I always play what I feel. I always feel like me, but I'm a different me every day. I get ideas from everything. A big color, the sound of water and wind, or a flash of something cool. Playing is like life. Either you feel it or you don't.-- ERROLL GARNER

http://errollgarner.com/
http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/artist/default.aspx?aid=2885

Spring Is Here - Errol Garner, piano (1921-1977) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oI62dBKRiI You Tube performance awesome...Once on the Youtube page look to the right side and there are many more performances by this genius... My Mother took me to see him at Tirey Memorial Hall on Indiana State Univ campus when I was about 10 years old...he was awesome..
http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/1542/garner.htm

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x18iuu_erroll-garner-all-the-things_music

Fan Site
Errol Garner at Allmusic
Erroll Garner at Find A Grave
Page perso sur Erroll Garner


Erroll Garner, one of the jazz world's most original contributors. Perhaps best remembered as the composer of "Misty," the self taught pianist actually composed hundreds of songs. As a performer, he was quite simply beyond compare. From his ornate, and sometimes even avant garde introductions to songs, to the steady, guitar-like accompaniment of his left hand, 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. If you were lucky enough to see him, you also know he loved to share that joy with his audience. 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. Consider Bud Powell, perhaps the most influential of all bebop pianists, whose pioneering approach attracted legions of fans within the jazz community but who alienated those casual listeners still struggling with the innovations of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. 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. He was one of those rare individuals capable of fusing unparalleled artistry with pure and honest emotion. Erroll Gamer's music was the embodiment of both joy and genius.
As the original host of "The Tonight Show" and of his own syndicated program, Steve Allen introduced television audiences to dozens of jazz greats. "There was always a rare kind of excitement when Erroll Garner played," explains Allen. "The audience first of all could be observed to be smiling, which they would not always do if say listening to Oscar Peterson. They might be open-mouthed in awe listening to Oscar, but the smiling thing would be unlikely to happen. But with Erroll there would be this happy look on the audience's faces and then an actual cheer when he finished. And sometimes cheers would happen during the performance, like at an athletic contest when somebody sinks a long basket to win the game. It was almost like that kind of outburst when the man would perform."
"He was probably the most exciting uptempo pianist of them all," according to record producer George Avakian, who oversaw the release of much of Garner's work for Columbia in the 1950's, including the best-selling album Concert By The Sea. "He had what I used to call the 'Garner Rock.' He'd take a tune like "Girl Of My Dreams I Love You" and the way he played it... man, you were dancing in your seat before you could even get up to dance!"
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. "He was always cognizant of the audience, and he always said the audience was the fourth member of his trio. He reached out to them and that was his barometer." 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.' And they did !"
This article reprinted with permission from Member's Magazine, a publication of KXPR 90.9 FM & KXJZ 88.9 FM, May/June 1996
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. In fact, he was as highly regarded for his harmonic and rhythmic explorations by people like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker (with whom he also played and recorded), as he was by the older generation of players like Art Tatum and Roy Eldridge, who loved his melodic approach. Garner was able to put it all together-- artistic innovation and emotional directness -- in such a way that resonated with every kind of audience. "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. "A cheerful expression all the time, and it was no put on. 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. No worries at all. 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. Others have suggested the "formalization'' of jazz education is somehow diluting the very foundation upon which jazz was built, that originality and emotion have taken a back seat to the importance of flawless technique. Whether or not this is true, anyone remotely connected with jazz -- be it in business, education or as a performer -- would do well to revisit the artistry of Erroll Garner. One of the lessons he left for future generations of aspiring musicians is the fact that art and entertainment can successfully coexist. In the words of Billy Taylor, "He was able to be tremendously popular without compromising his integrity as a musician." Such is the joy of a genius.
Biography
We are preparing a thorough biography for this space. Until it is ready, please refer to the materials below for historical context.

Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His best-known composition, the ballad Misty became a jazz standard with singers. He is often identified as a stride player. Allmusic.com calls him "one of the most distinctive of all pianists" and a "brilliant virtuoso". [1]
Contents[hide]
1 Career
1.1 Playing style
2 Works
3 Samples
4 Selected Discography
5 References
6 External links
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[edit] Career
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1921, Erroll began playing piano at the age of 3. 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.[2] At the age of 7, 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 a honorary member.[2] Garner is credited with having a superb memory of music. After attending a concert by the Russian pianist Emil Gilels, Garner returned to his apartment and was able to play a large portion of the performed music by recall.[2]
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.[2][3] 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 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.

[edit] 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.[4] 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." [5] 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, "Misty". Although "Misty" rapidly became a standard with singers - and was famously featured in Clint Eastwood's Play Misty for Me (1971) - it was never a favorite with fellow instrumentalists.
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. 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. A key factor in his sound was the independence of his hands.
Garner would often play behind or ahead of the beat with his right hand while his springy left had 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. He also would play introductions to pieces that sometimes utilized cacophonous or just weird sounds unrelated to the number, but which produced a sense of excitement in the audience not knowing what he was up to. Whether in ultra slow ballads or rollicking up-tempo improvisation, this never failed to convey a humorous and titillating attitude to both the material at hand and the audience.

[edit] 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". However, his 1955 recording, Concert by the Sea, ranks among his most popular work and features Eddie Calhoun on bass and Denzil Best on drums. Ironically this recording of a performance at an army base in Carmel, California, was made using relatively primitive sound equipment, but Garner's inventiveness and swing made its point in each tune. 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.
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 he will play, and the guitar strumming sound of his left hand, playing crotchet accompaniment to his rich sounding right hand. 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.

[edit] Samples
of "Laura" by Erroll Garner
Garner bridged the gap between stride and straightahead 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 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.

[edit] Selected Discography
Giants of the Piano (back to back with Art Tatum) (1947 Hollywood recordings with Red Callender and Hal West) Vogue LP LAE 12209
Erroll Garner (August 1949) Los Angeles recordings with John Simmons, Alvin Stoller (2 Vols Joker LP BM 3718-3719)
Erroll Garner at the Piano (1951-3 material) with Wyatt Ruther and Fats Heard, CBS reissue LP 62311
Mambo Moves Garner (1954) Mercury MG20055
Misty (1954) Mercury 60662,
Concert by the Sea (1955) Columbia CL535
Feeling is Believing (1956) Columbia CL1014
Paris Impressions (1958) Columbia #1216, double album,
Erroll Garner Amsterdam Concert (Concert 7 November 1964) Philips LP BL7717/632 204 BL
Erroll Garner Plays (1965) Ember LP FA 2011
That's my Kick (1967) MGM SE4463
Gemini (1972) London Records XPS617
Magician (1974) London Records APS640
Play it Again Erroll ( Reissued 1974) Columbia CL33424 double album
Body and Soul (1991) Columbia CK47035



Biographical Memorabilia
NEW!Article by Mike Hennessey on Erroll Garner's music and legacy
Annotated photo of Erroll with Sarah Vaughn and Mitch Miller
Interview of George Shearing on Erroll Garner by Tim Clausen
Interview of Dudley Moore on Erroll Garner by Howard Nichols
Open letter from Martha Glaser to Ken Burns regarding Erroll Garner
Jazz writer and broadcaster James Isaacs on Erroll Garner
Dudley Moore on Erroll Garner
Fast Company, a ballet featuring the music of Erroll Garner
Special Feature on The Anniversary of Concert By The Sea
Trivia: Erroll Garner has had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame since 1960.
Ed Bradley talks about Erroll Garner
Erroll Garner Remembered, a poem by Lu Angelieri
Happy Birthday Erroll Garner from Congressional Record, June 15, 1976
Slam Stewart remembers Erroll Garner
Garner Is Now Up There... by Ralph J. Gleason from the San Francisco Chronicle, June, 1958
Easy to Love, from People Weekly magazine
Quotes
I always play what I feel. I always feel like me, but I'm a different me every day. I get ideas from everything. A big color, the sound of water and wind, or a flash of something cool. Playing is like life. Either you feel it or you don't.-- ERROLL GARNER
Erroll Garner was a giant among jazz pianists. His ability to spontaneously create great musical works at the piano while performing for an audience was legendan/Inherent in that unique talent was his ability to make a personal musical statement that was as well constructed and logically organized as it would have been if he had preconceived it and planned every detail, In other words, Garner was a first rate composer who used musical theory and form in traditional ways, yet was inventive enough to create music instantly which contained all the elements of good composition. His music is melodic, rhythmic, rhapsodic, and original. As a musician he was one of a kind-- Billy Taylor
The extraordinary thing about Erroll Garner and his ballads is that they are completely lyrical. They are incredibly durable, lasting, melodic and beautiful word pictures, no matter who does the singing. I'll never forget that it was Sarah Vaughan with that amazing pipe organ voice of hers that first introduced me to Erroll's ballads, and that introduction turned into a life-long love affair I've had with this man's music--a man who has left his indelible mark on the world of music.-- Johnny Mathis
...Garner is the single most important piano stylist of the past 35 years .,.Most every piano player who has heard Erroll Garner owes him something... Garner epitomizes all that makes jazz the great music of our age... He is a natural... His music communicates to those who know nothing of the meaning of the word jazz. His music is serious, yet joyous, He has developed an individuality of style that has blessed only the greatest exponents of music... To put it simply, Erroll Garner is a great musical genius. He has given me some of the most memorable and musical moments of my life.-- George Wein
Erroll Garner was a brilliant, prolific recording artist. His recordings, from the 40's through the 70's, continue to be in demand. Many of his recordings are available on CD for the first time.
Of particular note are the collections on Telarc, which contain two albums on each CD; there are six Telarc CD's covering the recordings of Garner from 1959 to 1973. All are available for the first time in the CD format, except Erroll Garner Plays Gershwin and Kern, which originally was released in LP and CD on the Mercury label.
Garner's Concert By the Sea is one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time. His two concert albums on the Telarc label -- Campus Concert and One World Concert -- also are live recordings. Verve's CD Erroll Garner Contrasts was cited at the time of its release as one of the year's best by several English and American critics.

Compact Jazz, Polygram (1990)

Dancing on the Ceiling: The Erroll Garner Collection Vol. 2, Polygram/Verve (1990)

Easy to Love: The Erroll Garner Collection Vol. 1, Polygram/Verve (1990)

Too Marvelous for Words: The Erroll Garner Collection Vol. 3, Polygram/Verve (1990)

The Original Misty, Polygram (1990)

Body and Soul, Sony (1990)

Concert by the Sea, Sony (1990)

Long Ago and Far Way, Sony (1990)

Solo Time: The Erroll Garner Collection Vol. 4/5, Polygram/Verve (1990)

Jazz 'round Midnight, Polygram (1991)

Mambo Moves Garner, Polygram (1991)

Solitaire, Polygram (1993)

Verve Jazz Masters, Vol. 7: Erroll Garner, Polygram (1994)

Erroll Garner - Billy Taylor, Savoy Jazz (1994)

Penthouse Serenade, Savoy Jazz (1994)

Serenade to Laura, Savoy Jazz (1994)

Yesterdays, Savoy Jazz (1994)

The Essence of Erroll Garner, Sony (1994)

That's My Kick/Gemini, Telarc (1994)

Dreamstreet/One World Concert, Telarc (1995)

Magician/Gershwin and Kern, Telarc (1995)

This is Jazz, Vol. 13, Sony (1996)

Now Playing: A Night at the Movies/Up in Erroll's Room, Telarc (1996)

Close-Up in Swing/A New Kind of Love, Telarc (1997)

Contrasts, Polygram (1998)

Complete Savoy Master Takes, Savoy Jazz (1998)

Campus Concert/Feeling Is Believing, Telarc (1998)

Erroll Garner (Box Set), Telarc (1999)

Erroll Garner In Performance, Kultur (2002)
It is well known that Erroll Garner composed the great standard Misty. However, he also composed many more works. We are still finishing the database of compositions, so the following is an incomplete listing, which we are gradually expanding:
Afinidad
1966
Afternoon of an Elf
1955
Dreamstreet
1961
Dreamy
1956
El Papa Grande
1961
Eldorado
1972
Gemini
1972
It Gets Better Every Time
1974
Just Blues
1958
Left Bank Swing
1958
Mambo 207
1956
Mambo Carmel
1955
Mambo Erroll
1966
Mambo Garner
1954
Misty
1954
Moment's Delight
1960
Mood Island
1970
Nervous Waltz
1967
Nightwind
1974
No More Shadows
1961
One Good Turn
1974
Other Voices
1964
Paris Bounce
1958
Passing Through
1956
Seven-Eleven Jump
1954
Shake It But Don't Break It
1967
Solitaire
1955
Something Happens
1970
That's My Kick
1966
This Time It's Real
1968
Trio
1962
Up In Erroll's Room
1968
Way Back Blues
1956
When Paris Cries
1958
You Turn Me Around
1970 News
Introduction to Erroll Garner:The Joy of Genius, by Paul Conley
Biographical Materials
AlbumsCompositionsSheet Music
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