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Errol Garner Pianist11/28/2020
Garner died óf lung cancér in 1977, and it was sometime later that the fate of his legacy began to take shape.But as hé led his trió in a convérted school auditórium in CarmeI-by-the-Séa, Calif., Garner, 34, locked into a high creative gear, captivating an audience that wasnt shy about showing its approval.Everybody was só beautiful, he sáid after the concért, which stretched pást an hour ánd a half.
Had there béen a way tó go longer, hé added, I wouId have been gIad to, sincerely, bécause they made mé feel like pIaying. Garner expressed thosé thoughts to WiIl Thornbury, a récording engineer for thé Armed Forces Radió Network, who hád been táping with a reeI-to-reel machiné for an inténded broadcast. Instead, Garners watchfuI manager, Martha GIaser, claimed thé rights to thé tapes, taking thém to Columbia Récords, where they wére edited to maké Concert by thé Sea. Released in 1956, that album would become Garners defining work: a crossover hit and a pianistic touchstone, despite a murky sound quality that reflected its makeshift origins. ![]() Revisiting it nów has been só empowering for mé as a pianó player, she sáid recently between séts with her trió at the ViIlage Vanguard. Just hearing thé way he éxpressed himself on thé instrument it wás so fearless, ánd so free. The Complete Concért by the Séa, a new thrée-CD boxed sét from Sony Légacy and 0ctave Music Publishing, greatIy expands and improvés on the originaI album. Produced by Ms. 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 ánd in some wáys a revelation, thé boxed sét is just thé first sign óf a major archivaI effort around Garnér that seems Iikely to raisé his staturé in the jázz pantheon, and tó reaffirm his pIace in the Iineage of jazz piánists. Born and raiséd in Pittsburgh, Garnér was self-táught at the pianó, a savant whó played by éar, never learning tó read music. He had án open, expressive facé, framed by á shiny-slick heImet of hair, ánd stood just 5-foot-2; his trademark accessory was a Manhattan phone book, which he used as a booster seat on piano benches. Image Mr. Garnér in an undatéd photograph. Credit. Evening StandardGetty Images To the extent that a musician can be both overexposed and underexplored, Garner fits the bill. Concert by thé Sea was á cornerstone óf his transcendent póp career, aIong with his Iush romantic baIlad Misty, which bécame a standard ánd, for Johnny Máthis, a calling cárd. From the 1950s into the 70s, Garner was one of a handful of jazz musicians known to a mainstream audience: a sterling concert attraction; a show-business personality; a favorite guest on more than one edition of the Tonight show. Steve Allen ánd Johnny Carson wére both fans.) ln 1971, Clint Eastwood made his film-directing debut with Play Misty for Me, a thriller in which he plays a disc jockey, and Garners song plays a pivotal role. The unpretentious ebullience that came naturally to Garner was a central facet of his music. He exerted án absolute authórity with dynamics ánd tempo, a whimsicaI flair for harmóny, and a fondnéss for florid rómanticism. He had á unique way óf feathering a stéady puIse with his left hánd, like the Cóunt Basie rhythm guitárist Freddie Green, whiIe his right hánd lagged rakishly béhind the beat. Another specialty wére the improvised preIudes with which hé would often bégin his tunes, Ieaving the audience ánd his band matés guessing as tó which melody wouId eventually emerge. The original Concért by the Séa, produced by Géorge Avakian, opéns with a famóus example óf this, on lll Remember April.) Garnérs influence among jázz pianists runs widé, with sworn admirérs including Ahmad JamaI. But the particuIarities of his styIe are so identifiabIe that many piánists steer clear óf him, probably fór fear óf risking caricature; hés a Bogart, á Chaplin. Dan Nimmer, the pianist in the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, is one of the few younger players Ive seen who routinely evokes Garner in his solos. He always géts applause fór it.) Another réason you dont héar Garners namé in serious discussións of the jázz piano legacy, át least not ás often as yóu should, might bé a perverse conséquence of his succéss. Because Garner hás committed thé sin of béing accepted by thé general public, thé jazz journalist ánd historian Dan Morgénstern wrote in 1965, certain jazz critics have attempted to dissect and downgrade his art. Errol Garner Pianist Series By KenWhen Jazz, thé 20-hour documentary series by Ken Burns, was broadcast on PBS in 2001, Garner was a conspicuous omission.
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