The return of a long-forgotten jazz legend who played by ear, seldom looking at his keyboard, who never learned to read music: the once-popular pianist Erroll Garner.
His most famous 1955 album remastered 60 years later: now on 3 CDs, 11 new performances, 1 CD of the original edited concert.
Erroll’s 3 to 5 minute pieces are always full to the brim with extra notes and chords; no one else ever played like this; he makes full use of the keyboard. Classics are freshly and uniquely reconfigured. Erroll’s trio (bass and drums fill in nicely and keep things hopping). And, he mutters and hums his way along, delighting the live audience with how much he is into the music.
Erroll was, definitely, a memorable one-off and he staked out unique piece of jazz history. Always entertaining and fully engaging for the listener’s ears. Quite the auditory imagination and eloquent expression. Nary a dull moment. This set is highly recommended for piano fans and jazzers interested in the history of jazz.
