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120661bk Garner2 20/12/02 9:48 pm Page 8
Also available in the Naxos Jazz Legends series
8.120528 8.120581 8.120582
8.120588* 8.120610* 8.120622*
* Not available in the USA 120661bk Garner2 20/12/02 9:48 pm Page 2
ERROLL GARNER The Naxos Historical labels aim to make available the greatest recordings of the history of Vol.2 recorded music, in the best and truest sound that contemporary technology can provide. To Errol Garner Plays Standards Original Recordings 1945-1949 achieve this aim, Naxos has engaged a number of respected restorers who have the dedication, skill and experience to produce restorations that have set new standards in the field of historical recordings. The composer of “Misty”, Erroll Louis Garner, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on 15 June 1921 and although he never learned to read music in any formal sense, even in his David Lennick youth he was already improvising and dabbling in composition. As a pianist he was largely As a producer of CD reissues, David Lennick’s work in this field grew directly from his own self-taught; he first took up the instrument at three, while still a child he was heard on his needs as a broadcaster specializing in vintage material and the need to make it listenable while local radio show Kan-D-Kids. During his ’teens he gained early experience and honed his being transmitted through equalizers, compressors and the inherent limitations of A.M. radio. already awesome technique in theatre shows and vaudeville and on riverboat gigs before Equally at home in classical, pop, jazz and nostalgia, Lennick describes himself as exercising as establishing himself during the late 1930s in bands around Pittsburgh, notably Leroy Brown’s, much control as possible on the final product, in conjunction with CEDAR noise reduction during 1937. From his boyhood Erroll received significant peer encouragement from both his applied by Graham Newton in Toronto. As both broadcaster and re-issue producer, he relies pianist brother Linton and his schoolmate Billy Strayhorn, largely at whose instigation, in on his own extensive collection as well as those made available to him by private collectors, 1944, he transferred to New York. the University of Toronto, Syracuse University and others. In New York Down Beat magazine hailed him “The only two-handed player since Fats Waller!”, he met Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker (albeit he never was sucked into the burgeoning bop Available in our companion series Naxos Nostalgia… idiom, he later recorded with Parker, in Los Angeles, in 1947) and was heard in New York’s 52nd Street clubs, notably Tondelayo’s, where during part of 1944 he was in residence. That year he made his first recordings, semi-private efforts made in the apartment of Danish jazz aficionado and promoter Baron Timme Rosenkranz and his wife (later reissued on LP by Bluenote) and also during 1944 Erroll formed a trio with John Simmons and Harold ‘Doc’ West and with this group made his first commercial recordings (issued on Atlantic, Musidisc and Rex, see Erroll Garner CD-1 Yesterdays, Naxos 8.120528).
While in New York, Erroll regularly played other nightspots (sometimes reputedly making nightly appearances at up to four different venues, including the Melody Bar and the Rendezvous) and is known to have deputised after-hours for Art Tatum in the Tatum Trio. During 1944-1945, he also teamed with bassist Slam Stewart (at that time famous as half of 8.120510 8.120627 8.120637* ‘Slam & Slim’, a popular commercial jazz novelty duo with guitarist-vocalist Slim Gailhard) * Not available in the USA
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15. I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE, BABY (Dorothy Fields–Jimmy McHugh) and would be associated on and off disc with Stewart intermittently for the rest of his career. (Atlantic 666, mx A-245) Recorded 20 August 1949, N.Y. 3:08 Already by this time, however, he was a most prominent, highly individual and distinctive 16. SKYLARK (Johnny Mercer–Hoagy Carmichael) soloist (albeit cast in the mould of Art Tatum, with the odd echo of Fats Waller) whether or (Atlantic 666, mx A-246) Recorded 20 August 1949, N.Y. 3:11 not actually playing solo or as a member of a trio. 17. ROSALIE (Cole Porter) By 1946 Garner’s work had begun to command a wider audience. In 1948 he appeared at the (Portrait 8501, mx PO 251) Recorded August 1949, N.Y. 3:03 Paris Jazz Festival, by 1950 he was in terms of jazz record sales already a major success-story 18. STAIRWAY TO THE STARS (Matty Malneck–Frank Signorelli–Mitchell Parish) and from 1951, in addition to well-earned jazz laurels, Erroll the “swinging romantic” began (Portrait 8500, mx PO 253) Recorded August 1949, N.Y. 2:49 to carve himself a niche in the more commercially popular sphere of composition and song- 19. EVERYTHING HAPPENS TO ME (Matt Dennis–Tom Adair) writing which would reach its pinnacle with “Misty” when the song acquired world status in (Portrait 8501, mx PO 252) Recorded August 1949, N.Y. 3:04 1959. However, the vehicles for these recordings made between 1946 and 1949, for Mercury 20. ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET (Dorothy Fields–Jimmy McHugh) and other labels all bear the distinct cachet of “standards”. Mostly of Broadway musical or (Portrait 8500, mx PO 250) Recorded August 1949, N.Y. 2:50 film origin, some of the selections are older, some more contemporary to their dates of recording and Garner handles them all robustly, in a few instances rather Kentonesquely, Transfers & Production: David Lennick though never roughly. Digital Noise Reduction: Graham Newton From Irving Berlin’s treasure-house come Always and Blue Skies (occasionals both, Producer’s Note: Tracks 17-20 were originally recorded for the small Portrait label. The respectively vintage 1925 and 1926); from 1927 comes Sometimes I’m Happy (hit-song of masters were reissued on Regent and Savoy and given much wider circulation, but have the Vincent Youmans–Irving Caesar musical Hit The Deck); from 1928 come I Can’t Give You considerable wow from the original source. Anything But Love, Baby (from the Dorothy Fields–Jimmy McHugh musical Blackbirds Of 1928) and Lover, Come Back To Me (from the long-running Sigmund Romberg score The New Moon); from 1930 come Body And Soul (the Johnny W. Green–Ted Heyman perennial Personnel originally heard in Three’s A Crowd), On The Sunny Side Of The Street (McHugh & Fields again, from Lew Leslie’s International Revue) and Embraceable You (from the Gershwin Tracks 1-6: Erroll Garner, piano solo Brothers’ score of Girl Crazy). Tracks 7-9: Erroll Garner, piano; Red Callender, bass; Nick Fatool, drums From 1931 we have the Gordon Clifford–Harry Barris standard I Surrender, Dear, from 1933 Track 10: Erroll Garner, piano; Red Callender, bass; Lou Singer, drums the Fields & McHugh “occasional” Don’t Blame Me and, from 1935, It’s Easy To Remember Tracks 11-14: Erroll Garner, piano; John Simmons, bass; Alvin Stoller, drums (the Richard Rodgers–Lorenz Hart hit from Bing Crosby’s period film-musical Mississippi) and Tracks 15-20: Erroll Garner, piano; Leonard Gaskin, bass; Charlie Smith, drums our album title-song Stairway To The Stars (a durable by Matt Malneck perhaps better-
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known in the version with lyrics by Mitchell Parish). From 1936 come two pieces of out-and- 1. SOMETIMES I'M HAPPY (Vincent Youmans–Irving Caesar) out romantic grist to Garner’s mill, the first I Can’t Get Started (music by Vernon Duke, lyrics (Mercury 1002, mx 162-1) Recorded 5 December 1945, New York 2:46 by Ira Gershwin, from the musical Ziegfeld Follies of 1936), followed by I’ve Got You Under My 2. EMBRACEABLE YOU (George Gershwin–Ira Gershwin) Skin (an Academy Award-nominated Cole Porter indestructible from the Eleanor Powell– (Mercury 1001, mx 158-1) Recorded 5 December 1945, New York 3:07 James Stewart film-musical Born To Dance); from 1937 Where Or When (from the Rodgers & 3. ALWAYS (Irving Berlin) Hart musical Babes In Arms) and Rosalie (Cole Porter title-song of the Nelson Eddy–Eleanor (Mercury 1002, mx 160-1) Recorded 5 December 1945, New York 2:47 Powell film-musical) and from 1938 Love Walked In (Gershwin & Gershwin again, first 4. LOVER, COME BACK TO ME (Sigmund Romberg–Oscar Hammerstein II) introduced by Kenny Baker in the film-musical The Goldwyn Follies). From 1942 comes Skylark (Mercury 1001, mx 163-1) Recorded 5 December 1945, New York 3:15 (a World War 2 occasional by Hoagy Carmichael) and from 1945 the wistful If I Loved You 5. I CAN'T GET STARTED (Vernon Duke–Ira Gershwin) (from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical blockbuster Carousel). (Mercury 1003, mx 164-1) Recorded 5 December 1945, New York 3:18 Peter Dempsey, 2003 6. I'VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN (Cole Porter) (Mercury 1003, mx 159-1) Recorded 5 December 1945, New York 2:35 7. BLUE SKIES (Irving Berlin) (Mercury 1032, mx 451-5) Recorded 14 July 1946, L.A. 2:55 8. DON'T BLAME ME (Dorothy Fields–Jimmy McHugh) (Mercury 1032, mx 452-5) Recorded 14 July 1946, L.A. 3:02 9. WHERE OR WHEN (Richard Rodgers–Lorenz Hart) (Mercury 5008, mx 453-2) Recorded 14 July 1946, L.A. 2:53 10. IF I LOVED YOU (Richard Rodgers–Oscar Hammerstein II) (Mercury 1034, mx 334-1) Recorded 9 April 1946, L.A. 2:46 11. BODY AND SOUL (Edward Heyman–Johnny Green–Robert Sour–Frank Eyton) (Savoy 728, mx B 4405-3) Recorded 29 March 1949, L.A. 2:59 12. IT'S EASY TO REMEMBER (Richard Rodgers–Lorenz Hart) (Savoy 728, mx B 4401) Recorded 29 March 1949,, L.A. 2:43 13. I SURRENDER DEAR (Harry Barris–G. Clifford) (Savoy 701, mx B 210-3) Recorded 29 March 1949, L.A. 3:01 14. LOVE WALKED IN (George Gershwin–Ira Gershwin) Photo of Erroll Garner (b/w original, Michael Ochs Archives/Redferns) (Savoy 701, mx B 4404-3) Recorded 29 March 1949, L.A. 2:59
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known in the version with lyrics by Mitchell Parish). From 1936 come two pieces of out-and- 1. SOMETIMES I'M HAPPY (Vincent Youmans–Irving Caesar) out romantic grist to Garner’s mill, the first I Can’t Get Started (music by Vernon Duke, lyrics (Mercury 1002, mx 162-1) Recorded 5 December 1945, New York 2:46 by Ira Gershwin, from the musical Ziegfeld Follies of 1936), followed by I’ve Got You Under My 2. EMBRACEABLE YOU (George Gershwin–Ira Gershwin) Skin (an Academy Award-nominated Cole Porter indestructible from the Eleanor Powell– (Mercury 1001, mx 158-1) Recorded 5 December 1945, New York 3:07 James Stewart film-musical Born To Dance); from 1937 Where Or When (from the Rodgers & 3. ALWAYS (Irving Berlin) Hart musical Babes In Arms) and Rosalie (Cole Porter title-song of the Nelson Eddy–Eleanor (Mercury 1002, mx 160-1) Recorded 5 December 1945, New York 2:47 Powell film-musical) and from 1938 Love Walked In (Gershwin & Gershwin again, first 4. LOVER, COME BACK TO ME (Sigmund Romberg–Oscar Hammerstein II) introduced by Kenny Baker in the film-musical The Goldwyn Follies). From 1942 comes Skylark (Mercury 1001, mx 163-1) Recorded 5 December 1945, New York 3:15 (a World War 2 occasional by Hoagy Carmichael) and from 1945 the wistful If I Loved You 5. I CAN'T GET STARTED (Vernon Duke–Ira Gershwin) (from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical blockbuster Carousel). (Mercury 1003, mx 164-1) Recorded 5 December 1945, New York 3:18 Peter Dempsey, 2003 6. I'VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN (Cole Porter) (Mercury 1003, mx 159-1) Recorded 5 December 1945, New York 2:35 7. BLUE SKIES (Irving Berlin) (Mercury 1032, mx 451-5) Recorded 14 July 1946, L.A. 2:55 8. DON'T BLAME ME (Dorothy Fields–Jimmy McHugh) (Mercury 1032, mx 452-5) Recorded 14 July 1946, L.A. 3:02 9. WHERE OR WHEN (Richard Rodgers–Lorenz Hart) (Mercury 5008, mx 453-2) Recorded 14 July 1946, L.A. 2:53 10. IF I LOVED YOU (Richard Rodgers–Oscar Hammerstein II) (Mercury 1034, mx 334-1) Recorded 9 April 1946, L.A. 2:46 11. BODY AND SOUL (Edward Heyman–Johnny Green–Robert Sour–Frank Eyton) (Savoy 728, mx B 4405-3) Recorded 29 March 1949, L.A. 2:59 12. IT'S EASY TO REMEMBER (Richard Rodgers–Lorenz Hart) (Savoy 728, mx B 4401) Recorded 29 March 1949,, L.A. 2:43 13. I SURRENDER DEAR (Harry Barris–G. Clifford) (Savoy 701, mx B 210-3) Recorded 29 March 1949, L.A. 3:01 14. LOVE WALKED IN (George Gershwin–Ira Gershwin) Photo of Erroll Garner (b/w original, Michael Ochs Archives/Redferns) (Savoy 701, mx B 4404-3) Recorded 29 March 1949, L.A. 2:59
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15. I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE, BABY (Dorothy Fields–Jimmy McHugh) and would be associated on and off disc with Stewart intermittently for the rest of his career. (Atlantic 666, mx A-245) Recorded 20 August 1949, N.Y. 3:08 Already by this time, however, he was a most prominent, highly individual and distinctive 16. SKYLARK (Johnny Mercer–Hoagy Carmichael) soloist (albeit cast in the mould of Art Tatum, with the odd echo of Fats Waller) whether or (Atlantic 666, mx A-246) Recorded 20 August 1949, N.Y. 3:11 not actually playing solo or as a member of a trio. 17. ROSALIE (Cole Porter) By 1946 Garner’s work had begun to command a wider audience. In 1948 he appeared at the (Portrait 8501, mx PO 251) Recorded August 1949, N.Y. 3:03 Paris Jazz Festival, by 1950 he was in terms of jazz record sales already a major success-story 18. STAIRWAY TO THE STARS (Matty Malneck–Frank Signorelli–Mitchell Parish) and from 1951, in addition to well-earned jazz laurels, Erroll the “swinging romantic” began (Portrait 8500, mx PO 253) Recorded August 1949, N.Y. 2:49 to carve himself a niche in the more commercially popular sphere of composition and song- 19. EVERYTHING HAPPENS TO ME (Matt Dennis–Tom Adair) writing which would reach its pinnacle with “Misty” when the song acquired world status in (Portrait 8501, mx PO 252) Recorded August 1949, N.Y. 3:04 1959. However, the vehicles for these recordings made between 1946 and 1949, for Mercury 20. ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET (Dorothy Fields–Jimmy McHugh) and other labels all bear the distinct cachet of “standards”. Mostly of Broadway musical or (Portrait 8500, mx PO 250) Recorded August 1949, N.Y. 2:50 film origin, some of the selections are older, some more contemporary to their dates of recording and Garner handles them all robustly, in a few instances rather Kentonesquely, Transfers & Production: David Lennick though never roughly. Digital Noise Reduction: Graham Newton From Irving Berlin’s treasure-house come Always and Blue Skies (occasionals both, Producer’s Note: Tracks 17-20 were originally recorded for the small Portrait label. The respectively vintage 1925 and 1926); from 1927 comes Sometimes I’m Happy (hit-song of masters were reissued on Regent and Savoy and given much wider circulation, but have the Vincent Youmans–Irving Caesar musical Hit The Deck); from 1928 come I Can’t Give You considerable wow from the original source. Anything But Love, Baby (from the Dorothy Fields–Jimmy McHugh musical Blackbirds Of 1928) and Lover, Come Back To Me (from the long-running Sigmund Romberg score The New Moon); from 1930 come Body And Soul (the Johnny W. Green–Ted Heyman perennial Personnel originally heard in Three’s A Crowd), On The Sunny Side Of The Street (McHugh & Fields again, from Lew Leslie’s International Revue) and Embraceable You (from the Gershwin Tracks 1-6: Erroll Garner, piano solo Brothers’ score of Girl Crazy). Tracks 7-9: Erroll Garner, piano; Red Callender, bass; Nick Fatool, drums From 1931 we have the Gordon Clifford–Harry Barris standard I Surrender, Dear, from 1933 Track 10: Erroll Garner, piano; Red Callender, bass; Lou Singer, drums the Fields & McHugh “occasional” Don’t Blame Me and, from 1935, It’s Easy To Remember Tracks 11-14: Erroll Garner, piano; John Simmons, bass; Alvin Stoller, drums (the Richard Rodgers–Lorenz Hart hit from Bing Crosby’s period film-musical Mississippi) and Tracks 15-20: Erroll Garner, piano; Leonard Gaskin, bass; Charlie Smith, drums our album title-song Stairway To The Stars (a durable by Matt Malneck perhaps better-
6 8.120661 8.120661 3 120661bk Garner2 20/12/02 9:48 pm Page 2
ERROLL GARNER The Naxos Historical labels aim to make available the greatest recordings of the history of Vol.2 recorded music, in the best and truest sound that contemporary technology can provide. To Errol Garner Plays Standards Original Recordings 1945-1949 achieve this aim, Naxos has engaged a number of respected restorers who have the dedication, skill and experience to produce restorations that have set new standards in the field of historical recordings. The composer of “Misty”, Erroll Louis Garner, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on 15 June 1921 and although he never learned to read music in any formal sense, even in his David Lennick youth he was already improvising and dabbling in composition. As a pianist he was largely As a producer of CD reissues, David Lennick’s work in this field grew directly from his own self-taught; he first took up the instrument at three, while still a child he was heard on his needs as a broadcaster specializing in vintage material and the need to make it listenable while local radio show Kan-D-Kids. During his ’teens he gained early experience and honed his being transmitted through equalizers, compressors and the inherent limitations of A.M. radio. already awesome technique in theatre shows and vaudeville and on riverboat gigs before Equally at home in classical, pop, jazz and nostalgia, Lennick describes himself as exercising as establishing himself during the late 1930s in bands around Pittsburgh, notably Leroy Brown’s, much control as possible on the final product, in conjunction with CEDAR noise reduction during 1937. From his boyhood Erroll received significant peer encouragement from both his applied by Graham Newton in Toronto. As both broadcaster and re-issue producer, he relies pianist brother Linton and his schoolmate Billy Strayhorn, largely at whose instigation, in on his own extensive collection as well as those made available to him by private collectors, 1944, he transferred to New York. the University of Toronto, Syracuse University and others. In New York Down Beat magazine hailed him “The only two-handed player since Fats Waller!”, he met Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker (albeit he never was sucked into the burgeoning bop Available in our companion series Naxos Nostalgia… idiom, he later recorded with Parker, in Los Angeles, in 1947) and was heard in New York’s 52nd Street clubs, notably Tondelayo’s, where during part of 1944 he was in residence. That year he made his first recordings, semi-private efforts made in the apartment of Danish jazz aficionado and promoter Baron Timme Rosenkranz and his wife (later reissued on LP by Bluenote) and also during 1944 Erroll formed a trio with John Simmons and Harold ‘Doc’ West and with this group made his first commercial recordings (issued on Atlantic, Musidisc and Rex, see Erroll Garner CD-1 Yesterdays, Naxos 8.120528).
While in New York, Erroll regularly played other nightspots (sometimes reputedly making nightly appearances at up to four different venues, including the Melody Bar and the Rendezvous) and is known to have deputised after-hours for Art Tatum in the Tatum Trio. During 1944-1945, he also teamed with bassist Slam Stewart (at that time famous as half of 8.120510 8.120627 8.120637* ‘Slam & Slim’, a popular commercial jazz novelty duo with guitarist-vocalist Slim Gailhard) * Not available in the USA
2 8.120661 8.120661 7 120661bk Garner2 20/12/02 9:48 pm Page 8
Also available in the Naxos Jazz Legends series
8.120528 8.120581 8.120582
8.120588* 8.120610* 8.120622*
* Not available in the USA ERROLL GARNER Vol. 2 8.120661 Erroll GarnerPlaysStandards GARNER ERROLL www. NOTES ANDFULLRECORDING DETAILS INCLUDED Newton NoiseReduction byGraham Digital Transfers andProductionbyDavid Lennick h 0 OnTheSunnySide OfTheStreet 20. HappensTo Everything Me 19. To Stairway TheStars 18. Rosalie 17. Skylark 16. ICan’tGive You AnythingBut Love, Baby 15. Love Walked In 14. ISurrenderDear 13. It’sEasyTo Remember 12. IfILoved You 10. 1 BodyAndSoul 11. .WhereOrWhen 9. Don’tBlameMe 8. BlueSkies 7. I’ve GotYou UnderMySkin 6. ICan’tGetStarted 5. Lover, ComeBackTo Me 4. Always 3. You Embraceable 2. .SometimesI’mHappy 1. & g 2003 HNHInternationalLtdDesign: Ron Hoares naxos.com 2:47 3:03 3:11 2:55 2:46 2:59 2:59 3:02 2:53 3:01 3:07 3:18 2:46 2:49 2:43 MADE INE.C. 3:15 3:04 2:35 2:50 3:08 1945-1949 Recordings o.2 Vol. 60:23 ADD Total Time 8.120661 K&A Timings K&A Timings KH JF PB PD DL AA
ROLGRE Vl 2 Vol. GARNER ERROLL 8.120661