I’m 81 and have loved this guy since I was 18. So inventive, immaculate stride when he wanted to. Such obvious enjoyment when he plays. No one could touch him. All the greats admired him, Basie, Brubeck, Waller.
This guy is one of the most underrated jazz pianists of all time. No one talks about him anymore and he was just brilliant and very unique. He swung like mad!
Underestimated is not exactly the right word ... There was not a more famous pianist than him for 30 years and no one has filled concert halls all over the world like him (always sold out) ... but ever since the '80s, stupid, pedantic critics denied all musicians like Garner, Hines, Waller, Armstrong, Basie, Hampton, Bechet, etc... because they were not "modern" enough for their taste, as in the 19th century Mozart and Bach were despised because they were not romantic enough, we know the after...who were right and who were wrong !
I love it when I see the bass player take several times position to start playing the bass and every time Errol starts a new variation on the intro. It must be a real blessing when you can play in a band like this because you have to stay focussed all the time, Errol gets the best out of every musician and every time it's a surprise what come's up to his mind. Beside all this it's like heaven to hear complete freedom in music, awesome!
At 3:05, Erroll adds an entire new melody to Honeysuckle Rose that uses the same chords and does so in a left-hand stride and then returns to the main melody, and later in the song draws the two melodies back together. It's like he has an extra hand and an extra brain.
Here is Eroll with his famous intros..that even his own band did not know what was coming up....a real jazz..... this was recoded in BBC London...no body took his film..in U.S. There are plenty footages of Elvis and other copy cats in U.S. but most of the jazz footages are preserved by other countries....this IS the AMERCIAN MUSIC....how sad..... master at work....
Nobody can touch this man for his originality and the sheer joy he brought to music. Erroll Garner remains the most imitated pianist of all time...and the greatest. Not just great...but THE GREATEST! 🎹🎹
I was only about 12 first and only time I saw Errol on the TV, it was Sunday Night At The Palladium, I had no jazz background but I was delighted by this instantly. I remember in particular Errol's style of playing, with his fingers locked straight and splayed out, pointing staight down at the keys, and Errol going "Haaarrrrr, haaaarrrr!" all the time he was playing.
Erroll Garner at the piano is the epitome of what the French call the "joie de vivre" ( the joy of life and living life) but he also embodied the concept of "joie de jouer le piano" (the JOY of playing the piano"). Here he is doing what he ALWAYS did best, making serious music having an awesomely fun time making music. Garner always said "I just want to make people happy!" He absoluted suceeded with his audiences around the world in that department, as with audience for the BBC in London in this clip in 1964 playing Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose". His music will always be one of the most joyful and beautiful expressions of American music brightening this world for as long it continues turning!!
Great Video!! Notice how the bass player just waits for almost a minute until Garner starts the tune; he even gestures to the audience that he doesn't know what Garner's going to play. I just kept watching the intro.....
Incredible!where did this come from? Never seen Garner so heavily into virtuoso mode - lightening high speed melodic improvising, steam-hammer left hand stride and boogie style and all seemingly with little effort as if someone just switched him on and off he went like a magical jazz swinging machine. I'm in shock at seeing/hearing this and I used to buy all his LPs back in the 1960s.
THE jazz pianist. there are so many geniuses in jazz piano. But Erroll was the first guy I heard after my classical piano studies and I LOVE his playing : fresh, creative, happy.... I bought my first jazz audio record on 1946-47 recordings that I have never found again in CD, and that's a pity because they are wonderful. My first "jazz impressions" and an everlasting love 🙂
I read of an account between Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson, shortly before Tatum's death, where Tatum told Peterson to watch out for "the little guy" (Garner).
This is so brilliant... The into is a masterpiece of creativity, freshness and musicality... WOW!!!!!!! When I think this fellow did not know how to read music (just like Django Reinhardt for instance) I'm so ammired and astonished! What a sense a rhythm, what a beatiful impro... He was the same thing with his music... :)))))))))))))))))))))
Dave Brubeck, Errol Garner and George Shearing. Brubeck introduced us to weird time signatures, Shearing invented Locked Hands style, and Garner turned Stride Piano into just something else cosmic. Three giants of Jazz.
With respect George Shearing learned the locked hands style from Milt Buckner & Shearing admitted as much...Another case of a white man getting credit for a black mans work. Brubeck certainly wasn't the first musician to play in 5/4 time, and Take Five was written by Paul Desmond.
He did an amazing cover of Burt Bacharachs "Close to You" transforming the song into jazz. Supposedly he never took formal lessons and is extremely original.
Everybody loves Erroll. This guy is so sweet: full of charisma, his playing: full of joy. 0:37: Boogie-woogie reminiscence. 3:05: Hommage to Count Basie
Man I love how present the blues are in his playing, most so call jazz musicians today have forgotten all about the blues witch is a cornerstone in jazz
This man swings so hard and yet, so effortlessly. He was a TRUE GENIUS! Not what they call every rapper these days. Look at his expressions on his face. He loved every minute of it!! Good music NEVER dies!
I love the intro 0:50, confusing (though I'm sure it was an act), his band. So playful and wonderful. He reminds me of Oscar Aleman (in looks, playfulness and virtuosity)
@@emperor1e I don't know about that, he' has certainly always been held in high regard as one of the all time great stride players. He didn't play ONLY stride, although I don't remember hearing anything from him that doesn't have at least some stride undertones to it.
Eddie Calhoun had an impossible job when playing with Errol who can easily be called a two fisted player. Except where Garner's driving 4beat left hand has no bass line, Eddie has to cover exactly the lines of the piano. Being a bass player myself, I had the opportunity to play bass with boogie woogie greats including Mead Lux Lewis and Charlie Beal. The toughest gigs I ever worked.
Honey suck my nose that is so clever. He has got his bass player puzzled. Then he settles in the key of F at a blistering tempo, with Honeysuckle Rose. I never realized how small Erroll's hands are. Oscar Peterson was a big man with freakishly big hands. When I see Erroll's hands I see there is hope for me.
@lamoeblabla7 I'm not sure if it's the same performance, but there is a great DVD called "Erroll Garner - In Performance" that is avaliable for sale on Amazon.
As a rule, Erroll Garner seldom casts his eyes down on the keyboard when he's swingin' through a tune; preferring to turn his mischievously whimsical smile on the audience, with that "yeah, check me out, while I blow your minds" look. But here, in honor of the great Fats Waller, he respectfully gives his undivided attention and eyes to his instrument. I think Fats would have thoroughly dug Erroll's stride interpretation and mastery on the 88s.
Sorry to hear about your current state. It seems that great musicians always end off on the streets or die penniless (remember Bartok?) He died broke with only ten people at his funeral. Listen to his "Concerto for Orchestra"..WOW! Most of these RICH stars today, couldn't even buckle tie shoe laces.
