume of recorded work. Garner is buried in Pittsburgh's Homewood Cemetery
. He was, reportedly, The Tonight Show
host Johnny Carson
's favorite jazz musician; Garner appeared on Carson's show many times over the years.
". "Misty" rapidly became a jazz standard
– and was famously featured in Clint Eastwood
's Play Misty for Me
(1971).
Garner may have been inspired by the example of Earl Hines
, a fellow Pittsburgh resident but 18 years his senior, and there were resemblances in their elastic approach to timing and the use of the right-hand octaves. As it is especially shown by Garner's early recordings, another clear influence on him was the stride piano
style of James P. Johnson
and Fats Waller
. His definitive style, though, was unique and had neither obvious forerunners nor imitators. A key factor in his sound was the independence of his hands (hands with thick, stubby fingers, typically deemed unsuitable for piano playing).
Garner would often play behind or ahead of the beat with his right hand while his springy left hand rocked steady, creating insouciance and tension in the music, which he would resolve by bringing the timing back into sync. The independence of his hands also was evidenced by his masterful use of three against four figures and more complicated cross rhythms between the hands.
What makes Garner's playing easy to recognize is his trademark introductions, which seem to make no sense until breaking dramatically into his exposition of the tune. Sometimes cacophonous and at other times strange, his intros produced a sense of excitement and anticipation and humor. One of the more important aspects of his style of improvisation was that it generally stayed close to the melodic theme and the novelty lay in voicings.
Garner bridged the gap between stride and straight-ahead styles. Often identified as a stride player, his right hand had the trappings of modernity, elements of Cole and Wilson delineations … He was one of our greatest anomalies, with hands barely reaching an octave, he came to define a medium 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.
was a best-selling jazz album in its day and features Eddie Calhoun
on bass and Denzil Best
on drums. This recording of a performance at the Sunset Center, a former church in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, that was to be shared with Korean War veterans at a nearby army base, was made using relatively primitive sound equipment, but for George Avakian
the decision to release the recording was easy. Other notable works include 1951's Long Ago and Far Away and 1974's Magician, both of which see Garner 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.
In 1964, Garner appeared in the UK on the music series Jazz 625 (625 referring to the PAL
625-line format) broadcast on the BBC's new second channel
. The programme was hosted by Steve Race
, who introduced Garner's trio with Eddie Calhoun on bass and Kelly Martin on drums. While working the keyboard hard, Garner had perspiration streaming down his face as the programme made close shots of his hands.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
known for his swing playing and ballads. His best-known composition, the ballad "Misty
Misty (song)
"Misty" is a jazz standard written in 1954 by the pianist Erroll Garner.Originally composed as an instrumental following the traditional 32-bar format, the tune later had lyrics by Johnny Burke and became the signature song of Johnny Mathis, reaching #12 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart in 1959...
", has become a jazz standard
Jazz standard
Jazz standards are musical compositions which are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive list of jazz standards, and the list of songs deemed to be...
. Allmusic.com calls him "one of the most distinctive of all pianists" and a "brilliant virtuoso".
Career
Born in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, to an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
family in 1923 , Erroll began playing piano at the age of three. He attended George Westinghouse High School
Westinghouse High School (Pittsburgh)
Westinghouse High School is a public school in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, or The Academy at Westinghouse named for Pittsburgh resident George Westinghouse....
, as did fellow pianists Billy Strayhorn
Billy Strayhorn
William Thomas "Billy" Strayhorn was an American composer, pianist and arranger, best known for his successful collaboration with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington lasting nearly three decades. His compositions include "Chelsea Bridge", "Take the "A" Train" and "Lush Life".-Early...
and Ahmad Jamal
Ahmad Jamal
Ahmad Jamal is an innovative and influential American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. According to Stanley Crouch, Jamal is second in importance in the development of jazz after 1945 only to Charlie Parker...
. Garner was self-taught and remained an "ear player" all his life – he never learned to read music. At the age of seven, Garner began appearing on radio station KDKA
KDKA (AM)
KDKA is a radio station licensed to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. Created by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation on November 2, 1920, it is one of the world's first modern radio stations , a distinction that has also been challenged by other stations, although it has claimed to be the first in...
in Pittsburgh with a group called the Candy Kids. By the age of 11, he was playing on the Allegheny
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
riverboats. At age 14 in 1937, he joined local saxophonist Leroy Brown
Leroy Brown
Roland Daniels , best known under the ring names of Leroy Brown and Elijah Akeem, was an American professional wrestler for the Championship Wrestling from Florida, Mid-South Wrestling and Jim Crockett Promotions during the 1980s.He died on September 6, 1988 as the result of a heart attack at the...
.
He played locally in the shadow of his older pianist brother Linton Garner
Linton Garner
Linton Garner was a jazz pianist.He was Erroll Garner's older brother. After moving to Vancouver in 1974, he sang and played the piano in Rossini's restaurant in Kitsilano....
and moved to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1944. He briefly worked with the bassist Slam Stewart
Slam Stewart
Leroy Eliot "Slam" Stewart was an African American jazz bass player whose trademark style was his ability to bow the bass and simultaneously hum or sing an octave higher. He was originally a violin player before switching to bass at the age of 20.-Biography:Stewart was born in Englewood, New...
, and though not a bebop
Bebop
Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...
musician per se, in 1947 played with Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
on the famous "Cool Blues" session. Although his admission to the Pittsburgh music union was initially refused because of his inability to read music, they eventually relented in 1956 and made him an honorary member. Garner is credited with having a superb memory of music. After attending a concert by the Russian classical pianist Emil Gilels
Emil Gilels
Emil Grigoryevich Gilels was a Soviet pianist, widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.His last name is sometimes transliterated Hilels.-Biography:...
, Garner returned to his apartment and was able to play a large portion of the performed music by recall.
Short in stature (5 foot 2 inches), Garner performed sitting on multiple telephone directories
Telephone directory
A telephone directory is a listing of telephone subscribers in a geographical area or subscribers to services provided by the organization that publishes the directory...
, except when playing in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where a Manhattan phone book
Telephone directory
A telephone directory is a listing of telephone subscribers in a geographical area or subscribers to services provided by the organization that publishes the directory...
was sufficient. He was also known for his occasional vocalizations while playing, which can be heard on many of his recordings. He helped to bridge the gap for jazz musicians between nightclubs and the concert hall.
Until his death from a cardiac arrest on January 2, 1977, he made many tours both at home and abroad, and produced a large volume of recorded work. Garner is buried in Pittsburgh's Homewood Cemetery
Homewood Cemetery
Homewood Cemetery is a historic, nonsectarian burial ground in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in Squirrel Hill and is bordered by both Frick Park and the neighborhood of Point Breeze....
. He was, reportedly, The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
host Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
's favorite jazz musician; Garner appeared on Carson's show many times over the years.
Playing style
Called "one of the most distinctive of all pianists" by Allmusic.com, Garner showed that a "creative jazz musician can be very popular without watering down his music" or changing his personal style. He is referred to as a "brilliant virtuoso who sounded unlike anyone else", using an "orchestral approach straight from the swing era but …open to the innovations of bop." Garner's ear and technique owed as much to practice as to a natural gift. His distinctive style could swing like no other, but some of his best recordings are ballads, such as his best-known composition, "MistyMisty (song)
"Misty" is a jazz standard written in 1954 by the pianist Erroll Garner.Originally composed as an instrumental following the traditional 32-bar format, the tune later had lyrics by Johnny Burke and became the signature song of Johnny Mathis, reaching #12 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart in 1959...
". "Misty" rapidly became a jazz standard
Jazz standard
Jazz standards are musical compositions which are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive list of jazz standards, and the list of songs deemed to be...
– and was famously featured in Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
's Play Misty for Me
Play Misty for Me
Play Misty for Me is a 1971 American psychological thriller film, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, in his directorial debut. Jessica Walter and Donna Mills co-star. The original music score was composed by Dee Barton.-Plot:...
(1971).
Garner may have been inspired by the example of Earl Hines
Earl Hines
Earl Kenneth Hines, universally known as Earl "Fatha" Hines, was an American jazz pianist. Hines was one of the most influential figures in the development of modern jazz piano and, according to one source, is "one of a small number of pianists whose playing shaped the history of jazz".-Early...
, a fellow Pittsburgh resident but 18 years his senior, and there were resemblances in their elastic approach to timing and the use of the right-hand octaves. As it is especially shown by Garner's early recordings, another clear influence on him was the stride piano
Stride piano
Harlem Stride Piano, Stride Piano, or just Stride, is a jazz piano style that was developed in the large cities of the East Coast, mainly in the New York, during 1920s and 1930s. The left hand may play a four-beat pulse with a single bass note, octave, seventh or tenth interval on the first and...
style of James P. Johnson
James P. Johnson
James P. Johnson was an American pianist and composer...
and Fats Waller
Fats Waller
Fats Waller , born Thomas Wright Waller, was a jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer...
. His definitive style, though, was unique and had neither obvious forerunners nor imitators. A key factor in his sound was the independence of his hands (hands with thick, stubby fingers, typically deemed unsuitable for piano playing).
Garner would often play behind or ahead of the beat with his right hand while his springy left hand rocked steady, creating insouciance and tension in the music, which he would resolve by bringing the timing back into sync. The independence of his hands also was evidenced by his masterful use of three against four figures and more complicated cross rhythms between the hands.
What makes Garner's playing easy to recognize is his trademark introductions, which seem to make no sense until breaking dramatically into his exposition of the tune. Sometimes cacophonous and at other times strange, his intros produced a sense of excitement and anticipation and humor. One of the more important aspects of his style of improvisation was that it generally stayed close to the melodic theme and the novelty lay in voicings.
Garner bridged the gap between stride and straight-ahead styles. Often identified as a stride player, his right hand had the trappings of modernity, elements of Cole and Wilson delineations … He was one of our greatest anomalies, with hands barely reaching an octave, he came to define a medium 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.
Works
His recording career started out in the late 1940s when several sides such as "Fine and Dandy" and "Sweet 'n' Lovely" were cut. However, his 1955 live album Concert by the SeaConcert by the Sea
Concert by the Sea is a 1955 live album by Erroll Garner, which was recorded in Carmel, California. The recording also features Eddie Calhoun on bass and Denzil Best on drums, and although it was produced using relatively primitive sound equipment, Garner's inventiveness and musical talent have...
was a best-selling jazz album in its day and features Eddie Calhoun
Eddie Calhoun
Eddie Calhoun was an American jazz double-bassist.Calhoun was raised in Chicago, where he played with Dick Davis and Ahmad Jamal . Subsequently he worked with Horace Henderson , Johnny Griffin , Roy Eldridge, Billie Holiday, and Miles Davis...
on bass and Denzil Best
Denzil Best
Denzil DaCosta Best was an American jazz percussionist and composer born in New York City. He was a prominent bebop drummer in the 1950s and early '60s....
on drums. This recording of a performance at the Sunset Center, a former church in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, that was to be shared with Korean War veterans at a nearby army base, was made using relatively primitive sound equipment, but for George Avakian
George Avakian
George Avakian is an American record producer and executive known particularly for his work with Columbia Records, and his production of albums by Miles Davis and other notable jazz musicians....
the decision to release the recording was easy. Other notable works include 1951's Long Ago and Far Away and 1974's Magician, both of which see Garner 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.
In 1964, Garner appeared in the UK on the music series Jazz 625 (625 referring to the PAL
PAL
PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
625-line format) broadcast on the BBC's new second channel
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
. The programme was hosted by Steve Race
Steve Race
Stephen Russell Race OBE was a British composer, pianist and radio and television presenter.-Biography:Born in Lincoln, the son of a lawyer, Race learned the piano from the age of five...
, who introduced Garner's trio with Eddie Calhoun on bass and Kelly Martin on drums. While working the keyboard hard, Garner had perspiration streaming down his face as the programme made close shots of his hands.
Discography
- Serenade To Laura (1945)
- Giants of the Piano (back to back with Art TatumArt TatumArthur "Art" Tatum, Jr. was an American jazz pianist and virtuoso who played with phenomenal facility despite being nearly blind.Tatum is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time...
) (1947 Hollywood recordings with Red CallenderRed CallenderRed Callender, , was a jazz bass and tuba player, famous for turning down a chance to work with Duke Ellington's Orchestra and the Louis Armstrong All-Stars....
and Hal West) Vogue LP LAE 12209 - Early in Paris (1948) Blue Music Group
- Penthouse Serenade (1949)
- Erroll Garner (August 1949) Los Angeles recordings with John SimmonsJohn SimmonsJohn Christopher Simmons is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League. Simmons was selected in the third round by the Cincinnati Bengals out of Southern Methodist University in the 1981 NFL Draft.-External links:**...
, Alvin StollerAlvin StollerAlvin Stoller was an American jazz drummer. Though he seems to have been largely forgotten, he was held in high regard in the 1940s and 1950s...
(2 Vols Joker LP BM 3718-3719) - Erroll Garner (no date, circa 1951) with Wyatt RutherWyatt RutherWyatt Robert "Bull" Ruther was an American jazz double-bassist.Ruther played trombone in high school before picking up the double-bass. He studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the Pittsburgh Musical Institute, then played in New York City with Dave Brubeck and Erroll Garner...
and Fats Heard Philips B 07015 L - Erroll Garner plays for dancing (no date, circa 1951) Philips B 07622 R
- Solo flight (no date, circa 1951) Philips B 07602 R
- Erroll Garner at the Piano (1951-3 material) with Wyatt RutherWyatt RutherWyatt Robert "Bull" Ruther was an American jazz double-bassist.Ruther played trombone in high school before picking up the double-bass. He studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and the Pittsburgh Musical Institute, then played in New York City with Dave Brubeck and Erroll Garner...
and Fats Heard, CBS reissue LP 62311 - Mambo Moves Garner (1954) Mercury MG20055
- Plays Misty (1954) Mercury SR60662
- Gems (1954) Columbia CL583
- Music for Tired Lovers, with Woody HermanWoody HermanWoodrow Charles Herman , known as Woody Herman, was an American jazz clarinetist, alto and soprano saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading various groups called "The Herd," Herman was one of the most popular of the 1930s and '40s bandleaders...
singing (!) (1954) Columbia CL651 - Concert by the SeaConcert by the SeaConcert by the Sea is a 1955 live album by Erroll Garner, which was recorded in Carmel, California. The recording also features Eddie Calhoun on bass and Denzil Best on drums, and although it was produced using relatively primitive sound equipment, Garner's inventiveness and musical talent have...
(1955) Columbia CL535 - ContrastsContrasts (Erroll Garner album)Contrasts is a 1955 studio album by Erroll Garner. - Track listing :# "You Are My Sunshine" – 3:26# "I've Got the World on a String" – 3:58# "7-11 Jump" – 7:16...
(1955) - Solitaire (1955)
- Afternoon of an Elf (1955) Mercury MG20090
- The One and Only Erroll Garner (1956)
- The Most Happy Piano (1956) Columbia CL939
- He's Here! He's Gone! He's Garner! (1956)
- Other Voices, with orchestra (1957) Columbia CL1014
- Soliloquy (1957) Columbia CL1060
- Paris Impressions Vol.#1 (1958) Columbia CL 1212
- Paris Impressions (1958) Columbia #1216, double album
- Erroll Garner One World Concert (1961) Reprise R9-6080 B
- Informal Piano Improvisations (1962) Baronet B-109
- Erroll Garner Plays Gershwin and Kern (1964) Mercury 826 224-2
- Erroll Garner Amsterdam Concert (Concert 7 November 1964) Philips LP BL7717/632 204 BL
- Erroll Garner Plays (1965) Ember LP FA 2011
- Campus Concert (1966) MGM SE-4361
- That's my Kick (1967) MGM SE-4463
- Up in Erroll's room - featuring the Brass Bed (1968) Vanguard NSLP 28123
- Feeling is Believing (1970) Mercury SR61308
- Gemini (1972) London Records XPS617
- Magician (1974) London Records APS640
- Play it Again Erroll ( Reissued 1974) Columbia CL33424 double album
- The Elf-The Savoy Sessions (1976) Savoy SJL 2207 double album
- Long Ago and Far Away (1987)
- Body and Soul (1991) Columbia CK47035
Biographies
- James M Doran Erroll Garner: The Most Happy Piano, Scarecrow Press, 1985. ISBN 978-0810817456