Erroll GarnerLiberation in SwingMAC1188LPBOOK Packaging copy7-15-21 FINAL+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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ERROLL GARNERLIBERATION IN SWINGTHE OCTAVE RECORDS STORY &COMPLETE SYMPHONY HALL CONCERT

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IntroductionPeter Lockhart & Susan Rosenberg, Octave Music Producers

Liberation in Swing tells the real story of pianist Erroll Garner, his manager Martha Glaser, and their fight forcreative freedom. Garner was a once-in-a-century artist who touched the lives of millions of people with his music.Glaser’s fierce advocacy and pioneering approach to the business of music helped elevate his work to heights notthought possible before they did it. In 2021, as we celebrate their centennial anniversaries, it’s important that therebe an accurate record of their victories and struggles.

In our search for how best to illustrate their journey, we’ve made a number of exciting discoveries and have beenjoined in the effort by a remarkably talented group of writers, artists, and engineers.

Garner was not only a prolific musician and composer, but also a dedicated yet private visual artist. The cover ofthis book and the prints contained within are the first public reproductions of Garner’s visual artistry. With the helpof writing from MacArthur Fellow, three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning singer, and multidisciplinary artist CécileMcLorin Salvant, we invite you inside Garner’s visual world for the first time. Though he left only a handful of worksin his personal archives, it is our belief that those included here not only illustrate the skill of his hand, but also helpus to view the world the way he saw it, to better understand the depth of his genius, and perhaps glimpse a clearerpicture of the artist.

The Complete Symphony Hall Concert is a massive, previously unreleased live concert recording of Garner and hisclassic trio at the beginning of what might have been the most consequential year of his career. In January 1959,with a major dispute underway between Garner and Columbia Records, the trio packed Boston’s storied hall withthe help of impresario George Wein, and delivered a blistering three-set opus presented here on three LPs thatcapture every facet of what made Garner a one-of-a-kind artist. NEA Jazz Master and three-time GRAMMY®Award-winning drummer, producer, and educator Terri Lyne Carrington’s liner notes offer groundbreaking insightsinto Garner’s technique and influence on the complex legacy of rhythm.

The liberation of Erroll Garner and the story of Octave Records is laid out as never before by Dr. Robin D. G. Kelley,celebrated scholar and Gary B. Nash endowed chair of American history at UCLA. Without question the mostimportant writing ever done on the subject, Dr. Kelley’s essay is years in the making and dispels countless mythsand tropes that have long distorted Garner’s legacy, replacing them with a sobering account of creation,imagination, and struggle. This work is accompanied by Octave Records Remastered, a discography and collectionof high resolution master recording quality downloads. The twelve albums originally produced by Garner andGlaser for their own label have been restored and expanded to include never-released original compositions. Inaddition, ten of these newly discovered Garner originals are presented on the single vinyl LP—SESSIONS—offering anew listening experience surveying Garner’s often overlooked talent as a composer across the breadth of hisOctave catalog.

Liberation in Swing represents the culmination of years of work by a team of individuals dedicated to telling Garnerand Glaser’s true story through music, essays, and visual art. It is our hope that this collection helps to cement thecorrected narrative of who Erroll Garner was and just how deeply the cultural impact of his life’s work will echothrough time.

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CREDITS

Executive Producer—Susan RosenbergSenior Producer—Peter LockhartProducer—Steve Rosenthal

WRITING

Terri Lyne Carrington—NEA Jazz Master and three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning drummer, composer, producer,and educator. She serves as Founder and Artistic Director of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice inBoston, MA.

Robin D. G. Kelley—Professor of History and Global Jazz Studies at UCLA. His books include Thelonious Monk: TheLife and Times of an American Original and Africa Speaks, America Answers: Modern Jazz in Revolutionary Times.

Cécile McLorin Salvant—Composer, singer, and visual artist. She won the Thelonious Monk competition in 2010,and is a three-time GRAMMY® Award winner for Best Jazz Vocal Album. In 2020, Salvant received the MacArthurFellowship and the Doris Duke Artist Award.

Editors—Brian Grunert; Ashley Kahn; Peter Lockhart; Susan Rosenberg

ARTWORK

Art Direction & Design—Brian Grunert & Rachel Jankowski, White Bicycle; Peter Lockhart

Liberation in Swing features original artwork created by Erroll Garner, photographs, and ephemera courtesy ofOctave Music Licensing, LLC.

SOUND

Mastering—Michael Graves, Osiris Studio; Jessica Thompson

Mixing—Peter Lockhart; Ed McEntee; Steve RosenthalSound Restoration—Jamie Howarth, Plangent Processes; Peter LockhartAnalog Tape Transfer—John K. ChesterVinyl Mastering Engineer—Chris Muth, Taloowa Mastering & Vinyl Cutting

MACK AVENUE MUSIC GROUP

Executive Producer—Gretchen ValadeAssociate Producer—Matthew Jurasek Senior Director of A&R—Will WakefieldCreative Services & Production—Jodi Tack

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Geri Allen; Yossy Arefi; Molly Bernard; Tom Camuso; Casey Conroy; Bob Donnelly; James Doran; Downtown MusicPublishing; Ed Galloway; Kabir Hermon; Mack Avenue Music Group; Miriam Meislik; Dan Morgenstern; Ted Panken;University of Pittsburgh; Michael Present; Mac Randall; Dawn Reel; Christian Sands; Dan Servantes; SteveSmallowitz; Cameron Smith; Denny Stilwell; George Wein; Ross Wolcott.

Special thanks to Erroll Garner’s longtime manager Martha Glaser, without whom this project would not bepossible.

-OCTAVE LOGO- -MACK AVENUE MUSIC GROUP LOGO-

© 2021 Octave Music Licensing, LLC. Under exclusive worldwide license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.673203118812 | MAC1188LP

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TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE:

GARNER, THE VISUAL ARTISTCécile McLorin Salvant

OCTAVE RECORDS & THE LIBERATION OF ERROLL GARNERRobin D. G. Kelley

OCTAVE RECORDS REMASTEREDErroll Garner Project Producers

COMPLETE SYMPHONY HALL CONCERTTerri Lyne Carrington

MUSIC

Complete Symphony Hall Concert180-gram Black Vinyl 3-LP Set

SESSIONS 180-gram White Vinyl LP

Octave Records Remastered192kHz •24 bit Hi-Res Download

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CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT’S LINER NOTES:

GARNER, THE VISUAL ARTISTCécile McLorin Salvant

I was told Erroll Garner was a visual artist only recently. Before seeing his artwork, I was curious, even elated,despite my relentless cynicism prodding me in the background. For me, it was at the very least exciting that such anincredible musician—one that has influenced and comforted me beyond measure—had a visual art practice.

A discovery such as this, after delusionally believing that I had a grasp on Garner, was also a great source of hope. Itreminded me of the vastness of possibility, that beyond death, even with an icon, there can be shifts. It was areminder that definitions, pronouncements, and history always reckon with fluidity.

Garner drew in the margins of letters, on an American Airlines postcard in blue pen, and on paper with ink, pencil,and oil pastels. His images were mostly abstract, with a wonderful sense of color and line, and a clear, personalvisual vocabulary. He drew often, almost every day. I imagine the abandon with which he did this, the playfulnessof it. No one was expecting him to, and he didn’t show or sell his work.

Garner had such mastery of performance. He was an undeniable force on the bandstand. His music is clear,moving, virtuosic, exciting, and entertaining. He contends with complexities in his playing, with intelligence andgrace, and yet it is dance music. It’s strange imagining him playing with a silent form of expression, and doing itrelatively privately. It feels like looking in on him in an intimate moment.

I have seen 18 of his drawings. I am told there must be more, lost or given away. An iceberg comes to mind, theiceberg Garner used to describe himself. Could it be that this practice of creativity, without fanfare, allowed Garnerto approach expression from a different angle, enriching and adding dimension to his musicianship? This may bepartially true, but I think it is too reductive. His visual art can and should be engaged with on its own, notnecessarily as something there to feed or confirm our perceptions of his music. He took visual art very seriously, hestudied it, he collected it.

This might be our chance to do away with assumptions of his musical or artistic illiteracy. Too often is he cited asnot being able to read music. What happens when cycles of cultural appropriation force those who engage in afolkloric tradition to play by the rules of its appropriators? Perhaps a resistance to these rules should be viewed asradical and calculated. After seeing this work, I gleefully venture to view Garner as a deliberate, intentionalmultidisciplinary artist. What a joy it is to know there is more under the surface with Garner, more to be shared anddiscovered.

This is the moment for me to confess that I have been making visual art for ten years now, trying on and off the“visual artist” designation, feeling like a thief and a fraud when I use it, yet feeling a certain frustration when Idon’t. Ultimately, when I make drawings, or look at work by artists I love, when I engage with visual art in someway, I lose track of time, I am enraptured. Garner’s work is an encouragement to continue studying, to pursue ourpassions, to make something and revel in the privacy of it.

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ROBIN KELLEY’S LINER NOTES:

OCTAVE RECORDS & THE LIBERATION OF ERROLL GARNERRobin D. G. Kelley

“Garner seems to have been forgotten by younger jazz critics and jazz pianists alike. There was only one ErrollGarner and it would help every jazz pianist if they paid a little more attention to his talent and creativity.”—GeorgeWein1

The legendary impresario has a point: Erroll Garner appears infrequently in most jazz history books, and he doesn’tappear at all in Ken Burns’ nineteen-hour documentary Jazz.2 But Garner’s absence from the canon was never amatter of forgetting; his is still one of the most recognizable names in jazz. The problem rests with what weremember, with how he was seen not only in death but during his lifetime. In his prime, Erroll Garner was cast asthe jovial little elf with conked hair who played piano while perched on two telephone books, could not read a lickof music, and yet was often compared with Debussy. A prodigy who never fully shed his childhood innocence, hishappiness was infectious—the perfect antidote to the angry Black jazz musician. While it sold magazines andboosted ticket sales, the press’ obsession with his height, his telephone books, his musical literacy, his reputednaivete left little space to engage his “talent and creativity.” Erroll Garner was beloved, even revered, but rarelytaken seriously as a musician and a composer.

Garner’s body of work, especially the recordings he produced for his own Octave Records label, breaks through thestereotypes to reveal a true giant of modern piano. He mesmerized audiences, moving effortlessly between lushharmonies and dissonant voicings; florid runs, tremolos, and graceful two-handed arpeggios; a staccato left handhammering steady, four-beats-to-the-bar or a little behind the beat, and a virtuosic right-hand spinning flawlesscounter-melodies. His elaborate rubato introductions or mini “preludes” usually bore little resemblance to themelody, leaving audiences—not to mention his own sidemen—in great anticipation of what was to come. AhmadJamal described Garner as “an orchestra within himself.”3 This was always Garner’s intention. The big bands,especially Jimmie Lunceford, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Chick Webb, were his main influences, not pianists.As he told drummer/writer Art Taylor, “I want to make [the piano] sound like a big band if I can.”4 He not onlyreinvented the American Songbook, he expanded it with his own original compositions. ASCAP (the AmericanSociety of Composers, Authors and Publishers) ranked ”Misty” among the 15 most-performed songs of the 20thcentury and it is universally accepted as a classic. It is just one of over two hundred songs Garner composed duringhis lifetime—some of which have been included in this collection, Liberation in Swing, for the first time. As acomposer, he was open to all types of music while being firmly rooted in Black culture, recognizing the inherentdignity in the blues, gospel, and Afro-Latin music.

Garner’s manager and producer, Martha Glaser, devoted six decades of her life trying to get the world to payattention to his talent and creativity, to see him as a proud, dignified, and serious artist. She worked tirelessly tomove him from dank nightclubs to grand concert halls, to raise his artistic stature as well as his income, and tocreate opportunities for him to thrive as a composer. As a team, they went up against the largest recordingcompany at the time, Columbia Records, in what proved to be a landmark fight for equality, justice, fairness, andcreative integrity for all recording artists. They challenged the corporate use of record clubs to sell discountedproduct without properly compensating the artist, and in doing so, helped pave the way for other artists to havegreater control over their creative work, and foresaw the problems musicians currently face with streamingplatforms. Refusing to accept the exploitative practices of publishers and the record industry, Garner and Glaserformed Octave Music Publishing and Octave Records. Arguably, their decision to stand up to corporate power andstrike out on their own, allowing Garner to pursue his own musical vision, contributed to his erasure from the jazzcanon.

Together, the various elements in Liberation in Swing mark the zenith of Garner’s career and provide more than

ample proof of his preeminent place in music history. The Octave Records story is one that remains relevant today.It is the real story of Erroll Garner and Martha Glaser, and their quest for artistic freedom, a story of dreams anddisappointments, triumphs and tribulations, invention and imagination.

WHO IS ERROLL GARNER?

Erroll Louis Garner was born in Pittsburgh on June 15, 1921, arriving minutes after his twin brother Ernest, makinghim technically the youngest of six children. His parents, Louis Ernest Garner and Estella Darcus, brought up threeboys and three girls in a musically rich household. The senior Garner (he went by Ernest) migrated from NorthCarolina and worked as a chauffeur, janitor, steel worker, waiter, cook, owned his own businesses; played guitar,mandolin, saxophone and a little piano, but he was best known for his singing.5 Virginia-born Estella met Ernest inPittsburgh and they married on June 2, 1913. Erroll’s sisters studied piano and his eldest brother, Linton, became anestablished jazz pianist. His twin Ernest, who had an intellectual disability, was the only sibling who did not excelmusically. Erroll was exceptional. At age three he began playing piano on his own, using both hands and voicingchords. Linton recalled how he would imitate the piano rolls and amaze everyone.6

By age six or seven, he had become one of the most sought-after musicians in the neighborhood. Older kids woulddrag Erroll to various homes to play piano.7 At age ten he joined the Kan-D-Kids, a popular all-Black local children’smusic and dance group founded by Dorothy and Lee Matthews. They performed regularly on radio station KQV andon stage throughout Pittsburgh, making Erroll “Gumdrop” Garner a celebrity at the tender age of eleven.8

Erroll took a few lessons with the legendary Miss Madge Bowman, but once she realized that he could play justabout anything by ear in any key, she saw no need to continue.9 Let us pause here and ponder the question ofGarner’s musical “illiteracy,” an issue that has obsessed critics, journalists and jazz aficionados through his entirecareer. Of course, neither Art Tatum nor George Shearing could read since they were blind, but the press nevermade an issue of it. Garner’s inability—or, more accurately, his refusal—to read music deserves some commentarybefore we can fully understand his genius. Garner chose not to read because notated music was not useful to him.Playing by ear and memory were not liabilities since he grasped what mattered most—intervals, harmony, rhythm,melody, timbre, structure, and emotion. Garner learned the common language of music, which is usually conveyedorally and aurally. Musicians learned by listening—to live bands, to recordings, and to themselves. This is why thegreat composers/band leaders—Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington, and Thelonious Monk often withheld scores andmade their bands learn songs by ear.

Garner attended Westinghouse High School, whose alumni included piano giants such as Ahmad Jamal, BillyStrayhorn, and Mary Lou Williams. Carl McVicker, the school’s music director, gave Garner complete freedom toplay whenever he wanted, to the detriment of his academic studies. He eventually dropped out of school andgigged on the riverboats traveling along the Allegheny, appeared frequently with Leroy Brown’s Orchestra, andventured to New York City in 1939 as an accompanist for singer Ann Lewis. In fact, Garner made frequent trips toNew York during the 1940s, and not always to the city. In 1942, the draft board found him working at a small hotelin Glenn Falls, upstate New York.10 He was back in Pittsburgh in 1943, working regularly at the Music Bar in atwo-piano or piano-organ duo. Since he wasn’t always permitted to use a bass player or drummer, he adopted aguitar-like, left hand rhythm and stomped his foot to keep time to create his own rhythm section. He even worecleats on his shoes to get bigger sound, which caused an annoyed club owner to put a rug under his feet. “Betweenmy foot and my left hand I started making my own rhythm section...[T]hat’s really how the steady sound of my lefthand got started.”11

Throughout the fall and winter of 1943–44, Garner often accompanied a beautiful young singer from Ohio namedBetty St. Claire (née Betty Waddell), with whom he had a very public romance.12 They ventured to New York as acouple in the summer of 1944, but broke it off not long after they settled in. Garner struggled to find work but hadno intention of returning to Pittsburgh. Years later Garner disputed the myth that he “blew in from Pittsburgh andjust blew right onto [52nd] Street. It’s not true. Mine was a real roundabout approach.”13 Garner found work inHarlem—namely, at The Rendezvous on St. Nicholas Avenue, a small club owned by pianist Luckey Roberts, and atJimmy’s Chicken Shack a few doors down. He also gigged at the Melody Bar on Broadway and spent his nights off

taking in the vibrant musical scene on 52nd Street and sitting in when he could. John Levy hired him at Tondelayo’sin September 1944, to play intermission piano,14 but a few months later he joined bassist Slam Stewart’s trio at theThree Deuces. For a while he split his time between Tondelayo’s, the Three Deuces, and the Spotlite, where hefrequently accompanied Billy Daniels.15

Garner was also busy in the studio backing vocalist Inez Cavanaugh, Don Byas, Vic Dickenson, and Slam Stewart,and recording several trio sides as a leader for Atlantic, Savoy, and Mercury.16 In late ’44, Timme Rosenkrantz, aDanish aristocrat, jazz journalist, and producer, recorded Garner in his apartment, performing extendedimprovisations.17 These were Garner’s first recordings under his own name. Five years later when Garner’s star wason the rise, Rosenkrantz seized the moment and leased them for release.

In January of 1946, Garner moved to Los Angeles, initially working in Boyd Raeburn’s band and then as a memberof a trio led by bassist George “Red” Callender.18 Within months of his arrival he scored a hit with “Laura” on theSavoy label and won the Bronze Award from Esquire magazine’s annual jazz poll in the piano category.19 Garnerappeared as part of Norman Granz’s Jazz at the Philharmonic in October 1946, and made several impressiverecordings with Wardell Gray at Pasadena’s Civic Auditorium as part of Gene Norman’s Just Jazz Concert series. Heultimately replaced Callender as the putative bandleader, and the two of them, along with drummer Harold “Doc”West, became housemates and formed a trio.20 When saxophonist Charlie “Yardbird” Parker completed a six-monthstay at the Camarillo State Mental Hospital in January 1947, he joined Garner’s band. “I took care of Bird inCalifornia when he was sick,” Garner recalled. “We used to play together on Fifty-second Street...Playing with Birdwas an experience. Every night he would put something new in the tunes we played, like changing chords, playingdifferent progressions. You never felt that you had to play the same thing you had played the night before.”21 RossRussell recorded both the trio and the quartet with Parker for his Dial label in 1947.

Garner moved back to New York in July 1949, a bona fide star. Having debuted at the Paris Jazz Festival the previousyear, the twenty-eight-year-old pianist headlined at the Apollo Theater, won the coveted DownBeat poll for bestpianist, enjoyed rave reviews for both his performances and recordings, and was the subject of a fawning profile inNewsweek, describing him as “the man for whom the piano was invented.” “Mr. Piano” had arrived. The GaleAgency added Garner to their stable of talent, which included Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington,Johnny Hartman, Erskine Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, and Illinois Jacquet. The agency had tracked Garner’s careersince he left Pittsburgh, but in 1949 “we thought he had gained enough experience as a personality as well as apianist, we began to book him in those clubs throughout the country where we knew he would be appreciated.”22 J.T. Gale assigned a talented young woman from Detroit to work with him. Her name was Martha Glaser.23

WHO IS MARTHA GLASER?

She was born Martha Farkas on February 15, 1921, in Duquesne, Pennsylvania. Her parents, Samuel Farkas andPepi (Klein) Farkas, were working-class Jewish immigrants from Hungary. Sam arrived in 1911, at the age oftwenty-four, followed by his wife a year later.24 He was a steel worker for Carnegie and she kept house. Theirdaughter Bella was born in 1917, followed by Martha four years later. Sometime in the mid-1920s, the familymoved to Detroit to a predominantly immigrant neighborhood on the Westside. Sam worked for Kelvinator, thelargest refrigerator manufacturer in the city.25 Both girls excelled academically. Martha attended Southwestern HighSchool (Class of ’38) where she was valedictorian, secretary of the National Honor Society, and active in half adozen clubs, including the Girls Drama Club and the tennis team.26 She could have gone almost anywhere but shedecided to stay local and attend Wayne State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Government withminors in Economics, Sociology and History. She was still a student when she began working as a typist for theDetroit Youth Council; by the time she graduated, she had become the publicity director. She also ran publicity forthe Greater Detroit and Wayne County Industrial Union Council, fighting to maintain food subsidies for workingpeople and the unemployed.27

In the summer of 1942, just a couple of months after graduation, she married Morris Gleicher, a statistician withthe Michigan Employment Security Commission.28 Left-wing politics brought them together. Four years her senior,Gleicher earned a B.A. and master’s degree from the University of Michigan, where he participated in campaigns to

integrate Ann Arbor’s restaurants. He would go on to a distinguished career as a leader in Detroit’s progressivecommunity, heading the Michigan chapters of the ACLU and the American Jewish Congress.29 Their marriage wasshortlived, however.30 He left for the war front while Martha worked as a compliance officer for the War ManpowerCommission, where she focused on worker education and produced radio documentaries. In the aftermath of the1943 Detroit riot, she took a leadership role on the Entertainment Industry Emergency Committee to focus onimproving race relations.31 By 1945, she left for Chicago, alone, to become the first Jewish woman hired by theMayor’s Commission on Human Relations. She worked with the Institute for Democratic Education and WNEWradio station to produce anti-racist public service announcements.32 From her perch in the mayor’s office, sheworked closely with Ebony and Negro Digest to place stories about entertainers challenging racial prejudice. Onestory involved Frank Sinatra’s efforts to stop a “hate strike” by white students in Gary, Indiana, determined to maketheir high school exclusively white. Sinatra first spoke at a rally in November 1945, urging an end to the strike andgalvanizing progressives who formed the Gary Unity Council. When another strike was planned in March 1946,Sinatra returned to give a stirring speech appealing to students to “act as Americans,” effectively ending the strike.Martha tried unsuccessfully to persuade Sinatra to write a feature-length piece for Ebony about Gary and his fightagainst racism.33

In December of 1946, Martha moved to New York City to work for Norman Granz, the jazz impresario whose Jazz atthe Philharmonic (JATP) concert series was conceived as a blow against racial prejudice by insisting that audiencesattending their performances in concert halls be integrated. Granz did not tolerate segregation and refused to tourthe South—a decision which cost JATP at least $100,000 in lost revenue in 1947 alone.34 Martha, who had begunusing the more anglicized surname “Glaser,” was hired to organize Granz’s “jazz for justice” tours and serve aspublicist for their recording outfit, the Disc Company of America. She also supported interracial and interfaith fanclubs, sent letters condemning discrimination in the entertainment industry, and put Granz in direct contact withNAACP leaders, to whom he often turned for advice. Glaser even managed to turn a JATP concert at Carnegie Hallinto a fundraiser for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.35 Each task was a full-time job, but Marthahandled it all while elevating JATP’s profile as a leader in racial justice. Indeed, she was so successful that in April of1947 Granz took Martha on the road with him to promote JATP concerts—booking radio interviews, running ads inBlack and Jewish newspapers, connecting with local record stores, getting comp tickets in the hands of key people,among other things.36

Granz’s dedication to justice did not necessarily extend to his own employees or across gender lines. Much ofJATP’s daily operations fell on Glaser’s shoulders. As much as she loved her job, the disrespect and inadequate paybecame unbearable. She not only quit but sued JATP for failing to reimburse expenses and for the poor treatmentshe endured. In March of 1949, she won a $5,000 settlement from JATP, which covered her legal fees and left her anice chunk of money to strike out on her own.37

ERROLL IS ENTITLED TO THE CHERRY ON THE CAKE

Glaser first began working with Garner as a contract employee of the Gale Agency, handling publicity duties.38 Sheused her close ties to Ebony magazine to place a major four-page spread on Garner in its February 1950 issue. Thearticle declared Garner a “genius,” “the most talked about pianist in America today,” and “the ‘hottest’ artist in thebusiness.” Some of its hyperbolic claims betrayed Martha’s influence, particularly the characterization of Garner asa “musical rebel” whose completely original style “has nothing in common with that played by any master of jazzpiano.”39

In Martha, Erroll found his champion. Three months after the Ebony story, he hired Glaser as his personal manager.Gale continued to book most of his engagements, but now she was working full-time for Garner, promoting him inthe press and handling his business affairs.40 She helped arrange his first solo piano concert at Cleveland’s PublicMusic Hall in 1950, and organized the wildly successful “Piano Parade” tour featuring Garner, Art Tatum, Meade LuxLewis, and Pete Johnson that kicked off at Detroit’s Masonic Temple.41 Glaser also secured a limited six-monthcontract with Columbia in June 1950 to record for the label’s “Piano Moods” series and, despite disappointingsales, followed up with a two-year contract in December 1951.42

She quickly earned a reputation for being difficult, to put it mildly. In the words of critic John S. Wilson, “she hasflayed, bullied, harried and browbeaten night club managers and concert promoters up and down the land not onlyto get better terms for Garner but to provide him with the working conditions that she felt he deserved.”43 Shegenuinely believed Garner was, “the number one piano talent in the jazz field,” and predicted a bright futureahead, as long as he could settle down, focus, and make good personal decisions. One year into the job, sheconfessed, “I am concerned about your career, and about you, as I ever was—only now I try to dispatch my workwith a little less ‘mothering’ which seemed to bug you...Don’t mistake my detachment for neglect.”44 She was neverdetached. Managing Erroll Garner proved more difficult than she had anticipated, partly because of his personalbehavior but largely because he was a Black artist in a racist society, and she was a woman in an industrydominated by men.

Despite their different backgrounds, they shared an intractable hatred of racism. They established a strict bookingpolicy: no segregated venues. For this reason, he largely avoided the South for several years. When he did playbelow the Mason-Dixon line, Erroll consistently stood up to Jim Crow. In the early 1950s, he was booked at theWaluhaje, a popular Atlanta nightclub with an exclusively Black clientele. Knowing that he would draw a substantialnumber of white patrons, Garner recalled, “I made it a condition that the club would have to have what you callsalt and pepper.” By salt and pepper, he meant no separate section or even separate tables for whites. They wouldhave to sit together. The manager reluctantly agreed. Garner: “That first night, we had a whole bunch of police inhere. A whole bunch! Never saw so many police with nothin’ to do.”45

Most of Erroll’s battles were not so easily resolved. Indeed, a decade of fighting institutional bias could not fullyprepare Glaser for what they were about to face. She got a taste in September 1952, when Garner was arrested ina mass narcotics raid in Atlantic City and charged with failing to register as a drug addict. Garner was no addict andthe police found no drugs on him, but he had been arrested in the early 1940s for marijuana possession and served45 days on a work farm. No one had informed Garner of the law, which the city passed just three months earlier inresponse to the growing numbers of Black entertainers coming to Atlantic City. Garner was held on $2,500 bond,while his valet, Frank “Tons” Randolph, was charged with the more serious crime of selling. Bail for Randolph wasset at $25,000. Embarrassed and traumatized by the arrest, Garner cancelled several engagements and reportedlysuffered a nervous breakdown.46 A few months later, he was arrested in St. Louis on drug charges. Someone tippedthe police that Garner had smuggled a carload of narcotics into the state, but when the judge learned that thepolice had no search warrant, found no drugs, and that Garner had no car, he threw out the case.47

On the bandstand and in the recording studio, Garner was a consummate professional. In an era known fortemperamental and aloof jazz musicians, Erroll Garner consistently brought joy and boundless energy to all of hisperformances. But off the stand, his life was complicated and chaotic. For Glaser, the job of “personal manager”involved managing personal affairs that were not part of her job description. The archives are filled with her lettersimploring Garner to sign contracts, submit receipts, pay his debts, and simply respond to her letters and calls. Sheand his accountant would place him on a budget, but invariably unpaid nightclub tabs, phone bills, dry cleaningbills, hotel and travel expenses would pile up and Glaser was left to sort it out. Soon she was making doctorsappointments, handling his insurance policies, paying his rent, doling out cash, dealing with creditors, evenredecorating his New York apartment. Much of this was essentially care work or feminized labor, although Glasernever characterized it as such. But she did find some of it degrading, especially having to assume the duties ofinterior decorator. She complained to Garner that supervising carpenters, tile men, bathroom refinishers, andbuying carpets and lamps, kept her from doing her actual job: making him money. “[H]ow the hell did I get into allthis? please don’t dream up any more changes or special touches at your place—unless you intend to do ityourself.” She reminded him, “I’m a high-powered bitch on many things—if I have the time and ease to function.”48

Garner’s relationships with women and what Glaser regarded as shady characters sometimes proved to be afinancial liability. He constantly asked for extra money to pay for his various liaisons, and she begged him to bediscrete and often chastised him for depleting his funds and energy on “‘chicks’ and ‘nice people’ and ‘buddies.’”49

More than once she warned Garner, “If your personal cash spending both in or out of the hotel or club continues atthe present rate, you have no career future to look forward to.”50 She threatened to quit several times but neverfollowed through.51 Her threats did lead to some modifications in his behavior, but they also offer a rare glimpse

into what Martha wanted and what she sacrificed to build Erroll’s career. She wanted more time “to live a little,write a little, and get with a right guy, as well as some other work.” The “other work” was writing for television andfilm.52 Above all, she wanted respect and honesty. Since Erroll rarely responded to Martha in writing, the evidenceof how they navigated the early years of their relationship is one-sided. But Martha clearly felt hurt anddisrespected. “[Y]ou underrate my intelligence, as well as my feelings,” she once told him. “[Y]ou take advantage ofthe fact that you’re my employer and shut me off, like I’m a machine.”53 As Martha privately fought for Erroll’srespect, the two of them continued to struggle for respect from the music industry. In 1954, they secured a thirdrecording contract with Columbia after intense negotiations. But when he showed up at the office of Jim Conkling,president of Columbia Records, to sign the agreement, Conkling had left for the day, apparently forgetting theappointment. Deeply insulted, “Erroll promptly walked over to Mercury and signed with Irv Green resulting in thefamous Mercury recordings of 1954.”54 One of those “famous” recordings was Garner’s celebrated “Misty.” He alsorecorded the LP Mambo Moves Garner, adding the brilliant Cuban conguero, Cándido Camero, to his regulartrio—bassist Wyatt Ruther and drummer Eugene “Fats” Heard. It is the first glimpse of Garner’s penchant forAfro-Latin rumba rhythms backed by master percussionists.

Martha wanted to get out from under Mercury, so in April 1955 when it breached one item in the contract sheappealed to the American Federation of Musicians to give Garner permission to sign with another label. They alsoused the opportunity to launch a publishing company, Octave Music, with ambitions to possibly start a label oftheir own.55 The rest of the year proved to be a roller coaster ride for Garner. In May, his hometown paper, thePittsburgh Courier, named him top jazz artist of 1955.56 Glaser signed Garner with Associated Booking, thepowerhouse agency owned by Joe Glaser (no relation) and she managed to get him more TV appearances,including a coveted spot on Steve Allen’s The Tonight Show.57 But she also hit a wall with some club owners whothought Garner was overpriced (his trio typically earned about $3,000 a week at the time). The biggest blow wasbeing bumped from the “Festival of the Americas” concert at the Hollywood Bowl for Dave Brubeck, whose recentcover on Time magazine made him all the rage. Glaser confided to jazz critic Ralph Gleason, “Yes, I sure in hell ambitter—and for the first time, am really becoming moreso—Erroll is entitled to the cherry on the cake—he rates itin every way...Erroll was set for the Bowl, and then knocked out—well, let’s face it, he’s played his share ofbowls—toilets, that is.”58

Meanwhile, Garner assembled a new trio in August. Heard was replaced by Denzil Best, a brilliant yet understateddrummer who had worked with everyone, from Thelonious Monk to George Shearing, and Eddie Calhoun replacedRuther.59 Calhoun, a Chicago mainstay, had worked with Johnny Griffin, Junior Mance, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson,Horace Henderson, and most recently Ahmad Jamal. Jamal’s recommendation undoubtedly sealed the deal.60 Thenew trio worked a couple of weeks at Zardi’s in Hollywood and headed up to San Francisco in September for athree-week engagement at the Black Hawk.61 At the invitation of impresario Jimmy Lyons, Glaser squeezed in aMonday night concert on September 19, at the 700-seat Sunset Auditorium, a converted public school inCarmel-by-the-Sea, CA. When Glaser arrived backstage she noticed Will Thornbury, a serviceman and jazz fan,preparing to record the concert for the nearby Army base, Fort Ord. He planned to broadcast the recording to thebase for those who could not attend, but once the concert ended she seized the recording. She reportedly toldhim, “I’ll give you copies of every record Erroll ever made, but I can’t let you keep that tape.”62 She flew back toNew York and handed it over to George Avakian, Garner’s producer at Columbia. After significant remixing andtechnical intervention, Columbia released the eleven tracks as an LP titled Concert by the Sea. It was an immediatehit. Within the first year of its release, 225,000 copies had been sold, making it the best-selling jazz LP in history upto that point.63

Concert by the Sea brought Garner back into Columbia’s fold. On June 1, 1956, Garner signed a lucrative five-yearcontract guaranteeing a minimum of three LPs and six singles per year, and giving Garner the exclusive right toapprove all releases. Once the contract expired, all unreleased recordings approved by Garner were to be returnedto him.64 Anxious to get him back into the studio, Avakian arranged a record date for June 7. The conditions wereless than ideal. On May 17, 1956, Erroll and Martha were returning by taxi from a benefit dance at the HarlemYMCA when they were rear-ended by another cab. Glaser escaped injury but Garner suffered a concussion andspent nearly two weeks at Lenox Hill Hospital.65 He had not fully recovered when he went into the studio. To makematters worse, his regular sidemen were not available for the date, so Martha hired bassist Al Hall and drummer

Gordon “Specs” Powell. Even under these conditions, Garner managed to record nineteen tracks, all first takes!Some of these tracks appeared on the LP Most Happy Piano, but the majority Garner rejected.66 The June 7 dateproved to be Avakian’s last session with Columbia.

With Avakian’s departure, A&R man Mitch Miller took over Garner’s affairs. He seemed enthusiastic at first. Hewent to work on fulfilling Garner’s dream of recording with a symphony orchestra. Garner recruited arranger NatPierce to work with him, showing Pierce on the piano what he wanted to hear from the orchestra. “He didn’t wantthe orchestra to play eight bars and then he comes in for the next eight bars,” Pierce explained. “He played over thewhole arrangement, like it was a piano concerto.” Of course, everything was written out except for the piano part,which Garner improvised with the orchestra in real time. The musicians were so astounded that the entireorchestra gave him a standing ovation after the first song.67 The first session in September 1956 only yielded threetracks. He also returned to the studio with Hall and Powell a few days later to complete Most Happy Piano,recording only four usable tracks.

Meanwhile, Garner concentrated on stabilizing his band. Denzil Best left in the fall so he hired Kelly Martin. Atforty-two years old, Martin was seven years older than both Garner and Calhoun. The South Carolina native movedto Detroit as a teenager in 1931, becoming one of the most versatile drummers to come out of the Motor City. Hehad known Garner since 1945, and occasionally substituted for Shadow Wilson who was known to call in sick ordisappear when the Yankees were playing at home.68 So Kelly knew Garner’s style and proclivities, and he andCalhoun worked well together. They knew how to swing, how to adapt to sudden changes, and how to stay out ofGarner’s way. Calhoun and Martin would remain with Garner for the next twelve years.69

Nearly eight months passed before Miller arranged another studio session with the orchestra, and the resulting LP,Other Voices, wasn’t released until August 1957. To mark the debut of Other Voices, Garner performed some of thealbum’s arrangements with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra before an audience of 7,000 with Miller conducting.The performance and the LP were met with critical acclaim, further raising Garner’s profile as a serious musician.70

Indeed, 1957 is the year Garner became an international star. He won both the DownBeat Readers Poll and theInternational Critics Poll for best pianist, and concluded a successful European tour in Paris, where he was awardedthe coveted Grand Prix Du Disque at a ceremony presided over by renowned composer Darius Milhaud.71 Concertby the Sea, Other Voices, Most Happy Piano, and a new single of “Misty” were flying off record store shelves. Heopened 1958 commanding between $4,000 and $5,000 a week for performances.72 Then in May, the celebratedcultural impresario Sol Hurok, known for presenting the top tier performers in the worlds of classical music, ballet,and the like, sent shockwaves through the music industry by adding Garner to his stable of artists. Garner was thefirst jazz artist Hurok hired for his exclusive concert circuit.73

PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS AN ELF

“I feel like I got a lot of stuff on the surface, but I’m really like an iceberg...There’s a whole lot of stuff down therethat hasn’t seen daylight yet.”74 Garner was in an unusually reflective mood when he shared these thoughts withcritic Harvey Siders. He was referring to the well of musical ideas yet to be realized—his dreams of writing forballet, theater, the concert stage. He was also thinking about visual art. He had been an avid collector of paintingsand drawings since the early 1950s, spending his spare time exploring museums, local galleries, and art fairs fornew acquisitions or inspiration. He gravitated toward lesser-known contemporary modernists but he also acquiredsome original colored drawings by Toulouse-Lautrec.75

Those familiar with Garner “below the surface” knew he was a talented artist in his own right. Rosalyn Noisette, hispartner during the last years of his life, recalled, “He did a lot of sketches and oil paintings...He spent a lot of time[drawing and painting] and got the right equipment for his work. He had a big leather case to carry his supplies in.He had oils, charcoals, colored magic markers, even had something that you spray on top of the paintings andsketches so it doesn’t smear. He displayed his work in the house, but he never framed them.”76 Garner left a smalltreasure trove of his own paintings, drawings, doodles, and sketches. His influences varied, but his work shared

affinities with Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, and Norman Lewis. One of the many gifts of this boxed set is seeingGarner’s art displayed for the first time (discussed in a preceding essay by Cécile McLorin Salvant).

Ironically, as Garner moved into the spotlight, what the public was able to “see” on the surface became shrouded inmyth and stereotype. The press seized upon the image of Garner perched atop two Manhattan telephone books,smiling and grunting, the carefree idiot savant unable to read a note of music but turning staid concert halls intogigantic juke joints. An extensive profile by Dean Jennings for the May 17, 1958 edition of The Saturday EveningPost contributed mightily to cementing this image of Garner. Jennings depicts him as witless, absent-minded,oblivious to money, and a musically illiterate genius who “until recently thought Bach was a kind of beer.”77 Hequoted Harold Farberman, a percussionist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and jazz skeptic, who came awayfrom a Garner concert impressed by his use of “all the classical techniques—diminution, augmentation, wide keyranges, polytonality and rhythmic variation.” Rather than consider the value of his assessment, Jennings used it toset up his punch line. “When Farberman’s critique was read to him word for word, Garner’s big eyes rolled aroundlike dice in a cup. ‘Man, that’s too angular Saxon for me,’ he said with a typical Garner malapropism.”78 Anyonefamiliar with African American culture would have immediately recognized Garner’s “signifying,” his playfulput-down of the language and pretensions of cultural elites. Jennings could not see this because, like mostmainstream journalists, he infantilized Garner. Indeed, the sharp contrast between Jennings’ piece and Ebonymagazine’s profile on Garner published just two months earlier is instructive. A magazine with a predominantlyBlack readership, Ebony also acknowledged his inability to read music but emphasized Garner’s genius as acomposer, “a poet of the piano” with ambitions to write for film, television, and the ballet.79

The timing is very important. The Saturday Evening Post piece ran just as Garner had reached the pinnacle of hisfame, the same month he signed with Sol Hurok, the same moment when jazz had split into several radicallydifferent directions at once. In the world of piano, artists as diverse as Earl Hines, Lennie Tristano, Oscar Peterson,Count Basie, George Shearing, Cecil Taylor, Horace Silver, Herbie Nichols, Dave Brubeck, and Thelonious Monkoccupied the same universe. And yet it was Garner who had the best-selling LP and Garner who won the DownBeatReaders Poll, beating out Thelonious Monk and Oscar Peterson, respectively.80 And yet, while Garner continued togrow as an artist and a box office sensation, he would never again enjoy this much recognition and respect in thejazz world—at least not in his lifetime. Arguably, the period from 1958–1960 marks both the beginnings of hishypervisibility as a musical icon and his slow marginalization from the world of jazz, curated and defended by itscritics.

Why?

First, Erroll Garner was never part of a movement or “generation” in jazz. He came on the scene during bebop’sinfancy, but he was no bopper. He swung like a big band, but he did not lead one—in other words, he was no Basieor Duke. He did not come out of the mold of the stride pianists, and his distinctive left hand and choice ofrepertoire distinguished him from the hard bop pianists such as Horace Silver, Sonny Clark, Wynton Kelly, and thelike. And although his harmonies were advanced and he never shied away from dissonance, he was nevercompared with Thelonious Monk, Randy Weston, or Herbie Nichols. Erroll Garner simply defied category, but hedid so by playing conventional repertoire, beautiful melodies that connected with audiences. Tellingly, the pianistperhaps most comparable to Garner is fellow Pittsburgh native Ahmad Jamal, who spent virtually his entire careerleading a piano trio with an added percussionist, playing standards and original compositions. Miles Davis’adoration of Jamal’s playing may have boosted his reputation, but he wasn’t winning a lot of polls. Yet, no onequestions Jamal’s brilliance as a pianist. He was considered a serious musician in ways that Erroll was not, thanks inpart to the caricature of Garner as the smiling little guy on a phone book.

Second, both Glaser and Garner believed that his very success in the mainstream world of pop and concert musicproved to be a double-edged sword. In November 1957, after reading Bob Sylvester’s glowing assessment of him inthe New York Daily News, Garner shot off a telegram: “I am so glad you still dig my music after all these years, eventhough I’m eating regularly, (which makes me too “commercial” for some people) you’ve been in my corner for along time.”81 Glaser long suspected that “the critics went silent on EG” precisely because he was “the first” toappear in non-jazz concert venues and “he wasn’t a public freak who made good copy.”82 Some critics grumbled

that she pushed Garner into the concert hall in order to make him respectable and increase his earnings. To be fair,Hurok was not universally loved in the jazz world, especially after he was caught on British television describingmodern jazz as “the curse of humanity” and a cause of immorality. Saxophonist Julian “Cannonball” Adderley tookHurok’s words as an insult to musicians as well as the “millions of orderly, intelligent, serious jazz listeners...Itproves that Hurok considers Erroll Garner some sort of circus performer and not a serious musician.” Adderleyimplied that Hurok was both an elitist and a racist who, despite sponsoring hundreds of concert tours, “has nevershown any tendencies towards integration.”83

Garner would eventually leave Hurok’s roster, but Martha never apologized for trying to raise his income andimprove his working conditions. What irked her was the accusation that Erroll had abandoned the authentic jazzscene (i.e., the nightclub) for the staid company of blue bloods. Instead, she fought to liberate Garner from “thejazz jungle and plantation conditions,” where club owners, promoters, producers, and record company executivestreated Black musicians “like sharecroppers.”84 And when Erroll and Martha decided to leave the plantation, that’swhen the trouble began.

THE LIBERATION OF ERROLL GARNER

Garner had been in the grave only four years when, in 1981, John Hammond, longtime producer and talent scoutfor Columbia Records, decided to pick a fight with Glaser over their decision to leave the label in 1960. He blamedtheir greed and Glaser’s “nit-picking” for eroding their relationship with Columbia and leaving her “with few friendsin the company.”85 She shot back, reminding Hammond that they were not after money but control of the quality ofGarner’s artistic output, and for that he paid a huge price.86 In an unsent draft of her response, she laid out withlaser-like clarity what was really at stake behind Hammond’s accusations and Columbia’s handling of Garner. “Weoften have wondered how your legal and executive staff would treat a comparable artist today, under similarcircumstances! That Mr. Garner, a Black – jazz – artist – with a female manager – in those pre-consciousness raiseddays—both in the fields of race and sex—had the audacity to go up against a major corporation to defend hisartistic rights—apparently didn’t sit well with the corporate heads... [T]hey made it clear he had to be broken andpunished.”87

Garner’s troubles with Columbia had begun early into the much touted five-year contract signed in 1956. After ayear, Columbia had only issued two LPs and a couple of singles, falling short of its obligatory three LPs and sixsingles a year. When Garner complained, Mitch Miller apologized profusely, promising more sessions and moreoutput, and then had Garner sign a waiver relieving Columbia of its contractual obligations for 1956–57. The nextyear the same thing happened. Garner’s trio only did two sessions in 1958 for a 2-LP set, Paris Impressions. Glaserfurther accused Miller of undercutting Garner by selling his LPs through the Columbia Record Club, “putting Garnereven at the retail album level in unfair competition with himself ” by denying him access to the singles market. Inother words, club members who could buy discounted LPs had no reason to buy singles, which had long beenGarner’s bread and butter.88 Negotiations went nowhere. Exasperated, Miller allegedly told Martha and Erroll “toget lost and ‘do whatever you have to do.’”89 Garner was no longer a priority now that Miller’s own fortunes wererising with the success of his Sing Along with Mitch LPs. Erroll and Martha took their case to the AmericanFederation of Musicians union, charging Columbia with breach of contract and asking for release, which the uniongranted in February of 1959.90 The company quickly realized it had miscalculated. Despite Columbia’s meageroutput, Garner’s star continued to rise. His 1958–59 concert tour with Hurok further elevated his profile, leading afew classical critics to declare Garner a “genius.”91 One of those concerts, organized and promoted by George Wein,took place at Boston’s Symphony Hall on January 17, 1959. (A recording of the full concert is included as part of thiscollection and discussed in an essay following by Terri Lyne Carrington.) The sold-out concert reportedly grossed$11,200 and was hailed “the single biggest jazz presentation in Boston history.”92 Garner’s trio was a hotcommodity in 1959, appearing before capacity audiences across the country, including the Opera House in St.Louis, Cleveland’s Music Hall, Newport Jazz Festival, and a triumphant sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall.93

Whether it was pressure from above or Miller’s own mea culpa, he came back to Garner, hat-in-hand, begging himto return to the studio in June 1959. Garner refused. Columbia retaliated by announcing the release of The One andOnly Erroll Garner in June of 1960. They assembled the LP from unissued tracks from Garner’s sessions in 1953 and

1956. Garner and Glaser promptly slapped Columbia with a $100,000 lawsuit and a cease and desist order, arguingthat the release of any unauthorized recordings was in violation of their contract. In July 1960, the court orderedColumbia to stop “selling, advertising, merchandising and distributing” unauthorized music. But when the labelappealed the ruling, Garner was asked to post a $40,000 bond, ostensibly to cover losses if the court ruled in favorof Columbia. Columbia could have used Garner’s unpaid royalties as collateral, but their attorneys weredeliberately trying to break him financially and force him back to the bargaining table. Given only 48 hours to postthe bond, Garner managed to raise the money in donations from friends and fans.94

In September, Columbia persuaded New York’s Appellate Court to overturn the injunction and permit the sale ofThe One and Only Erroll Garner. If that victory wasn’t enough, the label then sued Garner for $600,000 for breachof contract, claiming that he refused to record while under contract. Martha blamed their own attorney’sineptitude and an industry-friendly judge for the outcome. Columbia attorney Harvey Schein told the press thatthey simply “want to kiss and make up” and get Garner back into the studio, to which Garner quipped, “It’s funny,but Columbia is finding more money to ruin me than they ever found to advertise my albums which incidentallywere among the company’s top sellers for a couple of years.”95

Columbia responded to the decision by issuing a second unauthorized LP titled Swinging Solos, comprised ofrejected takes from a 1957 solo piano session. Garner sent a sharply-worded telegram to Columbia, addressed toJohn Hammond, whom he held responsible for the record. “As a matter of ethics, I am amazed that the releasetook place precisely at the time when my manager was meeting with John Hammond of your company at hisrequest and while Mr. Hammond was assuring her that the album would not be released. You feel that you cansandbag me because I’m a Negro artist?”96 Columbia answered the question by issuing a third unauthorized disctitled The Provocative Erroll Garner in February 1961.97

The battle with Columbia was widely publicized, especially in the African American press. Garner was portrayed asDavid striking a blow against Goliath, but in this story the giant was winning. Musicians, fans, even critics ralliedbehind Garner because they understood what was at stake. As Garner put it, “not only my rights are at issue in thiscase, but the rights of my fellow members of the record and music industry are involved, and it became deeplyurgent to sustain the injunction. I truly hope that the future for all recording artists might hold greater security forcreative property as a result of this action.”98 He appealed directly to the broader jazz community “to spare thepublic from hearing or buying second rate material—at top prices” and protect them “from falling a victim to theindiscriminate releases of de-personalized recording empires.”99 The appeal largely succeeded—top DJs refused toplay the unauthorized records and critics refused to review them. And Martha and Erroll refused to roll over. Theyhired a new lawyer, Jacob Imberman, and sued Columbia again, demanding an injunction against The ProvocativeErroll Garner, a return of the masters in accordance with the terms of the contract, and damages in the amount ofone million dollars.100 The pressure eventually brought Columbia to the bargaining table. On July 25, 1962, the casewas finally settled out of court, with Columbia agreeing to pay Garner $265,297.55, return the masters as well asthe ownership rights of all unreleased recordings made after June 1, 1956, and destroy all copies of Swinging Solos,The One and Only Erroll Garner, and The Provocative Erroll Garner in its possession.101

The case against Columbia was hailed as a victory for recording artists everywhere. And while the battle costGarner three years without releasing any new music, it also freed him and Martha to fulfill their dream of launchingtheir own label.

THE BIRTH OF OCTAVE

The founding of Octave Records in October of 1960 was historic.102 Black-musician-owned labels were rare,especially in the jazz world. Harry Pace was first, founding Black Swan Records in 1921. Charles Mingus, CeliaMingus, and Max Roach launched Debut Records in 1952, but it lasted only five years.103 Martha had no illusions asto the challenges that lay ahead. They had no distributor, no money, and an erstwhile competitor out to destroythem. The concert circuit did not generate enough revenue to pay all of his bills and legal fees, let alone capitalize arecord label. And she worried that Columbia’s last two unauthorized albums hurt Garner’s sales and his reputation.

“We have to really SELL him. That takes time, promotion, money, manpower—and I am short on all counts... Ourbookings badly hit by lack of albums, and bad ones.”104

However, Garner did have enough music in the can for a very strong LP. During the standoff with Columbia, Marthabooked a studio for three days, December 17–19, 1959, and gave the trio as much time as they wanted to makesome music. The recording dates produced thirty-one tracks, of which ten were originally released on the albumDreamstreet. Among the original compositions from the sessions are the title track, as well as “Mambo Gotham”and “By Chance,” included on the remastered edition in this collection. He also included a gorgeous medley oftunes from the Broadway musical and motion picture Oklahoma. Garner was no stranger to medleys; Porgy andBess was a favorite medley reservoir, and his Symphony Hall concert in Boston earlier that year included a lovelytribute to My Fair Lady. But it never occurred to him to do it for an LP. From her perch in the control booth, Marthaurged him to record “your Oklahoma medley...Boy that would make a crazy back-to-back scene.” Erroll wasreluctant at first, but Martha reminded him that this was his session and he was boss. “You can do anything youwant on your own album. You can be as unconventional as possible. We don’t have to follow any format everestablished!”105 Their exchange is illuminating. Freed from the plantation, Garner could do his own thing.

Once Octave signed a distribution deal with ABC-Paramount, it released Dreamstreet in May of 1961. Octave’s firstLP received rave reviews, was nominated for a GRAMMY®, and sold briskly—65,000 copies in the first fourweeks.106

The trio spent much of 1961 on the road, but Martha got them back into the studio in July and August, where theyrecorded over sixty tracks. Ten cuts were selected for the LP Closeup in Swing, released that December. An eleventhsong, the Garner original, “Octave 103,” is included on the remastered edition in this collection. With two LPs incirculation, and a much needed infusion of cash from the Columbia settlement, 1962 proved to be a very good year.Although Garner did not return to the studio that year, the trio was recorded live, once at Purdue University andagain at the Seattle World’s Fair Playhouse. The Seattle performances took place over five days, August 20 to 25,yielding nearly eight hours of music. Martha and Erroll selected nine tracks for the LP One World Concert, whichFrank Sinatra’s Reprise label issued the following year through an arrangement with Octave Records. Erroll’s firstlive LP since Concert by the Sea served as a counterpoint to the Hurok-inspired press accounts that portrayed himas a kind of unschooled Black Debussy. No matter the stage or the price of the tickets, Erroll came to swing. Thecrowd responded enthusiastically to his unique interpretations of standards, such as “The Way You Look Tonight”and “Sweet and Lovely,” as well as his own compositions, especially his beloved “Misty.” His rendition of “OtherVoices,” not included on the original LP, is pure melody, uncluttered by strings but enfolded by the prettiestarpeggios and Garner’s solfeggio moans. Garner’s “Movin’ Blues,” according to Glaser’s liner notes, was “a Garneropus composed on-the-spot [that] introduces new riffs, using a ‘freight train’ left hand attack.”

GARNER AND GLASER GO TO THE MOVIES

Erroll dreamed of writing for the big screen, and so did Martha. In 1948 she tried to get an agent interested in herscreenplay, “It Happened on Wax,” but didn’t get very far.107 She had also been trying to get Erroll a film composingdeal ever since they started working together. She couldn’t understand Hollywood’s reluctance since “none of thejazz cats write prettier than Erroll.”108 The dream finally came to fruition in 1963, when composer/arranger LeithStevens approached Garner to collaborate on a score for a romantic comedy called A New Kind of Love, starringPaul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Newman plays Steve Sherman, an inveterate bachelor, womanizer, andfailing journalist. Woodward plays Samantha or “Sam” Blake, a fashion designer who makes knock-offs of high-endclothes for a department store. A bad relationship swore her off men and, presumably, explains both her blindingambition and her disheveled appearance. They bump into each other on their way to Paris. He’s intolerable, she’sdisinterested, but they inexplicably fall for each other. She pretends to be a consort for the European elite—whichinterests him enough to make her the subject of a series of stories that gets his career back on track. When thetruth comes out, he becomes both hostile and more attracted. As they try to outsmart each other, they fall in loveand presumably live happily ever after.

It is unclear what Erroll or Martha thought about the film, but they must have noticed the striking similaritiesbetween the character Sam and Martha—smart, ambitious, tough, and fiercely dedicated to her work. But this wastheir only opportunity, and Stevens was respected in Hollywood. He had a successful career as a pianist andarranger, and had scored dozens of movies, including The War of the Worlds, The Wild One, Hell to Eternity, andThe James Dean Story.109 He and Erroll hit it off immediately. Stevens appreciated his ability to think about music“in terms of character, color, texture, line and mood,” which he considered “a prime requisite for proper andeffective film writing.”110

Erroll went to work on the music at Nola Studios in Manhattan and came up with the film’s four main songs.“Steve’s Song,” with its Western, wagon-wheel rhythm and bluesy melody capturing the character’s cool, cocksurepersonality. The theme “All Yours” moves between bossa nova and swing, presumably to reflect Sam’s whimsy. Theslow, breathless “Fashion Interlude” conveys a certain innocence, whereas “The Tease” turns the exact samemelody into a racy, up-tempo stride. Written as contending themes, both versions appear over a split screen withan haute couture fashion show on one side and a striptease on the other, drawing parallels across the class divide.“Paris Mist” is the exception; Garner had written it two years earlier, but it worked well for the score.111

As he had done with Nat Pierce on the Other Voices sessions, Garner played the themes on piano, Stevens wrotethe arrangements with Garner’s input, and Nathan Van Cleave did the orchestrations. They then recorded themusic over three sessions in April and sent dubs to Erroll and Martha to approve. Stevens was especially pleasedwith the outcome, writing Martha, “From my position, I could not ask for better material to work with.”112 ForStevens, it was a new kind of working relationship. “Although I have done many musicals, I have never been askedto score this kind of film using material written by another composer.” And Garner had never been asked to supplynew music for a recording session in which he did not play. While Garner’s piano is absent from the film, his musicwas heard throughout, and was eventually nominated for an Academy Award for Best Score—Adaptation orTreatment.113

Garner made his own recording of the score with a 35-piece orchestra, which Reprise released in November 1963as A New Kind of Love. Glaser and Stevens assembled a stellar group of musicians that included guitarist BarneyKessel and bassist Keith “Red” Mitchell. Judging from the LP’s positive reviews, Glaser expected more film jobs. Shesaid as much in her liner notes, writing that the LP “projects Garner’s auspicious debut in the film medium andpoints the way to further use of his melodic fund of talent in films, television, and in the theater.” Eight years wouldpass before he was involved in another film project. In the meantime, if the movies didn’t come to Garner, hewould go to the movies.

In between a busy touring schedule in 1964, Martha and Erroll talked about returning to the studio to cut a newtrio album of short tracks. She suggested a movie theme album, but Garner dismissed the idea straight away. Shethen asked, “Is there anything about movies that suggests an album to you?” Garner thought about it andproposed paying tribute to “the people in the old films and the songs I remember with them?”114 He was looking tocapture a bygone era, the days of the silent pictures and the depression-era films of his youth. As he explained toMartha, a song like “Million Dollar Baby” brought to mind the Depression. “Well, that’s the kind of thing youdreamed about when you didn’t have any money. Finding a million dollar baby in a five-and-ten-cent store!”115

In the course of four sessions—June 24–25, and August 5–6, 1964—the trio recorded more than twenty-five usabletracks. Twelve of those tracks were included on the original LP, Now Playing: A Night at the Movies, and aspromised they all were between two and four minutes—the shortest being the mischievous, eight-second“Newsreel Tag (Paramount on Parade).” The repertoire was eclectic, from an Al Jolson hit to cinema classics such as“As Time Goes By” and “Stella by Starlight,” and overall both Erroll and Martha were quite pleased with the results.However, its release was held up for a year while Glaser negotiated a new distribution deal with MGM, a majorconglomerate with direct ties to film and television production. MGM agreed to release two or three LPs per yearplus singles, and possibly secure film scoring jobs for him through its subsidiary, Big Three Music Company.116

The critics loved A Night at the Movies. Billboard said it contained “some of the best Garner performances to date,always surprising, always brilliant.” The critic for the Chicago Sun-Times called it “a melodious Marx Brothers, and

as much fun.” Time found Garner’s “timeless, full-bodied theatrical style is just right for the cinematic anthology.”Amy Lee of the Christian Science Monitor was even more effusive: “Garner plays the piano as no one else playsit...The lightning-quick response to every nuance which his inner ear catches makes his playing a constant round offresh, exciting discovery.” Of course, even some of his champions slipped back to tired stereotypes. HiFi/StereoReview described Garner as “a musical primitive, but a primitive of rare perception” possessing a “pixie-ishrhythmic sense.”117

I JUST WANT TO SPREAD

The much touted MGM deal, as it turned out, yielded very few recordings and the promised movie deals nevermaterialized. Garner spent only one day in the studio in 1965, recording seven trio tracks that remained in the vaultfor eleven years, and just two days in 1966. Glaser filled the hole by assembling an LP drawn from his PurdueUniversity concert in 1962, along with two unissued tracks from the Seattle World’s Fair Playhouse concerts, andreleased it as Campus Concert in 1966. Given Garner’s grueling tour schedule, finding time to record was daunting.He rarely left the road, playing concert halls, colleges, upscale hotels, occasional nightclub gigs, plus a two-monthjaunt through Europe in the spring of 1966.118 Yet, as much as he enjoyed the travel and the adulation from his fans,it was becoming a bit of a grind. Garner had been with Eddie Calhoun and Kelly Martin for a decade. No matterhow many tunes they played and how differently, a certain staleness was inevitable. In a 1967 interview, Garnerrepeated his long-standing desire to compose for the stage and screen. “I hope to do a ballet someday,” he mused.“And I don’t mean a ballet like West Side Story. I’m talking about a real legit ballet like Swan Lake.” He wanted to dosomething different, take his music in new directions. “Man, I just want to spread.”119

Garner became increasingly restless as his status in the jazz world began to slip, exacerbated in part by theescalating war between traditionalists and the avant-garde. The “New Thing” or free jazz had become a majorsource of contention—for some, the future of jazz, for others, its death knell. Garner himself had no strong opinioneither way. He was open to experimentation, telling one critic he dug some avant-garde musicians, and others he“didn’t quite get with yet.” But he withheld judgment since he felt it was important to hear the music live andengage the artists directly in order to “learn a little more about what they’re trying to do or what they’re aimingfor.”120 He embraced freedom in jazz, but warned that freedom without discipline and organization is a dead end.“[T]he freedom has got to come together. That’s what’s going to make the world in the future—freedom andcoming together. People can’t be free and going off in opposite directions or else there won’t be any foundation.”121

No matter what Garner actually thought, he became a favorite whipping boy of “serious” critics who believed theyhad to keep jazz pure. Garner was too popular, too commercial, too happy, too fawning, too attached to the oldstandards to be taken seriously as a jazz artist. Even the more tradition-oriented critics had begun to write offGarner as a pop artist unworthy of serious attention. When a writer questioned Toronto Globe and Mail criticPatrick Scott about his antipathy toward Garner, he replied: “I do not know of any jazz pianist named Erroll Garner,”but he confessed to knowing “a non-jazz non-pianist” by that name whose playing “is past the point of beingludicrous.”122 Scott’s hostility was over the top.

Most new critics treated Garner with bemused indifference or as a venerable relic from a bygone era. Writing in1967, Dan Morgenstern offered a depressing yet reasonable explanation for the critical silence and hostility towardGarner. “Partly, it’s the old claptrap: can a musician become a star attraction and remain a creative artist, andvariants of this jive question; and partly, it’s the ease with which Garner makes music, and the joy he takes in hiswork—there just isn’t enough Sturm und Drang to satisfy those who insist that an artist must suffer to be great.”123

Whether or not Garner paid attention to the press, his studio dates in 1966 indicated a new direction.

That’s My Kick was recorded over two sessions, one in April and the other in November. For the first session,bassist Milt Hinton and veteran swing drummer George Jenkins replaced Calhoun and Martin, and they added ArtRyerson on guitar—a well-known studio musician whose credits include the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, SarahVaughan, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong. Glaser wanted José Mangual on percussion but, as he

was unavailable, she hired Johnny Pacheco on congas. They recorded three Garner originals, “That’s My Kick”based on the changes to Cole Porter’s “I Get a Kick Out of You,” the bossa nova-inspired “Afinidad,” and “SheWalked On,” which is included on the remastered edition of the album in this collection. Garner’s spectacular stridepiano introduction to “That’s My Kick” sounds like a reply to the critics who wrote him off. Octave/MGM released“That’s My Kick” and “Afinidad” as a single that summer to much acclaim.124 The band returned to the studio inNovember to finish the LP, but this time Mangual was available for the date, Herbie Lovelle replaced Jenkins ondrums, and guitarist Wally Richardson replaced Ryerson. Garner and Glaser were clearly going for a more R&B feel.Lovelle had a solid jazz background, but he was better known for his work with Little Jimmy Scott, King Pleasure,Big Maybelle, The Du Droppers, and Solomon Burke. Richardson had worked with everyone from Shirley Scott toB.B. King to James Brown. Unlike Garner’s other albums, over half of the cuts were his original compositions.“Gaslight” and “Passing Through” were old tunes of his, whereas the gospel-style “Like It Is” and “Nervous Waltz”were new.

Garner opened 1967 with renewed energy and a new rhythm section. His bass player, Charles “Ike” Isaacs, wasborn in Akron in 1923 but grew up in Cleveland. He had been on the scene almost as long as Erroll, having workedwith Tiny Grimes, Earl Bostic, Bennie Green, Ray Bryant, Count Basie, and Carmen McRae. Twenty-nine-year-oldJimmie Smith, the youngest member of the band, took over on drums. A native of Newark, Smith spent two yearsat Juilliard before working around New York with saxophonist Jimmy Forrest, the vocal group Lambert, Hendricks &Ross, and a number of organ trios led by Larry Young, Jimmy McGriff, and Richard “Groove” Holmes. Mangual alsobecame a permanent member of Garner’s group. They had known each other since the 1940s, back when Garnerused to sit in with Machito’s band. The Puerto Rican Mangual had an impressive resume, having worked with StanKenton, Chano Pozo, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Artie Shaw, and Sarah Vaughan.125

For better or worse, Garner’s schedule didn’t change between 1967 and 1968. He returned to Carnegie Hall withhis quintet, performed with the Cincinnati, Milwaukee, and Baltimore symphony orchestras, and in the course oftwo years made no less than three European tours. The problem of finding studio time continued to dog him.Martha arranged for a two-day recording session in Chicago on November 27 and 28, 1967. The quartet recordedenough material for two LPs, with at least seven of the tracks remaining unissued until the release of Ready TakeOne in 2016. Ten tracks were selected for Up In Erroll’s Room, including a boogaloo-style version of HerbieHancock’s “Watermelon Man,” Dizzy Gillespie’s bebop classic, “Groovin’ High,” and the gospel-inspired title track, aGarner original. The recordings were already exceptional, but then Erroll and Martha decided to make them hipper.They asked Don Sebesky to write horn arrangements to be recorded and dubbed on to the tapes. They assembled astellar group of musicians, including Pepper Adams on baritone sax, Jimmy Cleveland on trombone, Don Butterfieldon tuba, and Jerome Richardson on various woodwinds. The horn parts were recorded on February 15, 1968, andthen added to five of the original ten tracks. (“True Blues,” the eleventh track and another Garner original from thesame session, is included on the remastered edition in this collection.)

When Up In Erroll’s Room was released during the long, hot summer of 1968, it took the jazz world by surprise.New Garner LPs had become rare occurrences, and five years had passed since he recorded with a band larger thana trio. The album was met with great fanfare, in part because of the horns. “Watermelon Man,” in particular, drewa lot of attention, becoming a minor crossover hit. Up In Erroll’s Room got a GRAMMY® nomination for BestInstrumental Jazz Performance—Large Group or Soloist with Large Group, and it made Billboard ’s top ten on itsBest-Selling Jazz LPs list. Garner shared company with Eddie Harris, who had the number one LP with TheElectrifying Eddie Harris, and Mongo Santamaria’s Soul Bag—albums that fused jazz, Latin, and R&B. In many ways,Up In Erroll’s Room positioned Garner on the cutting edge.126

FEELING IS BELIEVING

Erroll had a habit of traveling with a small transistor radio. He didn’t always have time to collect the latest recordsso the radio became a source of ideas and his entrée into popular music.127 His many high school and collegeperformances put him in direct contact with young people who, regardless of age or era, seemed to dig his music.

In turn, he dug their music, more so as time went on. By 1969, he had added several contemporary pop tunes to hisregular repertoire, some of which ended up on his next LP, Feeling Is Believing. Recorded over three sessionsbetween August and December, this album was his most adventurous to date. He alternated drummers, usingCharlie Persip on some tracks, Joe Cocuzzo on others, and Mangual on all. George Duvivier plays bass on all but onetrack, Garner’s “You Turn Me Around,” on which he was joined by electric bassist Jerry Jemmott and guitarist WallyRichardson. What makes Feeling Is Believing so striking is the repertoire. With five of the ten original tracks Garnercompositions, it is crystal clear that his desire to compose had not dampened with age. On the contrary, “YouTurned Me Around,” “Mood Island,” the flamenco-tinged “Paisley Eyes,” his two lovely ballads, “The Loving Touch,”and “Feeling is Believing,” not to mention the previously unreleased “Not So Fast,” all display Garner’s distinct voiceand facility for writing beautifully balanced and captivating melodies. The remaining songs are uniquelyGarneresque covers of pop hits—“Yesterday” by the Beatles; “The Look of Love” by Hal David and Burt Bacharach;Blood, Sweat & Tears’ “Spinning Wheel”; and “For Once in My Life,” an unexceptional Motown ballad which StevieWonder had invigorated and turned into a dancefloor sensation. They’re more than covers. Garner re-composesthese songs, transforms them into his own idiom, and swings. He said that in making the record, “I wanted toexperiment and play a little way out. But if you play way out, I bring you back when I come back. I mix rock withR&B, but it comes out as my own swinging beat rather than going someone else’s other way.”128

Glaser knew they had a hit on their hands. Dissatisfied with MGM, she negotiated a new distribution deal with hisold label, Mercury, which released Feeling Is Believing in December of 1970. Irwin H. Steinberg, Mercury’spresident, was happy to have Garner back and was especially enthusiastic about the new LP, which he thoughtcould break into the youth market. It earned Garner a third GRAMMY® nomination, this one for Best JazzPerformance—Small Group or Soloist with Small Group, and was selected Best Jazz Piano Album of 1970 by Jazzand Pop Magazine.129 But Glaser clearly sensed something else about how this album, and Garner himself,connected with the world. The name Feeling Is Believing was probably her idea since, by her own admission, shetitled most of his work.130 In her liner notes, she links the phrase directly to “encounter” and “sensory awakening”techniques developed during the 1960s by psychologists at the Esalen Institute in California and popularized byWilliam Schutz’s best-selling book, Joy: Expanding Human Awareness (1967). Schutz argues that the body betterexpresses feelings than words. Encounter techniques were designed to help release suppressed feelings,uncluttered by rationalizations, and achieve a higher state of awareness. Greater self-awareness would unlockhuman potential to create better selves and a better world.131 As Martha wrote, “Garner’s performances are totallyimprovised and express the inner-man. In an era of self-conscious attempts to communicate more fully byencounter methods, touch, vibrations, Garner always has expressed himself fully, naturally, and withoutinhibitions.”

In other words, Garner’s feelings were embodied and expressed directly through his music, animated by touch,vibrations, bodily exhalations in the form of moans and grunts. He was keenly aware of the world around him—aworld wracked by war, violence, poverty, and racism. The King and Kennedy assassinations were fresh in everyone’smind, as well as the wave of rebellions that followed during the summer of 1968. Just two days after the finalrecording session for Feeling Is Believing, Chicago police officers assassinated Black Panthers Fred Hampton— whilehe slept—and Mark Clark. But Garner also saw possibility. He sensed that the country and the world wereundergoing profound changes, and that young people could bring about a new era of freedom. He told drummerArt Taylor that the only way to address all of the “strife going on in America” is to “take time and listen to thosekids. I don’t care what it is—give them what they want!” And yet, almost in the same breath he dismissed the ideathat music could or should be used to express this strife. “I don’t think there’s any way in the world you’re going toexpress politics through music... You don’t want to get on the bandstand and play morbid.”132

Garner never played morbid. Feeling Is Believing is the very opposite of morbid; it is an expression of joy. Criticsand fans heard joy in Garner’s music and presumed he was always happy, Mr. “Happy Piano” without a care orconcern in the world. But joy and happiness are not the same thing. And perhaps this was Martha’s point all along.He expressed all of his feelings through his instrument—pain, anger, anguish, sadness, ecstasy, curiosity, longing,confusion—and transformed them into joy, or better yet, a joyful noise. He didn’t need encounter methods to be intouch with that part of himself because he came from a cultural tradition where people deal with catastrophe, loss,even death through joy—the shout, the blues, the holy ghost. “Getting happy,” in the Black sacred tradition, is not

about being happy but about being touched by God and coming to terms with God’s will, no matter how tragic.Creating joy was Garner’s political intervention, his way of changing the world.

KEEP PLAYING AND...MOVE WITH THE TIMES133

In 1970, Erroll saw more of the world than he had ever seen in his forty-nine years on the planet. In January, heperformed in Japan for the first time. He spent spring and part of the summer touring Europe. He also made hisfirst major tour of Latin America, playing major cities in Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile. With notime to rest, Erroll and his quartet headed back to Europe for six weeks to finish out the summer.134 He hit everyhabitable continent except for Africa. (Although he would never step foot on the land of his ancestors, the Republicof Mali honored him the following year by putting his face on a postage stamp.135) In between travels, he appearedon the Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show, took Mister Kelly’s in Chicago and the Persian Room in New York bystorm, and hired a new bass player—a twenty-nine-year-old wunderkind out of Chicago named Ernest McCarty,Jr.136 But he could not find a free moment to make a record.

Glaser slowed things down in 1971. Aside from one European tour, Garner remained stateside, doing club datesand jazz festivals. When Clint Eastwood, who was directing his first feature film, Play Misty for Me, requested use ofGarner’s best-known song for the soundtrack, Garner and Glaser insisted on re-recording the tune specifically forthe film. In February 1971, Garner and his trio recorded a new version of “Misty” in Los Angeles. Per theiragreement, Eastwood was prohibited from releasing the song on the accompanying soundtrack LP without Octave’spermission. Although Garner and Glaser had intended for a “Misty” single to accompany the release of the film,months of difficult negotiations followed the February session, seemingly because Glaser did not approve of howGarner’s performance had been edited for the film. While she ultimately relented in her efforts to sway theproduction, she arranged for Garner and the trio to record a new version of “Misty” during a June session back inNew York for Garner’s next album.137

Glaser also managed to get Garner, McCarty, Mangual, and Jimmie Smith into the studio on two other occasions in1971, in April and December, yielding a total of thirty-three tracks. As Smith recalled, each tune “was always onetake.”138 Eight of the performances were chosen for Garner’s next LP, Gemini, which London Records issued in thefall of 1972, first in the U.K. and then the U.S. The version of “Misty” recorded during the June sessions for Geminihas been included on the remastered album in this collection.

It had been two years since Garner’s last LP, and as a follow up to Feeling Is Believing, some critics expected a popalbum. Oliver Brennan, the pop music reviewer for the Boston Globe, liked Gemini very much but let his readersknow that it was “Heavy on jazz, a pinch of bop, a cupful of blues mixed with some very beautiful pop.”139 Heavy onjazz, indeed. Garner did include an abbreviated jazzy version of “Something” by the Beatles, but he chose the oldstandards and two very bluesy, funky originals—“Eldorado” and the title track, which refers to his astrological sign,his identity as a twin, and, as Dan Morgenstern put it in his liner notes, a certain “duality” and “unpredictability” hebrings to everything he does. His stunning performance of “Tea for Two” on harpsichord over West African-stylepercussion is a case in point.

Garner might have been unpredictable, but his schedule was not. The next two years differed little from theprevious two years—criss-crossing the country playing clubs, concert halls, hotels, and festivals; crossing theAtlantic for yet another European tour. On October 30, 1973, Erroll Garner went into the studio for the last time torecord with an ensemble that could only be described as extraordinary—both for its talent and itsunconventionality. The rhythm section consisted of Bob Cranshaw on electric bass, Grady Tate on drums, Mangualon congas, and on a couple of tracks, Jackie Williams on tambourine. A drummer experienced in ragtime and NewOrleans-style jazz, Williams’ tambourine evokes Garner’s roots in the church and on the riverboats. The repertoirewas also extraordinary. Of the sixteen tracks recorded, ten are new compositions—four of which were issued onthe original LP, Magician (a fifth, “Grill on the Hill,” was added to the remastered Octave version and is included inthis set). “One Good Turn” attracted a lot of attention, in part because Garner added organist Norman Gold, givingthe song a truly authentic gospel feel. Gold was a Jewish pianist known for his work with Greek and Middle Eastjazz fusion groups. Aretha Franklin’s sister, Carolyn Franklin, even wrote lyrics and recorded it as a demo under the

title “One Good Turn Deserves Another.”140 The entire album is an eclectic mix of Garner’s unique takes on theAmerican Songbook, blues (secular and sacred), his love of Latin rhythms, and contemporary pop music—namely,his head-nodding rendition of Burt Bacharach’s “(They Long to Be) Close to You.”

After the release of Magician in 1974, Garner’s health began to decline—though it seemed to have had no effecton his chops or his appeal. Jazz critics who had written him off suddenly rediscovered him. Frustrated with currenttrends toward electronics, rock fusion, or complete cacophony, a band of jazz aficionados held Garner up as one ofthe few authentic artists left. “All too many of us had forgotten about him since we jammed to his Concert by theSea album,” wrote critic Charles Hobson.141 For the veteran jazz critics facing the prospect of their own irrelevancy,Garner was like a worn, comfortable pair of shoes. After hearing a couple of Garner sets at the St. Regis Hotel in1974, John S. Wilson lauded him for doing the very thing most critics disparaged: not changing. Consistency hadbecome a virtue. “Mr. Garner continues to turn out piano solos...that vary between ethereal dreaminess and joyful,rhythmic swing.”142 Joel Dreyfuss called him an anachronism, but meant it as a compliment. He appreciated the factthat Garner “finds no conflict between his role as an entertainer and as a creative musician,” and continues to play“in a style that is totally predictable but still delightful.”143

Still, Erroll was not happy. “I felt that boredom had set in,” McCarty recalled. “Erroll should have had some projectsto work on just like everyone else: some kind of writing, some kind of movie, some kind of theatrical piece, or evenjust writing material for a new album... He had nothing to do but smoke cigarettes, cigars, anything; he didn’t care.He was supposed to be taking his medication...”144 McCarty was quick to blame Martha. Of course, he had no cluethat she had spent more than two decades trying to line up writing projects in film, television, theater, and dance,to no avail. Garner was allowed to perform, and that’s exactly what he did. The road was all he had left. And yet, henever completely relinquished his dreams. As late as 1975, the writer Earl Calloway, his longtime friend andchampion, reported that “the famed pianist is preparing to write in a larger form such as a real legit ballet, or aBroadway show, a musical comedy, or a ‘dig-it-king of opera.’ He has the musical ideas and will eventually realize hisambition.”145

Martha was also having a hard time. She finished processing Magician, largely by herself, while in the throes of adebilitating virus. She was still sick when Erroll passed through New York on his way to a gig in Philly in January1974, but he did not visit or “even call to see how I am.” She expressed her bitter disappointment in a letter towriter Ralph Gleason. “I wonder if he’s trying to tell me something.”146 He wasn’t hostile or callous, justpreoccupied. Still, she never fully overcame the nagging feeling that he took her for granted. When Gleason diedunexpectedly the following year, she sent his widow an empathetic letter disclosing her own vulnerability: “i knowabout loneliness—i have had many years of it.”147

As 1974 came to a close, Martha struggled to find a new rhythm section after she fired McCarty and Jimmie Smithleft the band. She settled on veteran drummer Ronnie Cole and a twenty-three-year-old Berklee student namedBrian Torff to accompany Garner on his January and February dates. Torff remembered the phone call from Martha.“It’s almost like she didn’t want to hire me. It was like she called me because she couldn’t find anybody else. Shesaid to me, ‘I’m concerned about this because I really don’t think that young white bass players swing.’”148 She wasalso concerned because she didn’t think he knew Garner’s music. He didn’t, at first. But he did his homework,studying every Garner record he could get his hands on.149 During their engagement at the Etcetera Club in D.C.,Garner caught a cold and was sweating profusely, probably from fever. By the time they opened at Mister Kelly’s inChicago, his condition worsened.

On February 20, 1975, Torff pulled out a cassette player and recorded what turned out to be the band’s lastforty-minute set and Garner’s final performance. They opened with his own “Mood Island,” followed by a string ofexquisitely performed standards. By the time he gets to “Misty,” which he begins without an introduction, he canbe heard coughing uncontrollably. The brief closing theme takes off at breakneck speed and stays on one chord.

The next day, Garner checked in to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he was diagnosed with double lobarpneumonia. He remained there for a few weeks before returning to Los Angeles at the end of March. On April 8, heunderwent lung surgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and learned that he had cancer.150

Garner was planning to return to work as soon as possible. Judging from Glaser’s notes, she initially thought hemight be ready to go back on the road in the fall, but she still hadn’t seen him since her own health problemsprohibited her from traveling.151 As soon as she understood the severity of his condition, she canceled all futureengagements and focused on his recovery. She read everything she could find on cancer, diet, and health. Shewrote Erroll practically every day with instructions and advice on vitamins, juices, exercise, natural painkillers, andstress reduction: “bear in mind that half of your system’s good health is controlled by peace of mind—NO STRESS.”She admonished him constantly to take better care of himself and insisted he hire a nurse, but he wouldn’t heedher advice. As he had done many times in the past, he simply shrugged her off.152

In 1976, as Garner focused on recuperating, Octave and MPS Records released Erroll Garner Plays Gershwin andKern, a compilation of studio recordings from 1964, ’65, and ’67. On all but one of the tunes he is backed by his oldtrio of Eddie Calhoun and Kelly Martin. Each cut is matchless, revealing Garner’s special connection to the music ofJerome Kern and George and Ira Gershwin, and proving that his playing had, indeed, changed over time. The earlierrecordings, in particular, bring us back to the romanticism and big band-style swing of the younger Garner. It wasthe perfect bookend to his life, bringing us full circle to the Great American Songbook that made him Mr. Piano inthe first place. Unfortunately, the LP was released first for the German market, so very few U.S. critics reviewed it.

Garner spent the last two weeks of December 1976 back in the hospital. He was released on the 29th but beganfeeling groggy on New Year’s Day. He called Martha that night and told her, “I have so much music in my head;you’ve only heard the tip of the iceberg.”153 He woke up the next day unable to breathe, so he asked his partner,Rosalyn Noisette, to call a cab to take him to the hospital. He vehemently opposed calling an ambulance. Shehelped him into the elevator, but by the time they reached the ground floor, he had collapsed. On January 2, 1977,Erroll Garner died of a heart attack due to complications from lung cancer. He was 55 years old. Over 2,000 peoplegathered together in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh to send him home.154

PRESENTING ERROLL GARNER

Martha Glaser was determined to not allow the world to bury Erroll. She had spent more than a quarter of acentury building Erroll Garner’s career and would spend another thirty-seven years singularly focused onpreserving his legacy and making sure his music was heard, appreciated, and understood. She pressed George Weinto feature Garner as a composer at various festivals. She took Jazz at Lincoln Center to task for completely omittinghim from their canon.155 She continued to handle all of his business affairs (reissues, copyright, mechanicals,royalties, etc.), arranged tributes and commemorations in his honor, preserved their archives, and hired arranger SyJohnson to put together the first Erroll Garner Songbook.156

But preserving for Glaser also meant protecting. After decades of defending Garner from exploitation, reinvention,infantilization, and myth-making, she regarded all requests to tell Garner’s story or interpret his work withapprehension. When critic Whitney Balliett proposed writing a long profile on Erroll for the New Yorker, she turnedhim down. Her decision baffled Sy Johnson: “I frankly don’t understand your protectiveness about Erroll at thisstage. He has almost vanished from sight in any serious consideration as a major jazz artist. He has become thename of a style, not a genius. I admit I have no idea of the legal headaches you may be contending with that bearupon your reluctance to ‘open up’ Erroll for a serious and important piece...I want to shout from my rooftop thatthe greatest solo piano player in jazz history is Erroll Garner; and only two people know it!! Let him out!!”157

Johnson was speaking to a woman who had devoted most of her life trying to “let him out,” on his terms. She mayhave come across as angry or bitter, but she bore the weight of six decades of accumulated knowledge, experience,dedication, and unconditional love. The Erroll Garner she knew—the real Erroll Garner—was a complicated anddifficult man. But he had words and ideas and a fertile mind and a skilled artist’s eye.

The real Erroll Garner was ahead of his times. His music knew no boundaries. He could take the sappiest Tin PanAlley tune or the latest pop hit and make it sound as if he invented it. And many of the songs he did invent deserve

a place in the American Songbook. He was open to all music while being firmly rooted in his culture. He recognizedthe inherent dignity in the blues, gospel, and Afro-Latin music.

Erroll Garner was a Black artist who put his career on the line in a fight for equality, justice, fairness, and creativeintegrity. He and Martha stood up to a massive global industry and won. They set a precedent for the rights ofartists to control their own work. They formed their own company and took complete control of the artisticprocess. In a way, they foresaw the same problems artists currently face with streaming platforms, and othertrends and technologies for distributing music. The Octave Records story is the story of Erroll Garner and MarthaGlaser, a story of dreams and disappointments, triumphs and tribulations, invention and imagination. A story thatErroll captured on record and turns into joy.

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ROBIN KELLEY’S LINER NOTES END NOTES:

ENDNOTES

1 George Wein, with Nate Chinen, Myself Among Others: A Life in Music (New York: Da Capo Press, 2003), 90.2 Don Heckman, “Not Exactly All That Jazz,” Los Angeles Times, August 6, 2000. To date there is only one book on Garner, JamesM. Doran’s fine bio-discography published over 35 years ago. James M. Doran, Erroll Garner: The Most Happy Piano (Metuchen,NJ: The Scarecrow Press, 1985).3 Len Lyons, The Great Jazz Pianists: Speaking of Their Lives and Music ( New York: Da Capo Press, 1989), 115-116.4 Art Taylor, Notes and Tones: Musician-to-Musician Interviews ( New York: Da Capo Press, 1993), 92; see also, Hollie West,“Pianist Garner Likes Pretty Melodies,” The Washington Post, July 14, 1968.5 U.S. Census, 1910 Pittsburgh, 1920 Census; Pittsburgh City Directory, 1913, 582; Doran, Erroll Garner, 10-14; Martha Glaser,Questionnaire for The National Cyclopedia of American Biography, ca. 1977, Erroll Garner Archive, 1942-2010, Archives &Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System (noted throughout as “EGA-UPLS”).6 Linton Garner interview, Doran, Erroll Garner, 14.7 Atticus Brady, Erroll Garner: No One Can Hear You Read (2012, New York, NY, First Run Pictures, 2012), video.8 Lee Matthews interview, Doran, Erroll Garner, 23-25; “Kan-D-Kids Scoring On Air: Leader,” Pittsburgh Courier, March 5, 1932;“Kan-D-Kids Floor Show Successful,” Pittsburgh Courier, October 15, 1932; Billy Eckstine, interview by Ira Gitler, transcription,undated, 1, EGA-UPLS.9 Harvey Siders, “The Natural,” DownBeat, October 19, 1967, 17.10 Erroll Garner Draft Registration Card, Serial No. 1118, Order No. 10206, February 16, 1942. Garner wasn’t drafted because ofchronic asthma; Martha Glaser, Questionnaire for The National Cyclopedia of American Biography, ca. 1977, EGA-UPLS.11 Siders, “The Natural,” 17.12 Harold V. Cohen, “The Drama Desk,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 19, 1943. Cohen mentioned Garner and St. Clairfrequently in his column, which allowed me to reconstruct details of their whereabouts, work schedule and itinerary. SeeCohen, “The Drama Desk,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 4, 5, 19 & 28, 1943, and November 29, 1943, December 13, 1943,January 19 & 25, 1944, February 3 & 7, 1944. Betty Waddell took the stage name St. Clair from the name of the street whereshe lived, and later changed it again to Bette St. Claire. See Russ J. Cowans, “Around the Motor City,” Baltimore Afro-American,July 12, 1941; Marcia Hillman, Liner notes. Bette St. Claire at Basin Street East, Bette St. Claire, Seeco CELP 4560, 1960, LP.13 Erroll Garner, interview by unknown, transcription, undated, 2, EGA-UPLS.14 Ibid.; Dan Burley, “Back Door Stuff,” New York Amsterdam News, September 23, 1944; Timme Rosenkrantz, Harlem JazzAdventures: A European Baron’s Memoir, 1934–1969, ed. Fradley Hamilton Garner (Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, 2012),176.15 Erroll Garner, interview, 3, EGA-UPLS.16 Doran, Erroll Garner, 162-180; Rosenkrantz, Harlem Jazz Adventures, 175-179.17 “Paris Jazz Week Announced,” London Musical Express, April 9, 1948; “Jazz Group Arrives in Paris for Show at MarignyTheater,” Norfolk Journal and Guide, May 22, 1948; “Mr. Piano,” Newsweek, August 1, 1949, 56; “Winners in 1949 DownBeatPoll,” Baltimore Afro-American, December 24, 1949; “Band That Isn’t Wins 1949 DownBeat Poll: Duke Bows to Herman HerdYear of Upsets for Perennial Winners,” Baltimore Afro-American, December 24, 1949; Steve Race, “Erroll Garner: Pat YourStomach and Shake Your Head,” Musical Express, May 20, 1949.18 Doran, Erroll Garner, 69.

19 Herman Hill, “Racial Tolerance is Keynote of ’Frisco Jazz Concert,” Pittsburgh Courier, April 6, 1946; “Ellington Band WinsEsquire Jazz Award; Duke Top Arranger,” Norfolk Journal and Guide, January 12, 1946.20 Doran, Erroll Garner, 69.21 Taylor, Notes and Tones, 94.22 J. T. Gale, “Agencies Have Played Big Role in Carving Careers of Negro Artists,” New York Amsterdam News, December 10,1949.23 “Music as Written,” Billboard, June 24, 1950, 19; Lou Swarz, “Actors’ Guild Host to Press,” Baltimore Afro-American, March17, 1951.24 Certificate for Arrival for Naturalization Purposes, Serial No. 1131439, Filed April 15, 1917; Samuel Farkas, Draft RegistrationCard, 1492, No. 92, June 5, 1918; Morris Gleicher and Martha Farkas, Marriage License, Wayne County, July 15, 1942, CountyFile #593707. Pepi’s maiden name is identified on Martha’s marriage license.25 U.S. Census Bureau, Fifteenth Census of the United States, Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration,1930, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, 3A; Enumeration District, 0598.26 The Prospector, yearbook of Southwestern High School, Detroit, Michigan, 1938, 7.27 U.S. Census Bureau, Sixteenth Census of the United States, Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration,1940, Detroit, Wayne, Michigan, 14B; Enumeration District, 84-816.28 Morris Gleicher and Martha Farkas, Marriage License, Wayne County, July 15, 1942, County File #593707; “In DetroitSociety,” Detroit Free Press, July 24, 1942.29 Morris Gleicher, Draft Registration Card, Serial No. 3819, Order 1727, October 16, 1940; William Kleinknecht, “MorrisGleicher, Force in State Politics, Dies,” Detroit Free Press, October 27, 1992.30 Morris Gleicher never left Detroit. He remarried in 1951. Morris Gleicher and Dorothy Reosti, Marriage License, WayneCounty, May 29, 1951, County File #806098.31 “RIP Martha Glaser, December 3, 2014,” Jazz Promo Services,https://jazzpromoservices.com/jazz-news/rip-martha-glaser-december-3-2014-3/32 “Chi Uses Radio Spots For First Time in Battle Vs. Anti-Negro Prejudice,” Variety, December 25, 1946, 28; “Chi Group to AirTolerance Campaign,” Billboard, December 21, 1946, 12.33 “New Anti-Negro School Strike Threatens Gary,” Chicago Defender, February 23, 1946; “ 3rd Hate School Strike ThreatensAmong Gary Kids: Question of Admitting Negro Students Again Leads To Disturbance,” New York Amsterdam News, February 16,1946; “ Sinatra Wins Battle Against Racial Bias,” Norfolk Journal and Guide, February 23, 1946; “ Strive to Kayo Threat of ThirdFroebel Walkout,” Cleveland Call and Post, March 9, 1946; Harry A. White, “Memorandum on Gary,” September 12, 1946,Martha Gleicher to Frank Sinatra, September 18, 1946, EGA-UPLS.34 Tad Hershorn, Norman Granz: The Man Who Used Jazz for Justice (Oakland: University of California Press, 2011), 103-106.35 “Race Relations Expert Works Through Folk Music and Jazz,” Chicago Defender, February 22, 1947; “Fighting Bias,” BaltimoreAfro-American, March 1, 1947; Hershorn, Norman Granz, 106, 112. Glaser had clearly settled in New York City by January of1947, and she and Morris Gleicher appeared to have maintained an amicable relationship despite their separation. MorrisGleicher, telegram to Martha Glaser, January 25, 1947, EGA-UPLS; Bella Rosenberg, telegram to Martha Glaser, January 24,1947, EGA-UPLS.36 Hershorn, Norman Granz, 103; “Concert Trend May End Up in Trash Can,” DownBeat, May 7, 1947, 15.37 David B. Rothstein, letter to Hugh Amend, June 7, 1948, EGA-UPLS; Martha Glaser, invoice to Charles J. Katz, March 3, 1949,EGA-UPLS.38 “Music as Written,” Billboard, June 24, 1950, 19.39 “Errol [sic] Garner: Impish Pianist is Currently the ‘Hottest’ Jazz Find,” Ebony, April 1, 1951, 39-42.40 Martha Glaser to Erroll Garner, May 15, 1951; Lillian Scott, “Along Celebrity Row,” Chicago Defender, June 17, 1950; BillyRowe, “Notebook: Big Hearts and Small Words,” Pittsburgh Courier, November 4, 1950; Lou Swarz, “Actors’ Guild Host to Press,”Baltimore Afro-American, March 17, 1951.41 Martha Glaser, “Erroll Garner Biography,” c. 1975, 3-4, EGA-UPLS; Bob Williams, “Bobbing Along,” Cleveland Call and Post,April 1, 1950;“Plan Tour for ‘Piano Parade,’” Billboard, March 1, 1952.42 Martha Glaser, letter to Mitch Miller, May 31, 1983, EGA-UPLS; “ Events Outline—Garner vs. Columbia,” December 17, 1960,EGA-UPLS; John M. Roth, “Legal Assessment Report: Erroll Garner Archive,” October 1, 2014, 1, personal archives of SusanRosenberg.43 John S. Wilson, “Jazz’s ‘Rugged Individualist,’” The New York Times, October 11, 1959.44 Martha Glaser, letter Erroll Garner, May 15, 1951, EGA-UPLS.45 Farnum Gray, “Garner Recalls ‘Salt and Pepper,’” Atlanta Constitution, July 16, 1974.46 “Pianist Under Bail For Not Registering As Addict; Shore’s Raids Called Biggest,” Baltimore Afro-American, September 13,1952; “Garner Shrugs Off Dope Count Arrest: ‘Just One Of Those Things,’ Pianist Says Of Shore Incident,” BaltimoreAfro-American, September 20, 1952; “Errol [sic] Garner Pays $50 Fine: Failed To Register As Dope Addict,” Baltimore

Afro-American, October 11, 1952. Less than a year later, Randolph was fatally shot in front of Chicago’s Pershing Hotel,apparently during a turf battle over selling drugs. “ Erroll Garner’s Ex-Valet Killed in Dope Feud,” Jet, August 6, 1953, 57.47 “Errol [sic] Garner Case Thrown Out of Court,” Pittsburgh Courier, Jan 17, 1953.48 Martha Glaser, letter to Erroll Garner, November 1, 1957, EGA-UPLS.49 Martha Glaser, letter to Erroll Garner, March 6, 1956, EGA-UPLS.50 Martha Glaser, letter to Erroll Garner, October 9, 1956, EGA-UPLS.51 Martha Glaser, letter to Erroll Garner, June 15, 1956, EGA-UPLS; Martha Glaser, letter to Erroll Garner, c/o Eddie Calhoun,June 27, 1956, EGA-UPLS; Martha Glaser, letter to Erroll Garner, July 12, 1956, EGA-UPLS.52 Martha Glaser, letter to Erroll Garner, March 6, 1956, EGA-UPLS.53 Martha Glaser, letter to Erroll Garner, October 28, 1957, EGA-UPLS; see also, Martha Glaser, letter to Erroll Garner, November1, 1956, EGA-UPLS; and Martha Glaser, letter to Erroll Garner, April 24, 1957, EGA-UPLS.54 Martha Glaser, letter to Mitch Miller, May 31, 1983, EGA-UPLS.55 “Events Outline—Garner vs. Columbia,” December 17, 1960, 1, EGA-UPLS; Martha Glaser, letter to Erroll Garner, February 6,1956, EGA-UPLS. Octave Music Publishing was recognized by ASCAP in January 1956.56 William G. Nunn, telegram to Erroll Garner, April 18, 1955, EGA-UPLS.57 Martha Glaser, letter to Ralph Gleason, August 18, 1955, EGA-UPLS; Martha Glaser, letter to Erroll Garner, March 6, 1956,EGA-UPLS; Garner appeared on The Tonight Show on June 24, 1955, with Woody Herman singing.58 “To the Hep Who Are Sharp—It’s Jazz Night at the Bowl,” Los Angeles Times, August 19, 1955; Martha Glaser, letter to RalphGleason, August 18, 1955.59 See Burt Korall, Drummin’ Men: The Heartbeat of Jazz—The Bebop Years (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002), 22-25;Robin D. G. Kelley, Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original (New York: Free Press, 2009), 96-98; “DrummerDenzil Best Dies of Skull Fracture,” DownBeat, July 1, 1965, 14.60 Doran, Erroll Garner, 89. Although Doran claims that Ruther left the band in May (142), both Ruther and “Fats” Heard werelisted as Garner’s rhythm section at least through the Newport Jazz Festival in July of 1955. Wyatt Ruther was still with Garner inJuly at Basin Street, opposite Woody Herman’s band, as listed in “Night Club Reviews: Basin Street, N.Y.,” Variety, June 22, 1955,60; “Trio of Cities Await Garner’s Piano & Unit,” Chicago Defender, June 11, 1955; Len Levinson, “Music: Unpedigreed CatsSwing ‘High Society’ The Most at 2d Newport Jazz Festival,” Variety, July 20, 1955, 43.61 “Garner and Trio Rock Hollywood,” Chicago Defender, August 27, 1955.62 Dan Morgenstern, liner notes, The Complete Concert by the Sea, Erroll Garner, Sony Legacy 88875120842, 2015, CD. Calhountells a very different version of what happened. He remembers Thornbury presenting the tape to Garner at an after-party andGarner buying it off of him for $400, but this seems unlikely and is not repeated anywhere else. Doran, Erroll Garner, 89.63 Morgenstern, The Complete Concert by the Sea; Doran, Erroll Garner, 83. Years later, Glaser claimed that she titled the LP andwrote the original liner notes, “ though someone else’s name was on it.” That someone else was George Avakian; Martha Glaser,letter to Mitch Miller, May 31, 1983. By 1960, sales had more than doubled, exceeding a half million copies; George Hoefer, “TheCase of Garner vs. Columbia,” DownBeat, October 17, 1960, 18.64 Martha Glaser, letter to Jacob Imberman, May 30, 1961, EGA-UPLS.65 “Garner to Play Frisco After Hospital Bout,” Variety, June 6, 1956, 44; Clyde Reid, “Erroll Garner Injured in Crash,” New YorkAmsterdam News, May 26, 1956.66 Doran, Erroll Garner, 79-81; Erroll Garner, Most Happy Piano (Columbia CL 939). Most of the remaining tracks were releasedon the unauthorized LP, The One and Only Erroll Garner, Columbia CL1452, 1960, LP. See below.67 Nat Pierce, interviewed by Ira Gitler, March 19, 1985, Hotel St. Regis, NYC, audio cassette, EGC-07-18, EGA-UPLS.68 Kelly Martin and Norma Shepard, interviewed by Phil Schaap, with occasional comments by Ted Sturges, October 29, 1979,transcript, 1-3, EGA-UPLS.69 Doran, Erroll Garner, 93-95.70 Glaser, “Garner Biography,” c. 1958, 1, EGA-UPLS; “ Erroll Garner Will Play with Symphony,” Chicago Defender, August 6,1957.71 “‘Grand Prix Du Disque’ Presented To Erroll Garner While In Paris,” Chicago Defender, December 16, 1957; “Erroll Garner’sPiano, Fame Hit French Jackpot,” Chicago Defender, January 4, 1958; “Garner Is Winner Of Two Awards,” Norfolk Journal andGuide, December 28, 1957; “Garner Wins French Prize,” The New York Times, December 11, 1957.72 Martha Glaser, telegram to Music Department, Variety, November 26, 1957, EGA-UPLS; Joe Glaser, telegram to Erroll Garner,December 4, 1957, EGA-UPLS; George Wein, telegram to Martha Glaser, April 21, 1958, EGA-UPLS.73 Glaser, “Garner Biography,” c. 1975, 2, EGA-UPLS; G. W. Fahrer, Jr., letter to Martha Glaser, June 3, 1958, EGA-UPLS; “SolHurok Signs Garner for Concert Bookings,” Baltimore Afro-American, May 24, 1958; “Hurok to Book Garner Tour,” Billboard, May12, 1958, 2.74 Siders, “The Natural,” 16.75 “Garner Will Play with Symphony,” Chicago Defender, August 6, 1957; J. Dorsey Callaghan, “Jazz Pianist Garner Talks AboutArt,” Detroit Free Press, November 13, 1958.76 Doran, Erroll Garner, 118-119; see also, Ibid., 90.

77 Dean Jennings, “Man With Magic Fingers,” The Saturday Evening Post, May 17, 1958, 25.78 Ibid., p. 70. Likewise, in what was intended to be a glowing profile of Garner, critic John S. Wilson noted that he “wasblissfully ignorant of Debussy and the entire field of classical music.” Wilson, “Jazz’s ‘Rugged Individualist,’” The New York Times,October 11, 1959.79 “A Poet of the Piano,” Ebony, February 1958, 44-48.80 “Critics vs. Readers,” DownBeat: Music ’59—Fourth Annual Yearbook (Chicago: Maher Publications, 1959), 97.81 Erroll Garner, telegram to Bob Sylvester, November 19, 1957, EGA-UPLS.82 Martha Glaser, letter to George Wein, November 20, 1991, EGA-UPLS.83 George Pitts, “‘Cannonball’ Blasts Hurok who Attacked Jazz,” Pittsburgh Courier, May 28, 1960.84 Martha Glaser, “Random Thoughts While Digging the Symphony Sid Show,” personal journal, January 30, 1972, 1:00 AM,EGA-UPLS.85 John Hammond, letter to Martha Glaser, July 16, 1981, EGA-UPLS.86 Martha Glaser, letter to John Hammond, September 9, 1981, EGA-UPLS.87 Martha Glaser, draft letter to John Hammond, c. August 1981, EGA-UPLS. Hammond later replied with a sheepish apology.See Hammond, letter to Glaser, September 17, 1981, EGA-UPLS.88 Martha Glaser, letter to Jacob Imberman, May 30, 1961, EGA-UPLS.89 “Events Outline—Garner vs. Columbia,” December 17, 1960, 1-2; See also George Hoefer, “The Case of Garner vs. Columbia,”DownBeat, October 13, 1960, 17-18, which is also reprinted in Doran, Erroll Garner, 85-87.90 Martha Glaser, letter to Jacob Imberman, May 30, 1961, EGA-UPLS; “Events Outline—Garner vs. Columbia,” December 17,1960, 2, EGA-UPLS.91 John S. Wilson, “Jazz’s ‘Rugged Individualist,’” The New York Times, October 11, 1959.92 George Wein, letter to Glaser, December 30, 1958, EGA-UPLS; Robert Gustafson, “Garner at Piano,” Christian ScienceMonitor, January 30, 1960; Guy Livingston, “ Erroll Garner Concertizes in Soldout Symph Hall,” Variety, January 21, 1959, 64.93 Doran, Erroll Garner, 145-146; John S. Wilson, “Erroll Garner, Jazz Pianist, Plays Carnegie Hall Program,” The New York Times,October 17, 1959; “ Four Hours of Garner Made This Fan Happy,” New York Amsterdam News, October 24, 1959; Bob Rolontz,“Garner Great in Carnegie Debut,” Billboard, October 26, 1959, 16.94 Martha Glaser, press release, “Garner vs. Columbia,” ca. 1960, 1; EGA-UPLS; Events Outline—Garner vs. Columbia,”December 17, 1960, EGA-UPLS; “ Erroll Garner Fights Record Company in Court,” Los Angeles Sentinel, September 8, 1960; “Garner Backs Beef With 40 Gs,” Baltimore Afro-American, August 13, 1960; George Brown, “David vs. Goliath?: ‘Columbia Wantsto Bury Me,’ Erroll Garner Says,” Pittsburgh Courier, October 22, 1960.95 Ibid.96 Erroll Garner, telegram to John Hammond, November 1960, EGA-UPLS.97 “Feud Between Garner, Wax Firm Flares Anew,” Baltimore Afro-American, February 25, 1961; “ Recording Firm Blasted inNew Garner Assault,” Baltimore Afro-American, March 4, 1961.98 Glaser, press release, “Garner vs. Columbia,” ca. 1960, 2, EGA-UPLS.99 Erroll Garner, “Open Letter to the Music Industry,” October 27, 1960, EGA-UPLS. The letter actually thanked the jazzcommunity for complying with his request.100 “Events Outline—Garner vs. Columbia,” 3; “Garner Takes More Action On Columbia,” New York Amsterdam News, February11, 1961; “Feud Between Garner, Wax Firm Flares Anew,” Baltimore Afro-American, February 25, 1961; “Recording Firm Blastedin New Garner Assault,” Baltimore Afro-American, March 4, 1961.101 “Erroll Garner, Columbia Settle Legal Squabble,” Billboard, August 18, 1962, 5 and 14; John Roth, “Legal Assessment Report:Erroll Garner Archive,” October 1, 2014, personal archives of Susan Rosenberg.102 “Erroll Garner Signs New Recording Pact,” New York Amsterdam News, November 19, 1960.103 David Suisman, “Co-Workers in the Kingdom of Culture: Black Swan Records and the Political Economy of African AmericanMusic,” Journal of American History, March 2004, 1295-1324; Nichole Rustin-Paschal, The Kind of Man I Am: Jazzmasculinity andthe World of Charles Mingus, Jr. (Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 2017), 95-120.104 Martha Glaser, letter to Jacob Imberman, May 30, 1961, EGA-UPLS.105 Dreamstreet studio master, December 17, 1959, half-inch 2-track audio tape, EGA-UPLS.106 Dorothy Kilgallen, “Voice of Broadway,” Edmonton Journal, August 15, 1961; Ren Grevatt, “Dealers Find Jazz Swings SolidSales,” Billboard, August 14, 1961, 18 and 24.107 Martha Glaser, “It Happened on Wax,” screenplay, ca. 1948, EGA-UPLS; Nat C. Goldstone, telegram to Martha Glaser, August24, 1951, EGA-UPLS.108 Martha Glaser, letter to Ralph Gleason, August 18, 1955, EGA-UPLS109 Al Urban, et. al., Rhythms of a Century: 100 Years of Music and Dance (Kansas City: BkMk Press of the University of Missouri,Kansas City, 2005), 62-65.110 Martha Glaser, liner notes, A New Kind of Love, Mercury SR-60859, 1963, LP.111 The title, “A New Kind of Love,” was taken from the song “You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me” by Sammy Fain, IrvingKahal, and Pierre Norman. Maurice Chevalier, who makes a cameo appearance, debuted it in the 1930 film The Big Pond.

112 Bill Stinson, telegram to Martha Glaser, April 19, 1963, EGA-UPLS; Leith Stevens, letter to Martha Glaser, May 7, 1963;EGA-UPLS.113 “Garner’s Music Score Figures in Academy Nod,” Los Angeles Sentinel, April 9, 1964; “Patricia Neal, Poitier, ‘Tom Jones’ WinMain Awards in Oscar Contest,” The Washington Post, April 15, 1964. The Oscar for Best Original Score went to André Previn forIrma La Douce.114 Erroll Garner, interview with Martha Glaser, July 28, 1966 in Canada, 1/4-inch analog tape, mono, FC-02-14, EGA-UPLS.115 Ibid.116 “Music: Erroll Garner Back in Groove Via MGM Deal,” Variety, October 20, 1965, 57; “ Garner Signs on MGM’s Dotted Line;LP Push Set,” Billboard, October 23, 1965, 3.117 “Reviews,” Billboard, November 20, 1965, 68; Amy Lee, “Keys Dance Under His Fingers,” Christian Science Monitor,November 30, 1965; Martha Glaser, “Excerpts from a few of the dozens of rave reviews on the Erroll Garner Movies album,”undated typescript, EGA-UPLS.118 Siders, “The Natural,” 16; Doran, Erroll Garner, 149-150; “ Erroll Garner Scores in Paris,” Pittsburgh Courier, June 4, 1966.119 Siders, “The Natural,” 16.120 Ibid., 18.121 Taylor, Notes and Tones, 96.122 Patrick Scott, “A Critical Reply to Criticisms of a Critic,” Toronto Globe and Mail, April 23, 1966.123 Dan Morgenstern, “Record Reviews: That’s My Kick,” DownBeat, August 24, 1967, 24.124 Chosen as one of the week’s standout recordings. “Top Singles of the Week,” Variety, July 20, 1966, 50.125 Doran, Erroll Garner, 109.126 Leonard Feather, “Still One of a Kind,” Los Angeles Times, August 25, 1968; “41 Categories: Grammy Nominees Listed,” LosAngeles Times, February 10, 1969; “Best Selling Jazz LPs,” Billboard, July 27, 1968, 42; “Best Selling Jazz LPs,” Billboard, August31, 1968, 46.127 Nat Pierce, interviewed by Ira Gitler, March 19, 1985, Hotel St. Regis, NYC, audio cassette, EGC-07-18, EGA-UPLS.128 Charles Hobson, “The Living Arts,” Oakland Tribune, February 14, 1971. Emphasis in source.129 “Erroll Garner returns to Mercury’s Diskery,” Baltimore Afro-American, October 10, 1970; “ Grammy Awards FinalNominations,” Billboard, February 6, 1971, 12; Charles Hobson, “The Living Arts,” Oakland Tribune, February 14, 1971.130 Martha Glaser, letter to Erroll Garner, June 22, 1956, EGA-UPLS. Martha Glaser, letter to Mitch Miller, May 31, 1983,EGA-UPLS.131 William Schutz, Joy: Expanding Human Awareness (New York: Grove Press, 1967). It is possible that she took the title froman article she may have seen by Ann Faraday, “ Feeling Is Believing,” New Society, July 2, 1970, 405-406, since the LP wasn’tannounced until the end of the year.132 Taylor, Notes and Tones, 97-98.133 Ibid., 99.134 “European Tour Set for Garner,” Billboard, May 2, 1970, 8; “Earl Garner [sic] To Tour South America,” Atlanta Daily World,June 30, 1970. Doran repeats a story [“Erroll Garner Helps High School to Cool It,” Variety, June 3, 1970] that Garner brought histrio to Henninger High School in Syracuse, following racial disturbances at the school, bringing calm to “the rife-torn studentbody.” The story was in error and Variety retracted the claim in a subsequent issue [“Garner Goes Latin,” Variety, June 17, 1970,43]. Garner was mistaken for organist Earl Grant. Tragically, Grant was killed in a car accident just days after the Henningerconcert. See Louis Rappaport, “Racial Violence Closes Henninger,” Syracuse Post-Standard, May 14, 1970; “Negro Youth is ShotDuring Syracuse Riots,” Toronto Globe and Mail, May 14, 1970.135 Glaser, “Erroll Garner Biography,” ca. 1975, 5; “ Erroll Garner Saluted In Congress,” Los Angeles Sentinel, July 1, 1976.136 “Erroll Garner Stars On Ed Sullivan Show,” Chicago Defender, February 7, 1970; Robert Dolce, letter to Martha Glaser, March8, 1977, EGA-UPLS; “ Erroll Garner Radiates With Great Vivacity At Mr. Kelly’s,” Chicago Defender, September 19, 1970; NatPierce, interviewed by Ira Gitler, March 19, 1985, Hotel St. Regis, NYC, audio cassette, EGC-07-18, EGA-UPLS; Doran, ErrollGarner, 110-111.137 Jerrold Kushnick, letter to Clint Eastwood, September 22, 1970, EGA-UPLS; Roger Greenspun, “Eastwood as Director,” TheNew York Times, November 4, 1971.138 Doran, Erroll Garner, 108.139 “Records—Baroque and Bounce,” Boston Globe, December 15, 1972.140 “‘Magician,’ New Garner, Released,” Los Angeles Sentinel, May 30, 1974; Leonard Feather, “The Last Word in Innovation,”Los Angeles Times, May 26, 1974; “ Pianist Erroll Garner opens tonight at Kelly’s,” Chicago Defender, February 17, 1975; “Garner Due In D.C.,” Pittsburgh Courier, February 8, 1975.141 Charles Hobson, “The Living Arts,” Oakland Tribune, February 14, 1971142 John S. Wilson, “Piano Consistency is Shown By Garner,” The New York Times, May 31, 1974.143 Joel Dreyfuss, “The Anachronisms of Garner,” The Washington Post, January 24, 1974; See also, Earl Calloway, “Erroll GarnerPlays With Poetic Expression,” Chicago Defender, December 5, 1973; Harriet Choice, “Erroll’s Back and the Listening Is Easy,”Chicago Tribune, February 9, 1972; Harriet Choice, “Erroll Garners a New Direction,” Chicago Tribune, January 14, 1973.

144 Doran, Erroll Garner, 112.145 Earl Calloway, “The Short and Tall of Garner,” Chicago Defender, October 11, 1975.146 Martha Glaser, letter to Jean Gleason, February 6, 1974, EGA-UPLS.147 Martha Glaser, letter to Jean Gleason, July 22, 1975, EGA-UPLS.148 Doran, Erroll Garner, 114.149 Martha Glaser, letter to Jean and Ralph Gleason, March 10, 1975; Martha Glaser, letter to Ralph Gleason, March 31, 1975;Doran, Erroll Garner, 155.150 Ibid. (All three sources.)151 Ibid.; Martha Glaser, “Daily Notes,” daily diary, 1975, EGA-UPLS.152 Martha Glaser, letters to Erroll Garner, ca. May–June, 1975, EGA-UPLS.153 Martha Glaser, “Erroll Garner: Biographical Update,” n.d., typescript, ca. 1990.154 Doran, Erroll Garner, 118-119; Leonard Feather, “ Erroll Garner, 1921–1977: Symbol of Innocence,” Los Angeles Times,January 4, 1977; Martha Glaser, “Erroll Garner: Biographical Update,” draft, ca. 1990, EGA-UPLS; Ron Suber, “Over 2,000 SayGood-Bye To Jazz Great Garner,” N ew Pittsburgh Courier, January 15, 1977.155 Martha Glaser, letter to George Wein, April 3, 1978, EGA-UPLS; Wein, letter to Glaser, June 24, 1992, EGA-UPLS; Glaser,letter to Wein, June 27, 1992, EGA-UPLS; Glaser, letter to Wein, June 24, 1999, EGA-UPLS.156 Erroll Garner, The Erroll Garner Songbook, Volume 1, arranged by Sy Johnson (New York: Cherry Lane Music, 1986); ErrollGarner, The Erroll Garner Songbook, Volume 2, arranged by Sy Johnson (New York: Cherry Lane Music, 1987).157 Sy Johnson, letter to Martha Glaser, May 19, 1981, EGA-UPLS.

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OCTAVE RECORDS REMASTEREDPeter Lockhart & Steve Rosenthal, Erroll Garner Project Producers

This collection of twelve albums represents the complete published output of Octave Records from the founding ofthe label by Erroll Garner and Martha Glaser in 1960, through Garner’s untimely passing in 1977. Thanks to Glaser’spreservation of the original analog masters and through the work of the Erroll Garner Project, the producers hadfull access to the original master tapes, which allowed for extensive exploration in determining the best possibleanalog source for each album. Unreleased selections from the master tapes of the sessions and concerts fromwhich the original albums were created have been added to augment the listening experience. These newly mintedbonus tracks are all Garner originals, eight of the twelve being previously unreleased compositions. In addition,free from the length limitations of the original vinyl format, these new editions include extended versions of manysongs, totaling over an hour of never-before-heard music across the 134 included songs.

The master tapes for all twelve albums were transferred and restored using the Plangent playback system.Employing a wideband tape head, preamp and DSP package to capture and track the original recorder’s ultrasonicbias remnant, the Plangent Process removes the wow and flutter and FM/IM distortion from the recorded audio.Additionally, the mastering duties on the twelve albums were split equally by four-time GRAMMY® Award winnerMichael Graves and GRAMMY® Award nominee Jessica Thompson.

HIGH RESOLUTION DOWNLOAD OF ALL 12 OCTAVE ALBUMSThe recording industry has seen many sonic improvements since the Octave Records catalog was created in the’60s and ’70s. With the advent of advanced digital technology we are offering you a 192kHz•24bit master recordingquality download of all twelve of the newly remastered albums. Just follow the instructions on the card attached tothe inside back cover of this book.

SESSIONS 180-GRAM WHITE VINYLTen of the new Erroll Garner originals discovered on the Octave master session tapes have been sequenced tocreate a special vinyl experience—SESSIONS. This LP was remastered for vinyl by Michael Graves and Chris Muthfrom Plangent Processed masters and is only available here. It is the first time any of these songs have beenavailable on vinyl, and the only Garner LP comprised entirely of his original compositions. Garner published over200 original compositions during his lifetime and left nearly that many in his unpublished catalog.

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1Dreamstreet

Recorded in 1959, the Dreamstreet tapes sat unreleased while Garner fought for control over his catalog. Finallyissued in 1961 as the first product of his newly formed Octave Records, it heralded Garner’s return with a set ofperformances worthy of the wait. A new Garner original, “By Chance,” has been added to the remastered release,restored from the original session reels.

01. Just One of Those Things 3:3102. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You 5:2603. Blue Lou 5:0204. Come Rain or Come Shine 4:36 05. The Lady is a Tramp 3:3706. When You're Smiling 3:5307. Sweet Lorraine 3:2808. Dreamstreet 3:2009. Mambo Gotham 3:3010. Oklahoma! Medley: Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' / People Will Say We're In Love / Surrey with the Fringe onTop 8:5411. By Chance 4:31

Erroll Garner – pianoEddie Calhoun – bassKelly Martin – drums

Recorded December 17, 18 & 19, 1959 at Gotham Recording Corp., NYCOriginal Producer: Martha GlaserCover Design: Bernard KaplanCover Photograph: Ted Williams

Octave Remastered EditionMastering: Jessica Thompson

01 C. Porter; WB Music Corp. (ASCAP) | 02 N. Washington, G. Bassman; Catherine Hinen Music/Shapiro Bernstein &Co; EMI Mills Music Inc (ASCAP) | 03 E. Sampson, I. Mills; EMI Mills Music Inc (ASCAP) | 04 H. Arlen, J. Mercer;Johnny Mercer Foundation/WB Music Corp; S.A. Music (ASCAP) | 05 R. Rodgers, L. Hart; Williamson Music Co;Chappell & Co. (ASCAP) | 06 M. Fisher, J. Goodwin, L. Shay; EMI Mills Music Inc; Music By Shay/Songwriters Guild ofAmerica (ASCAP) | 07 C. Burwell, M. Parish; EMI Mills Music Inc (ASCAP) | 08, 09, 11 E. Garner; Octave MusicLicensing LLC/Downtown DLJ Songs (ASCAP) | 10 R. Rodgers, O. Hammerstein; Williamson Music Co (ASCAP)

2Closeup in Swing

The second product of Garner & Glaser’s Octave Records, this album features Erroll and his classic trio like they’venever been heard before, restored and remastered from the original master tapes. Marking the beginning of one of

the most prolific periods in his life, this new presentation includes the propulsive, never-before-heard Garnercomposition, “Octave 103.”

01. You Do Something To Me 3:1402. My Silent Love 4:0503. All Of Me 2:2104. No More Shadows 4:07 05. St. Louis Blues 6:2706. Some Of These Days 3:1207. I'm In The Mood For Love 4:2508. El Papa Grande 4:0909. The Best Things In Life Are Free 3:2810. Back In Your Own Backyard 3:4811. Octave 103 4:22

Erroll Garner – pianoEddie Calhoun – bassKelly Martin – drums

Recorded July-August, 1961 by Calvin Lampley at RCA Studios, NYCOriginal Producer: Martha GlaserCover Photograph: M. Frank Wolfe

Octave Remastered EditionMastering: Michael Graves, Osiris Studios

01 C. Porter; WB Music Corp (ASCAP) | 02 D. Suesse, E. Heyman; Sony/ATV Harmony (ASCAP) | 03 S.B. Simons, G.Marks; Marlong Music Corp/Round Hill Music LLC; Sony/ATV (ASCAP) | 04, 08, 11 E. Garner; Octave Music LicensingLLC/Downtown DLJ Songs (ASCAP) | 05 W.C. Handy; Public Domain | 06 S. Brooks; Public Domain (US); WorldExcluding US administered by Will Rossiter Publishing Company (ASCAP) | 07 J. McHugh, D. Fields; EMI RobbinsCatalog/EMI April Music Inc (ASCAP) | 09 B. DeSylva, L. Brown, R. Henderson; Stephen BallentineMusic/Songwriters Guild of America; Chappell & Co.; Ray Henderson Music Co, Inc. (ASCAP) |10 B. Rose, A. Jolson,D. Dreyer; Bourne, Inc.; Larry Spier Music LLC. (ASCAP)

3One World Concert

This was Garner’s first concert album after his chart topping Concert By The Sea, recorded seven years earlier. Atour-de-force performance makes this a worthy successor, complete with his trademark improvisational fireworks.This new presentation includes extended introductions as well as an unreleased version of the Garner ballad“Other Voices,” which has never been issued in a trio arrangement.

01. The Way You Look Tonight 4:5402. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe 5:1103. Sweet And Lovely 5:3904. Mack The Knife 4:5905. Other Voices 5:0006. Lover Come Back To Me 4:3407. Misty 4:55

08. Movin' Blues 6:0909. Dancing Tambourine 1:2810. Thanks For The Memory 1:12

Erroll Garner – pianoEddie Calhoun – bassKelly Martin – drums

Recorded live August 20-25, 1962 at the World’s Fair Playhouse, Seattle World’s FairOriginal Producer: Martha Glaser

Octave Remastered EditionMastering: Michael Graves, Osiris StudiosMixing: Peter Lockhart

01 Kern, Fields; Universal-Polygram International Pub Inc; Aldi Music/Shapiro Bernstein & Co. (ASCAP) | 02 Arlen,Harburg; EMI Feist Catalog, Inc. (ASCAP) | 03 Arnheim, Daniels, Tobias; Harry Tobias Music; JL Music 2 LLC;Anne-Rachel Music; Range Road Music, Inc.; Silver Seahorse Music, LLC. (ASCAP) | 04 Weill, Brecht; Kurt WeillFoundation for Music/BMG Gold Songs; Bert Brecht/Warner Chappell Music Corp. (ASCAP) | 05, 07, 08 Garner;Octave Music Licensing LLC/Downtown DLJ Songs (ASCAP) | 06 Romberg, Hammerstein II; Bambalina PubCo/Williamson Music Co.; Warner Chappell Music Corp. (ASCAP) | 09 Ponce, Polla; Warner Bros Music (ASCAP) | 10Rainger, Robin; SONY/ATV Harmony (ASCAP)

4A New Kind of Love

While the emotionally charged music of Erroll Garner is particularly well suited for the big screen, and has beenused in countless films over the years, he only ever composed this one film score. A natural orchestrator and withan uncanny ability to sound like an entire orchestra by himself, on this record Garner makes singular use of a35-piece orchestra to bring his music to new heights.

01. You Brought A New Kind Of Love to Me 3:3102. Louise 3:2003. Fashion Interlude 4:1104. Steve’s Song 3:5705. Paris Mist (Bossa Nova Version) 3:5506. Mimi 3:3807. Theme from A New Kind Of Love (All Yours) 3:1508. In The Park In Paree 3:1309. Paris Mist (Waltz and Swing Version) 4:2210. The Tease 3:3811. Paris Mist (Trio Version) 4:57

Piano: Erroll GarnerViolins: Anatol Kaminsky, Erno Neufelo, Israel Baker, Marshall Sosson, Gerald Vinci, Nathan Ross, Joe Stepansky,Jacques Casselin, Victor Arno, Paul ShureViolas: Paul Robyn, Virginia Majewski, Allan Harshman, Stan HarrisCellos: Kurt Reher, Ray Kramer, Eleanor Slatkin, Armand KaproffBass: Keith MitchellDrums: Alvin Stoller

Harp: Verlyle BrilhartAlto Flutes: Harry Klee, Ted NashClarinets: Ronald Langinger, Morris CrawfordBass Clarinets: Justin Gordon, Charles GentryBongos, Timpani: Frank FlynnTambourine: Larry BunkerSax: George RobertsBaritone Sax: Dick NashFlugelhorn: Carroll LewisElectric Guitar: Barney Kessel

Recorded June 26, 1963 at United Recording, CAOriginal Producer: Leith StevensCover Design: Frank GuanaCover Photograph: Ted Williams

Octave Remastered EditionMastering: Jessica Thompson

01 Fain, Kahal, Norman | 02 Whiting, Robin | 03, 04, 05, 07, 09, 10, 11 Garner | 06 Rodgers, Hart | 08 Rainger,Robin | All songs published by Sony/ATV Harmony (ASCAP)

5A Night At The Movies

This classic Garner album contains music from some of the last studio sessions of Garner’s longest running trio,with Calhoun (bass) and Martin (drums). After nearly a decade of touring and recording together, they functionhere as an uncanny musical unit, deftly navigating Garner’s twists and turns. Here are a dozen of his favorite deepcuts from the movies he loved.

01. You Made Me Love You 2:2902. As Time Goes By 2:5203. Sonny Boy 2:0304. Charmaine 3:4305. I Found A Million Dollar Baby (In A Five And Ten Cent Store) 2:4306. I'll Get By 2:4807. Three O'Clock In The Morning 3:0308. Stella By Starlight 3:0309. Jeannine I Dream Of Lilac Time 2:0410. Schoner Gigolo (Just A Gigolo) 2:1811. How Deep Is The Ocean 3:1812. It's Only A Paper Moon 2:3813. Newsreel Tag (Paramount On Parade) 0:0814. You And Me 4:08

Erroll Garner – pianoEddie Calhoun – bassKelly Martin – drums

Recorded June 24-25, 1964 at Gotham Recording Corp & August 5-6, 1964 at RCA Studios NYC

Recording Engineer: Bob SimpsonOriginal Producer: Martha GlaserCover Photograph: Dan Wynn

Octave Remastered EditionMastering: Michael Graves, Osiris StudioMixing: Peter Lockhart

01 Monaco, McCarthy Sr.; Traditional, In Public Domain (US); World Excluding US administered by Broadway MusicCorp.-Sony/ATV Tunes LLC; Redwood Music Inc./Bienstock Publishing Co. (ASCAP) | 02 Hupfeld; Warner Bros Music(ASCAP) | 03 Jolson, De Sylva, Brown, Henderson; Stephen Ballentine Music/Songwriters Guild of America;Chappell & Co.; Ray Henderson Music Co., Inc. (ASCAP) | 04 Pollack, Rapee; Lew Pollack Music/BMG Bumblebee;Rapee Music Co. (ASCAP) | 05 Warren, Rose, Dixon; Clover Leaf Music/BMG Firefly; Warner Bros Music (ASCAP) |06 Turk, Ahlert; Bluewater Music Services; Pencil Mark Music/Downtown DLJ Songs, Cromwell Music (ASCAP) | 07Robledo, Morse; Universal Music-MGB Songs (ASCAP) | 08 Young, Washington; Catherine Hinen Music/ShapiroBernstein; Sony/ATV Harmony (ASCAP) | 09 Gilbert, Shilkret; EMI Feist Inc Catalog; Rose Gilbert Music/SongwritersGuild of America (ASCAP) | 10 Casucci, Brammer; Chappell & Co. (ASCAP) | 11 Berlin; Irving Berlin Music Company(ASCAP) | 12 Arlen, Rose, Harburg; Chappell & Co; Glocca Morra Music/WB Music Corp; S.A. Music Co (ASCAP) | 13Janis, King; Sony/ATV (ASCAP) | 14 Garner; Octave Music Licensing LLC/Downtown DLJ Songs (ASCAP)

6Campus Concert

This is the final live concert album released by Erroll Garner during his lifetime. It showcases the pianist in rareform, flanked by his classic trio and performing for an attentive and receptive audience of mostly young fans. Thisnew edition includes a previously unreleased version of his rarely recorded “La Petite Mambo,” as well as fullyrestored musical introductions from the original masters.

01. Indiana (Back Home Again In Indiana) 2:5402. Stardust 5:4703. Mambo Erroll 2:2004. Lulu's Back In Town 4:3505. Almost Like Being In Love 4:1106. My Funny Valentine 5:3007. These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You) 5:2908. In The Still Of The Night 3:1709. La Petite Mambo 4:00

Erroll Garner – pianoEddie Calhoun – bassKelly Martin – drums

Recorded March 13, 1962 (1, 3, 5-9) at Purdue University; August 23, 1962 (2) and August 24, 1962 (4) at World'sFair Playhouse, Seattle, WAOriginal Producer: Martha GlaserCover Design: Acy LehmanCover Photograph: RAMA

Octave Remastered EditionMastering: Jessica Thompson

01 J. F. Hanley, B. MacDonald; Traditional, In Public Domain (US); World Excluding US administered by Range RoadMusic, Inc./Quartet Music Inc./Shapiro Bernstein & Co. Inc. (ASCAP) | 02 H. Carmichael, M. Parish; EMI Mills Music,Inc.; Songs of Peer, LTD (ASCAP) | 03, 09 E. Garner; Octave Music Licensing LLC/Downtown DLJ Songs (ASCAP) | 04A. Dubin, H. Warren; WC Music Corp (ASCAP) | 05 A. J. Lerner, F. Loewe; WC Music Corp (ASCAP) | 06 R. Rodgers, L.Hart; Williamson Music Co.; Chappell & Co., Inc. (ASCAP) | 07 J. Strachey, H. Marvell; Bourne Co. (ASCAP) | 08 C.Porter; Chappell & Co., Inc. (ASCAP)

7That’s My Kick

This was Garner’s first traditional studio album in five years and perhaps his most ambitious album ever as acomposer. The selections were surely inspired by the new array of musicians assembled for the sessions, includingpercussionist José Mangual, who would go on to play with Garner for rest of his career. The electric atmospherecaptured on tape here is at times raucous and always palpably joyful.

01. That’s My Kick 2:5102. The Shadow Of Your Smile 4:0203. Like It Is 2:4804. It Ain’t Necessarily So 3:36 05. Autumn Leaves 3:2506. Blue Moon 2:4707. More 2:5908. Gaslight 4:3509. Nervous Waltz 3:2710. Passing Through 2:4111. Afinidad 2:5712. She Walked On 3:47

Erroll Garner – pianoMilt Hinton – bassHerbert Lovelle (2-10), George Jenkins (1, 11, 12) – drumsJosé Mangual (2-10), Johnny Pacheco (1, 11, 12) – congasWally Richardson (2-10), Art Ryerson (1, 11, 12) – guitar

Recorded April 13 (1, 11, 12) and November 19 (2-10), 1966 by Bob Simpson at RCA Studios, NYCOriginal Producer: Martha GlaserCover Photograph: Vernon Smith

Octave Remastered EditionMastering: Michael Graves, Osiris StudioMixing: Peter Lockhart, Ed McEntee, Steve Rosenthal

01, 03, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12 E. Garner; Octave Music Licensing LLC/Downtown DLJ Songs (ASCAP) | 02 J. Mandel, P.F.Webster; Miller Music/EMI Catalog Partnership (ASCAP) | 04 G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin; Downtown DLJ Songs(ASCAP); Nokawi Music/Raleigh Music Publishing (ASCAP); WC Music Corp (ASCAP) | 05 J. Kosma, J. Prévert, J.Mercer; Morley Music/MPL Music Publishing Inc. (ASCAP); SDRM | 06 R. Rodgers, L. Hart; Robbins Music CatalogInc/EMI April Music Inc (ASCAP) | 07 R. Ortolani, N. Oliviero, N. Newell; S.I.A.E. Direztone Generale; C.A.M. S.R.I.;Creative Team Inc./Spirit One Music (BMI)

8Up In Erroll’s Room

Over the course of two sessions in November 1967, Erroll Garner and his band recorded enough material for ahandful of albums. What makes this collection truly unique is the addition of a brass section, expertly orchestratedover a selection of Garner’s improvised arrangements. This style of collaboration was groundbreaking for the eraand helps to make this one of the most musically thrilling of all Garner’s albums.

01. Watermelon Man 4:1102. It’s The Talk Of The Town 4:4903. Groovin’ High 3:5404. The Girl From Ipanema 4:4605. The Coffee Song (They’ve Got An Awful Lot Of Coffee In Brazil) 4:0206. Cheek To Cheek 4:2807. Up In Erroll’s Room 5:2408. I’ve Got A Lot Of Livin’ To Do 3:4209. All The Things You Are 2:5210. I Got Rhythm 4:0111. True Blues 4:38

Erroll Garner – pianoIke Isaacs – bassJimmie Smith – drumsJosé Mangual – congas

with The Brass Bed:Bernie Glow – trumpetPepper Adams – baritone saxMarvin Stamm – trumpet, fluegelhornDon Butterfield – tubaWayne J. Andre – tromboneJames Cleveland – tromboneJerome Richardson – tenor sax, flute, piccoloProduced by Esmond EdwardsDon Sebesky – OrchestrationsRichard O. Spencer – Conductor

Recorded November 28-29, 1967 by Jerry de Clerc at Universal Recording, ChicagoThe Brass Bed recorded February 15, 1968 by Phil Ramone in NYCOriginal Producer: Martha GlaserCover Design: Acy R. LehmanCover Photograph: Ken Whitmore

Octave Remastered EditionMastering: Jessica ThompsonMixing: Peter Lockhart, Ed McEntee, Steve Rosenthal

01 H. Hancock; Hancock Music (BMI) | 02 J. Livingston, M. Symes, A. J. Neiburg; Hallmark Music Inc./Spirit TwoMusic; Music Sales Corporation (ASCAP) | 03 J. Gillespie; Universal-MCA Music Publishing (ASCAP) | 04 N. Gimbel,A. C. Jobim, V. DeMoraes; Songs of Universal, Inc.; Words West LLC (BMI) | 05 B. Hilliard, D. Miles; Bourne Co;

Cromwell Music (ASCAP) | 06 I. Berlin; Irving Berlin Music Company (ASCAP) | 07, 11 E. Garner; Octave MusicLicensing LLC/Downtown DLJ Songs (ASCAP) | 08 L. Adams, C. Strouse; Helene Blue Musique Ltd. (ASCAP) | 09 J.Kern, O. Hammerstein II; Universal-Polygram International Pub Inc (ASCAP) | 10 G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin; IraGershwin Music/WC Music Corp; WC Music Corp (ASCAP)

9Feeling Is Believing

Recorded at the tail end of 1969 with a cast of new collaborators, this album is a prime showcase of Erroll Garner’stwo greatest strengths: his ability to completely reinvent well known songs, and his endlessly creative facility as acomposer of original music. From his sultry “The Loving Touch” to the Afrofuturistic “Mood Island,” Garner’soriginality again proves boundless.

01. For Once In My Life 3:2502. Yesterday 3:0703. The Look Of Love 2:4204. You Turned Me Around 8:03 05. Mood Island 4:3806. Spinning Wheel 3:2907. The Loving Touch 5:4108. Strangers In The Night 3:4509. Feeling Is Believing 2:4110. Paisley Eyes 3:0111. Not So Fast 3:45

Erroll Garner – pianoGeorge Duvivier (1-3, 5-11), Gerald Jemmott (4) – bassJimmie Smith (4), Joe Cocuzzo (5, 7-9), Charles Persip (1-3, 6, 10-11) – drumsJosé Mangual – congas

Recorded August 8, October 7, December 2, 1969 by John Cue at Capitol Studios, NYCOriginal Producer: Martha GlaserCover Design: Richard GerminaroCover Photograph: Vernon Smith

Octave Remastered EditionMastering: Michael Graves, Osiris Studio

01 R. Miller, O. Murden; Jobete Music Co., Inc/EMI April Music Inc (ASCAP); Stone Diamond Music Corp/EMIBlackwood Music Inc. (BMI) | 02 J. Lennon, P. McCartney; Northern Songs, Ltd-Sony/ATV Tunes LLC (ASCAP) | 03 H.David, B. Bacharach; Colgems EMI Music Inc/EMI April Music Inc (ASCAP) | 04, 05, 07, 09, 10, 11 E. Garner; OctaveMusic Licensing LLC/Downtown DLJ Songs (ASCAP) | 06 D. C. Thomas; EMI Blackwood Music Inc (BMI) | 08 C.Singleton, E. Snyder, B. Kaempfert; Songs of Universal; Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc; GEMA (ASCAP) | All selectionsarranged by Erroll Garner

10Gemini

A more fitting title for this album does not exist. It is yet another example of just how well Erroll Garner knew andunderstood himself and his music. Perhaps his greatest talent was an ability to distill and communicate preciselywho he was at any given moment. Here we find him perfectly embodying the definition of his sun sign. Whateveryour views on astrology might be, all that is left to do is listen.

01. How High The Moon 5:0902. It Could Happen To You 3:4903. Gemini 4:0504. When A Gypsy Makes His Violin Cry 6:25 05. Tea For Two 5:2806. Something 1:5107. Eldorado 5:5408. These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You) 7:0309. Misty 2:47

Erroll Garner – piano, harpsichordErnest McCarty, Jr. – bassJimmie Smith – percussionJosé Mangual – congas

Recorded April 27, 1971 (1, 2) and June 22, 1971 (4-6, 9) at Capitol Studios, NYC; December 2, 1971 (3, 7, 8) at RCAStudios, NYCRecording Engineer: Bob SimpsonOriginal Producer: Martha GlaserCover Design: Bob VanosaCover Painting: Rheinhold W. Timm

Octave Remastered EditionMastering: Jessica Thompson

01 M. Lewis, Jr., N. Hamilton; Chappell & Co. (ASCAP) | 02 J. Van Heusen, J. Burke; Sony/ATV Harmony (ASCAP) | 03,07, 09 E. Garner; Octave Music Licensing LLC/Downtown DLJ Songs (ASCAP) | 04 E. Deutsch, F. Winegar, D. Smith, J.Rogan; Energy Music Company (ASCAP); WC Music Corp (ASCAP) | 05 I. Caesar, V. Youmans; WC Music Corp(ASCAP) | 06 G. Harrison; Harrisongs Ltd./Penny Farthing Music (ASCAP) | 08 J. Strachey, H. Marvell; Bourne Co.(ASCAP) | All selections arranged by Erroll Garner

11Magician

The selections Garner committed to tape in the fall of 1973 include what may be some of his best originalcompositions, alongside a series of timeless contemporary takes on American Songbook classics. Though it wouldturn out to be the final studio album of his life, it makes clear that Garner was continuing to innovate on hisdistinctly individualistic style, and surely would have for decades to come.

01. (They Long To Be) Close To You 4:3402. It Gets Better Every Time 4:2403. Someone To Watch Over Me 4:1904. Nightwind 5:39

05. One Good Turn 3:1506. Watch What Happens 3:0207. Yesterdays 3:5408. I Only Have Eyes For You 5:0709. Mucho Gusto 3:3910. Grill On The Hill 4:24

Erroll Garner – pianoGrady Tate – drumsBob Cranshaw – bassJosé Mangual – congasNorman Gold – organJackie Williams – tambourine

Recorded October 30-31, 1973 by Bob Simpson at Capitol Studios, LAOriginal Producer: Martha GlaserCover Design: Richard RothCover Photograph: Norman Seeff

Octave Remastered EditionMastering: Jessica Thompson

01 B. Bacharach, H. David; Casa David LP/BMG Gold Songs; New Hidden Valley Music Co./Roynet Music (ASCAP) |02, 04, 05, 09, 10 E. Garner; Octave Music Licensing LLC/Downtown DLJ Songs (ASCAP) | 03 G. Gershwin, I.Gershwin; Ira Gershwin Music/WC Music Corp; WC Music Corp (ASCAP) | 06 M. Legrand, N. Gimbel, J. Demy;Michel Legrand (SARL)/Songs of Polygram/Universal Music Publishing; P F L (SARL)/Songs of Polygram/UniversalMusic Publishing; Words West LLC; Songs of Polygram International Inc.; Jonware Music Co/Songs ofPolygram/Universal Music Publishing (BMI) | 07 O. Harbach, J. Kern; Polygram International Pub Inc./UniversalMusic Publishing (ASCAP) | 08 H. Warren, A. Dubin; WC Music Corp (ASCAP)

12Gershwin & Kern

In his original 1976 liner notes, concert impresario George Wein concluded, “To put it simply, Erroll Garner is agreat musical genius.” On this final album released during his life, Garner shows complete mastery of hisinstrument and an unmatched ability to interpret songs and make them his own. This newly restored albumincludes a previously unreleased Garner original, worthy of the composers to which this album is dedicated.

01. Strike Up The Band 2:4302. Love Walked In 4:2603. I Got Rhythm 4:0304. Someone To Watch Over Me 2:3705. A Foggy Day (In London Town) 3:3606. Nice Work If You Can Get It (Take 1) 1:0307. Nice Work If You Can Get It (Take 2) 3:0608. Lovely To Look At 2:3709. Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man 4:0610. Only Make Believe 2:2011. Old Man River 3:1912. Dearly Beloved 3:04

13. Why Do I Love You 2:5514. A Fine Romance 2:3515. Maybe You’re The Only One 4:06

Erroll Garner – pianoEddie Calhoun (1, 2, 4-15), Charles “Ike” Isaacs (3) – bassKelly Martin (1, 2, 4-15), Jimmie Smith (3) – drumsJosé Mangual – congas (3)

Recorded August 5, 1964 (1), August 6, 1964 (2, 4-7) & August 19, 1965 (8-15) by Bob Simpson at RCA Studios, NYC;and November 29, 1967 (3) by Jerry de Clerc at Universal Recording, ChicagoOriginal Producer: Martha Glaser

Octave Remastered EditionMastering: Michael Graves, Osiris StudioMixing: Peter Lockhart

01 G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin; Ira Gershwin Music/Warner GEO Metric Music; DuBose-Dorothy HeywardMemorial/Downtown DLJ Songs LLC; Frankie G Songs/Downtown DLJ Songs LLC; WC Music Corp (ASCAP) | 02, 05,06, 07 G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin; Nokawi Music/Steve Peter Music; Frankie G Songs/Downtown DLJ Songs LLC; IraGershwin Music/WC Music Corp (ASCAP) | 03, 04 G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin; Ira Gershwin Music/WC Music Corp;WC Music Corp (ASCAP) | 08 J. Kern, D. Fields, J. McHugh; Universal-Polygram International Pub Inc.; Cotton ClubPublishing/EMI April Music Inc; Aldi Music/Shapiro Bernstein & Co (ASCAP) | 09, 10, 11, 13 J. Kern, O. HammersteinII; Universal-Polygram International Pub Inc (ASCAP) | 12 J. Kern, J. Mercer; Universal-Polygram International PubInc (ASCAP) | 14 J. Kern, D. Fields; Universal-Polygram International Pub Inc; Aldi Music/Shapiro Bernstein & Co(ASCAP) | 15 E. Garner; Octave Music Licensing LLC/Downtown DLJ Songs (ASCAP)

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TERRI LYNE CARRINGTON’S LINER NOTES:

COMPLETE SYMPHONY HALL CONCERTTerri Lyne Carrington

ERROLL GARNER TRIO, JANUARY 17, 1959, BOSTON

There are a plethora of observations to come away with from this 27-song, three-set masterpiece—some nuancedand some more obvious. Indeed, a capable and inspired academic could surely write a righteous master’s thesis onthis work, because it’s just that rich. But then again, I’ve not heard a Garner live performance that wasn’t. He wastruly proficient in the kind of connection one needs with their instrument, their bandmates and their audience,that allows a performance to sustain relevance for over 60 years. I can best describe this as a life force transmittedthrough the vibration of sound, inconspicuously transporting passion, inspiration, humor, romance, consciousness,empathy, ingenuity, spirit, history, and more through emotional musical language and form. He possessed theenigmatic ability to play what people can relate to whether they understand why or not.

I’m not sure if the crowd at Boston’s Symphony Hall completely understood what they were witnessing on thisJanuary night, nor if that even matters. What I do know is that the audience in attendance that evening heard asonic history of the American Black experience, and were gifted a glimpse of the future, of how rhythm would beapproached, all the while being serenaded and entertained.

SET ONE

There is a sense of settling in on the first song of the opening set, “Dancing In The Dark,” warming up themselvesand the audience, and getting used to the hall acoustics. But by the time they get to “A Foggy Day,” theirmid-tempo gait is in effect, especially at the modulation, cementing it as an involuntary foot-tapper. Erroll’s staunchdedication to the blues and other culturally informative forms in the Black music lineage—stride, gospel, swing,etc.—is particularly apparent in these hard swinging, medium tempo tunes.

It is generally on ballads where Erroll gets to display his virtuosity the most, as is the case here, starting with thesecond song of the set, “My Funny Valentine.” My initial thought was how odd to choose a ballad so early, but Isoon recognized his ability to read the room, profoundly understanding the various ways one can procure theaudience’s attention. Garner’s interpretation of the tune displays expansive orchestration, reminding us that apiano in the right hands can, in fact, be an entire orchestra. It also reestablishes Garner’s renowned ability tospontaneously compose introductory abstractions, which would occur many times throughout the concert.Particularly on this piece, with just a little imagination, Garner extends an invitation to listen for the violin tremors,the harp arpeggios, the cello supplements, the brass pads, the flute and piccolo parts in unison, the glockenspielmelody reinforcements, the glissandi and vibrato of the woodwinds, and even the timpani swells. An arrangementthat easily could have been for seventy people is played by three. Garner’s effortless execution almost made meforget about the complexities of his skills. He’s able to bring forth a singular sound that is full and complete, soulfuland flowing, textural, and ethereal. The other ballads of the set, “The Nearness of You” and “I Didn’t Know WhatTime It Was,” are comparably gratifying.

On “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was,” Garner’s delivery of the melody creates an illusion of a guitar slidingbetween notes—a technique later used by Geri Allen, who contributed greatly to the preservation and appreciationof Garner’s legacy. Here, the internal timing of his hands, creating space between the octaves, is key to giving theimpression of a guitar and dramatically stands out on this melody, confirming walking ballads as being perhaps hismost expressive tempo.

Time feel is rather impossible to teach, and fairly difficult to explain. It’s a journey, like walking or running, ordancing. And it involves intuition when more than one person has to merge with it. Though I’ve not been married, Icome away here with the understanding that Erroll and drummer Kelly Martin respond to each other like an oldmarried couple. They know each other and breathe together, forging an intimate rhythm connection. It alsoinvolves caring, with a high level of flexibility and deep listening. And practically speaking, I’ve played Boston’sSymphony Hall and am aware of its acoustic challenges—a venue that is made for the audience to hear a pin drop,which generally does not work as well with drums. So I’m left all the more dumbfounded as to how they lockedwith each other so well. They were playing without monitors and set up close to one another, but even so, theydisplayed telepathy, maybe more than intuition.

The mini-encore of the set is an unreleased composition entitled “Last Word,” of which they play 14 bars—oncethrough with a tag. Though the song was named especially for this release, the argument could be made that it wasthe precursor to another Garner composition, “Steve’s Song,” written in 1963 for A New Kind of Love, an album ofGarner extemporizations on compositions from his only film score of the same title. But no matter the brevity of“Last Word,” it was whole unto itself, leaving me to predict it as another Garner standard if it had been released.

CONCERT HALL OR CLUB

Impresario George Wein, founder of the famed Newport Festivals and Storyville jazz club, was the presenter for thisconcert. Much has been written about Garner being the first jazz artist signed by the prestigious agent andpromoter Sol Hurok, who had exclusive national booking rights for Garner during this period (covered in thepreceding essay by Robin D. G. Kelley). However, the Hurok contract made specific exception of Boston and thesurrounding areas, where Wein could present Garner as he had since the early 1950s. Having looked at contractsand ephemera from this concert, it is clear that Martha Glaser, Garner’s longtime manager and business partner,

co-presented the concert with Wein. She rented Symphony Hall, secured the piano, and helped organize the pressalong with Wein’s director of public relations, Charlie Bourgeois.

I can’t help but wonder about the patrons that showed up in Back Bay the night this recording was made. Being aBostonian myself, I can attest to the city’s conservative and discriminatory practices under the surface of itsoutward display of liberalism. In 1959, neighborhoods and education were still segregated, and nationally the ideaof jazz being presented in a concert hall was less than two decades old, having been thrust into popularity by BennyGoodman’s 1938 Carnegie Hall concert. It’s always been both desirable and challenging for Black musicians to playphilharmonic halls, with audiences that will sit and listen, avoiding the distractions of people drinking, chatting, ordancing, as was prevalent in the clubs and venues of the swing era. And though these halls feel more refined, it isoften at the expense of not having enough Black patronage.

Garner was not the first nor the last artist whose desire for a wider audience and greater remuneration led them toembrace a performance setting that typically lacks signifying ruptures of emotion from an audience unafraid to letthem know if they were doing well or not. This dilemma was faced by other popular crossover artists (check outSam Cooke’s Live at the Harlem Square Club). However, I find it interesting that Garner was uninhibited involunteering his own enlivened utterances, which often feel like spirited responses to his own playing, whetherothers found it distracting or not.

SET TWO

About six seconds into the prefatory abstract of the second set opener, “The Song from Moulin Rouge,” Garnerplays a hip chord sequence that could easily be an effective sample used in rap music today. The intro on “Back BayStride” is notable as well, with extemporaneous patterns of “two-fives” and no melodic head when the band comesin, just the blues with a bridge in an AABA song form, something that Mary Lou Williams and others investigated aswell.

Something phenomenal—and difficult—occurs on “I Can’t Get Started With You” that is characteristic of the trio,which is to slow down in tempo, yet not in intensity. This produces a mellow, sophisticated tension without feelingtoo labored. Additionally, the thunderous rumble of Garner’s left hand creates a harmonic tsunami that interactsfluidly with his right hand, making it difficult to know where one hand stops and the other begins. It generates achurning of energy that allows for a flexibility in tempo.

“Gospel Mambo” is an Afro-Caribbean boogie-woogie entrenched in the swamps of Louisiana, with beautiful handdrumming textures by Martin, simulating congas and bongos. Garner likewise suggests a steelpan sonority, whilenever forsaking the blues. Two songs in this set feature Calhoun and Martin—the previously unpublished “Back BayStride” and “Shell Game,” respectively. There are not a lot of Garner recordings that include bass and drum solos,though he did feature his side musicians during live shows. Though it is clearly all about Garner, Calhoun andMartin are not ancillary in this ensemble. They are three in body, but one in sound and spirit.

Though it’s been suggested that Martha Glaser discouraged Garner from playing in a stride style, he starts “ShellGame” with a short, modulating stride improvisation that unpredictably arrives at the theme. I imagine Glaserdidn’t want him to sound too old school but, in essence, his left-hand quarter notes were an evolution of stride. Itwould be quite inconceivable to remove the stride feeling from him completely, as it is core to his unique style. Thequoting of bebop phrases—Thelonious Monk’s “Well You Needn’t” and Dizzy Gillespie’s “Wee”—is a way of givingprops to his peers and friends, and showing his connection to other current music. This song also closely capturesGarner’s verbal testifying, responding with a “Huh” or “Aah” at just the right moments, serving as musicalpunctuations.

A crowd-satisfying highlight of the second set is a medley of three songs (“I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face,”“On the Street Where You Live,” and “I Could Have Danced All Night”) from the 1956 musical, My Fair Lady.Garner’s instinct for playing a good melody was always present, whether embellishing a theme or improvising asolo. The audience’s applause at the top of each piece indicates their delight in hearing the recognizable songs.

Following the medley is a 16-bar, half-chorus of “Frenesi” that functions as a palate cleanser before the last tune ofthe set. Another unconventional programming choice by Garner was closing the second set with his original ballad,“Dreamy” (originally titled “Crème De Menthe”), which would go on to be the title song of a Sarah Vaughan albumin 1960. I would be remiss not to mention that Lalo Schifrin’s “The Right To Love” (1965) sounds very muchinfluenced by “Dreamy.” Garner’s contemporary introductory abstraction on this night is briefly reminiscent ofGershwin’s “Bess, You is My Woman Now,” but quickly moves to what could have soon been described as Motownflavored. It also made me wish that Garner had composed a Broadway musical of his own.

THE LEGACY OF RHYTHM

It is hard to determine Garner’s greatest contribution to jazz, but there is a growing consensus that the nature ofhis innovative rolling style and octave wizardry was particularly enhanced by an awe-inspiring sense ofrhythm—time and groove—the thing that makes you want to dance, or nod your head. But Erroll startedsomething else that would influence generations to come: different approaches to tempo between the two hands,with his right hand being a flexible rhythm agent, while his left hand—and foot—remained in time with the rhythmsection. He is one of the important architects of this concept of phrasing behind and against the beat, which is nowcommonly simulated, and sometimes attributed to Hip-Hop. His ability to split his brain in this way was anunparalleled and underacknowledged accomplishment. It is especially obvious on Garner’s approach to ballads andslow tempo songs.

Today’s approach to the piano by many modern jazz, Hip-Hop and R&B players—both accomplished andnovice—includes a distinctly conscious rhythmic delay of melodies. The hypnotic beat may still be relentlesslypresent, but can be disguised by playing around it, while not particularly paying attention to a synchronized lockwith it. What was revolutionary is that Garner honed in on a freedom that vocalists and horn players wereenjoying, notably Billie Holiday and Lester Young, while simultaneously upholding his stride roots.

A hypothesis could be made that jazz has long been more acutely focused on melody and harmony, letting therhythm evolve more naturally as a response to the other elements, possibly a legacy burden from the history ofbanning drums from enslaved Africans. For a long time, it has been widely accepted that a song is defined by itsmelody and harmony, with the understanding that you can’t copyright chord changes. Gray areas have opened upwith respect to harmony and rhythm due to the use of sampling and beat making in Hip-Hop. It is also worthconsidering that rhythm is generally not thought of as absolute, making it difficult to notate elements of humanpulse and time feel with true accuracy.

I dare say Erroll Garner’s advanced rhythmic approach remains flatly impossible to notate, and with the knowledgeI’ve gained from accessing the Garner-Glaser archives and through my own rabbit hole curiosity, I envision Garnerbeing the Hip-Hop musician of his time. He formed his own record label, he was not traditionally trained, and mostimportantly his music reeked of soul and announced loudly that he was unapologetically Black.

SET THREE

One highly anticipated and predictable moment in the third and final set was the performance of “Misty,” Garner’sbest-known composition, then only about five years old. It resonates as fresh and exciting, not like the compulsoryperformance of a hit. And his approach to it was possibly the most demonstrative that evening of his right-handfreedom, demonstrating flawless touch response, dynamics and technical execution. “Someone to Watch OverMe’’ uses some of the same techniques, with a bit more blues commentary, and another Garner ballad, “MomentsDelight,” elegantly identifies Garner as having attended the school of Ellingtonia. “Indiana’’ receives an exciting, fastpaced treatment, and “Will You Still Be Mine” is even more up-tempo with fancy brushwork by Martin throughoutand an effective/compelling use of flams during the cadenza. Here Garner’s virtuosity kicks into high gear, as itseems impossible to play octaves that fast and that clean, yet we hear him do it. This album has renewed my loveof swing and the language before bop that is too often pushed aside.

Garner overtly quotes Monk’s “I Mean You” in the introduction to “Will You Still Be Mine.” Often when soloists dothis, it seems to be a gimmick to “get house,” but with Garner, I think it was an honest tribute to the people herespected, because his choices tend to be more like “inside baseball.” There were other Monk referencesthroughout the night, and I can’t help but envision irony in the possibility that Monk envied Garner’s ability to writea hit song. A note from Charlie Bourgeois to Martha Glaser hints at this, in which he explains how he once playfullyput a copy of “Misty” on a piano in front of Monk, who shook his head and replied, “I didn’t write this.”

By far the hardest swinging song of the night is “I Get a Kick Out of You” making it a perfect candidate fortranscription to understand swing phrasing and language. It sounds as if he has three hands at times by somehowallowing frequencies to hold over, tricking the listener’s mind into thinking a third hand is sustaining a note, whilehe is on to playing something else. Garner’s love for rhythm and blues shines through in a quote from the hit song“Blueberry Hill,” made famous by Fats Domino only a year before. He made no qualms about digging Ray Charles,as they were musical contemporaries and shared a deep connection with the blues. Erroll’s church gigs as a youngboy were equally influential. There is no wonder why we hear Garner’s impact on the piano playing of ArethaFranklin, George Duke, and other pianists of similar background.

The introduction to “Bernie’s Tune” brought forth shades of what was to come in the next couple of decades withheavy fifths in the left hand, something McCoy Tyner eventually popularized. McCoy first recorded with JohnColtrane the following year and, in retrospect, I now grasp the influence of Erroll’s rolling trills and thunderous lefthand on emerging players of the time. McCoy progressed this sound to the next dimension over the course of hiscareer, and though he and others may not have listed Garner as an influence, the music is a continuum, constantlybuilding on the past. However, Tyner tributed Garner by recording “Misty” on his 2000 album, Jazz Roots, andinnovative pianist Herbie Hancock now cites Garner as an influence as well. Garner’s first two solo choruses of“Bernie’s Tune” venture further into bebop than any other songs in the evening’s repertoire, and the third andfourth choruses peak with sweltering octaves along with a shout chorus before the head out. He also chosechromatic motion for the second chord of the form—as Monk might—rather than the tune’s original motion to aflat sixth chord, integrating bop and blues, while still unquestionably swinging.

When I got to Lionel Hampton’s “Red Top,” I replayed it three times in a row, reaffirming what my dad always toldme, “You can’t run away from who you are,” pushing me to further affirm my relationship with the blues. Manycultures have adopted this form and play it with gifted legitimacy, which I find remarkable given the disparity inhow these different cultures experience the world, but this performance of “Red Top” fully exemplifies the powerand completeness of the blues—in its instrumental or vocal form—as a folk music, adapted from the work songsand field hollers of slave times. “Erroll’s Theme” was commonly used as a set-closer and a full-length version wasnever recorded by Garner in the studio (though it was by Gene Harris in 1993). The shortest performance of theevening, at 33 seconds, was the trio’s encore return for the novelty piano song, “Kitten on the Keys.”

HISTORY REVEALED

It is impossible to reflect upon Erroll Garner (or tell any other jazz story) without contextualizing his music. 1959,when this historic performance took place, marked the end of an era and offered a glimpse of what was tocome—one of the most transformative decades in American history. Listening to these sets, I’ve tried to go back intime to imagine attending this performance on a cold evening in Boston, January 17, 1959. While we have no wayof truly knowing the vibe of the room other than by the audience’s reaction on the recording and what can bediscovered from concert reviews, one thing I am certain of is that the people in Boston’s Symphony Hall did notmiss the orchestra that evening.

History is often obscured, allowing for some of our distinguished messengers’ greatest offerings to be taken forgranted. The discovery of this concert recording helps us to clearly understand that Garner’s interpretive freedomof rhythm and melody, combined with his command of the instrument, made him not only ahead of his time, but atrue visionary force in modern music.

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Erroll GarnerComplete Symphony Hall Concert

Erroll Garner – pianoEddie Calhoun – bassKelly Martin – drums

LP 1 POCKET:

SET ONE

SIDE A

1. Dancing in the Dark 5:162. My Funny Valentine 4:373. But Not for Me 3:464. The Nearness of You 5:05

SIDE B

5. A Foggy Day (In London Town) 5:066. Gypsy in My Soul 3:077. I Didn't Know What Time It Was 6:118. Lover 4:309. Last Word 1:05

01 H. Dietz, A. Schwartz; Warner Chappell Music; Round Hill Songs III (ASCAP) | 02, 07 R. Rodgers, L. Hart;Williamson Music Co.; Chappell & Co., Inc. (ASCAP) | 03 G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin; Global Music Rights (GMR);Warner Chappell Music (ASCAP) | 04 H. Carmichael, N. Washington; Sony/ATV Harmony (ASCAP) | 05 G. Gershwin,I. Gershwin; Nokawi Music/Steve Peter Music (ASCAP); Frankie G Songs/Downtown DLJ Songs LLC (ASCAP); IraGershwin Music/Global Music Rights (GMR) | 06 C. Boland, M. Jaffe; Essex Music Inc; Words & Music Inc. (ASCAP) |08 R. Rodgers, L. Hart; Sony/ATV Harmony (ASCAP) | 09 E. Garner; Octave Music Licensing LLC/Downtown DLJSongs (ASCAP)

Produced by Peter Lockhart; Steve RosenthalMastered by Jessica ThompsonPhotograph by Ted Williams, Erroll Garner Archive

LP 2 POCKET:

SET TWO

SIDE C

10. The Song from Moulin Rouge 3:5611. I Can't Get Started With You 4:4512. Back Bay Stride 6:2513. Gospel Mambo 5:31

SIDE D

14. Shell Game 4:4515. My Fair Lady Medley: I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face / On The Street Where You Live / I Could HaveDanced All Night 6:4716. Frenesi 0:5817. Dreamy 3:25

10 M. Ageron, G. A. Auric; Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc/Universal Music (BMI) | 11 I. Gershwin, V. Duke; GlobalMusic Rights (GMR); Music Sales/Universal Music (ASCAP) | 12, 13, 14, 17 E. Garner; Octave Music LicensingLLC/Downtown DLJ Songs (ASCAP) | 15 A. J. Lerner, F. Loewe; Chappell-Co Inc/Warner Chappell Music (ASCAP) | 16L. Whitcup; EMI Full Keel Music/Universal Music (ASCAP)

Produced by Peter Lockhart; Steve RosenthalMastered by Jessica ThompsonPhotograph by Ted Williams, Erroll Garner Archive

LP 3 POCKET:

SET THREE

SIDE E

18. Someone to Watch Over Me 4:3319. I Get a Kick Out of You 5:4320. Misty 4:2221. Indiana (Back Home Again in Indiana) 2:34

SIDE F

22. Moments Delight 5:0523. Bernie's Tune 3:3724. Red Top 3:5825. Will You Still Be Mine 2:4926. Erroll's Theme 1:4027. Kitten on the Keys 0:54

18 G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin; Global Music Rights (GMR); WC Music Corp (ASCAP) | 19 C. Porter; Warner ChappellMusic (ASCAP) | 20, 22, 26 E. Garner; Octave Music Licensing LLC/Downtown DLJ Songs (ASCAP) | 21 J. F. Hanley, B.MacDonald; Traditional, In Public Domain (US); World Excluding US administered by Range Road Music,Inc./Quartet Music Inc./Shapiro Bernstein & Co. Inc. (ASCAP) | 23 B. Miller; Atlantic Music Corp (BMI) | 24 L.

Hampton, B. Kynard; Cherio Corporation/Kobalt Music Pub America (BMI) | 25 M. Dennis, T. Adair; Dorsey BrothersMusic/Music Sales (ASCAP) | 27 E. E. Confrey; Obrasso-Verlag (SUISA)

Produced by Peter Lockhart; Steve RosenthalMastered by Jessica ThompsonPhotograph by Ted Williams, Erroll Garner Archive

LP 4 POCKET:

SESSIONS

SIDE A

1. Octave 103 4:252. She Walked On 3:503. Paris Mist (Trio Version) 4:594. Not So Fast 3:485. You and Me 4:10

SIDE B

6. Misty 2:507. True Blues 4:408. By Chance 4:349. Grill on the Hill 4:2710. Maybe You're the Only One 4:08

01, 02, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10 E. Garner; Octave Music Licensing LLC/Downtown DLJ Songs (ASCAP) | 03 E.Garner; Sony/ATV Harmony (ASCAP)

01, 03, 05, 08 ℗ 2019 Octave Music Licensing, LLC; 02, 04, 06, 07, 09, 10 ℗ 2020 Octave Music Licensing, LLC.Under exclusive worldwide license to Mack Avenue Records II, LLC.

Produced by Peter Lockhart; Steve RosenthalMastered by Michael Graves, Osiris StudiosPhotograph by Norman Seeff, Erroll Garner Archive

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SPINE:

-OCTAVE LOGO- Erroll Garner | Liberation in Swing -MAMG LOGO- MAC1188LP

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