Erroll Garner’s birthdate is June 15, 1921, so while we in the last weeks of his Centennial year, we take a dive off to the Monterey Peninsula and visit Carmel for a legendary, accidental recording.
The best-selling album “Concert By The Sea” was a watershed for jazz in the 1950’s, proving how popular the music could be, but also setting the stage for some developments in the music business that Garner and his Manager Martha Glaser were critically important in.
Pittsburgh Piano great Erroll Garner went to Pittsburgh’s George Westinghouse High School (as were Ahmad Jamal and Billy Strayhorn), Garner was working as a musician before he was a teenager, and went to astound the world.
His archives, now at the University of Pittsburgh, are a treasure trove of information on his career - including how he began to oversee his own recordings and creative control.
We have sounds of Erroll, plus interviews from 1955 with Garner, bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer Denzel Best. Plus a great tune by Denzel Best as done by Guitarist Hank Garland (no relation) and a very young Gary Burton, and a notable Ahmad Jamal track from the 50’s with bassist Eddie Calhoun along with another Pittsburgh native, guitarist Ray Crawford.
Plus, a track from a reunion tribute from Erroll’s last rhythm section - bassist Ernest McCarty Jr and drummer Jimmie Smith, joined by Geri Allen at piano and Noel Quintana, percussion.
We also visit with drummer Thomas Wendt about some activity buzzing in the jazz scene - and hear him with a track by another graduate of Westinghouse High, the great pianist Frank Cunimondo.
Warm sounds from Carmel, and great sounds from all over - on the Scene.
The Scene - Thursday at 6pm, Friday and Saturday at noon, Sunday afternoon at 5.
Erroll Garner in NY, late 1940’s
