Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on June 15, 1921, Erroll Louis Garner was destined to be an amazing jazz pianist and composer. By the age of three, Erroll was playing the piano successfully.
Like many successful composers and musicians, he did not choose to follow traditional teaching methods to learn the piano. He was a self-taught musician who never learned to read music. He simply played by ear, not by the page.
Being a piano savant, Erroll Garner began his long career in the spotlight at the age of seven. He started appearing on a Pittsburgh radio show. Nothing could stop Erroll. He was performing on the Allegheny riverboats by age 11. In 1937, his collaboration with saxophonist Leroy Brown became the highlight of Garner’s young career. Little did he know that his life was going to hold even more success.
In 1944, Erroll Garner moved to New York. From 1944 to 1947, Garner worked with bassist Slam Stewart and Charlie Parker. Although he was an amazing talent, he was quite small in stature; therefore, according to some, Garner would often sit on top of a large Manhattan telephone book. During the majority of his performances, along with sitting on a telephone book, Erroll Garner also was rumored to sing while playing. His vocals are featured in many of his recorded performances.
Although his musical ear was his major asset, Peterson was also well-known for his compositions. Peterson’s most recognized and celebrated composition was “Misty.” “Misty” was written in 1954. Because of this song, Erroll Garner was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame 37 years after its release. The song “Misty” also became an inspiration for the 1971 movie “Play Misty for Me.”
In his own words, Erroll discussed his gift, stating, “I always play what I feel. I always feel like me, but I’m a different me every day. I get ideas from everything. A big color, the sound of water and wind, or a flash of something cool. Playing is like life. Either you feel it or you don’t.” Of course, Erroll Garner was modest about his talents. However, it is agreed that his ability for playing the piano and using his ear to play music were remarkable talents.
Earl Hines, a fellow pianist and Pittsburgh resident, was a great example and influence for Garner. Garner’s level of success is often compared to the fame achieved by Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller. From 1947 through 1991, Erroll Garner recorded and released 15 records.
The most recent record from 1991 was “Body and Soul.” His most popular live recording was “Concert by the Sea” with bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer Denzil Best. Other well-known albums included 1947’s “Giants of the Piano,” 1951’s “Erroll Garner at the Piano,” 1958’s “Paris Impressions” and 1967’s “That’s My Kick.” “Erroll Garner,” “Mambo Moves Garner,” “Misty,” “Feeling is Believing,” “Erroll Garner Amsterdam Concert,” “Erroll Garner Plays,” “Gemini,” “Magician” and “Play it Again Erroll” are the remaining of Garner’s recorded albums.
The United Kingdom hosted two rare consecutive appearances of Erroll Garner in 1964 on the British Broadcasting Corporation’s music series called “Jazz 625.” Garner performed with bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer Kelly Martin in these performances. A notorious shot of Garner was taken during these sessions. This shot includes sweat running down Garner’s face due to extreme thought and concentration during the performances.
At the time of his death, Erroll Garner was well-known all over the world. On January 2, 1977, he died at the age of 56.
By: Duane Shinn
Every great jazz musician has, at one time or another, transcribed jazz solos from recordings. Since jazz is an art from that is aural in nature, it makes complete sense that listening and copying the improvisations of earlier jazz masters helps one become a more consistent and skilled jazz improviser.
Transcribing a jazz solo involves the repetitive listening and notation of a recorded jazz solo. To get maximum benefit from the process, the person studying the solo through transcription should memorize and internalize every note and every inflection played by the improviser. “Transcribing” refers to the activity of notating on paper the exact notes and rhythms played by the improviser.
Evolving Technologies of Transcribing Jazz Solos
Charlie Parker could arguably be called the most influential jazz artist of the 20th century. His inventive jazz improvisations changed the face of jazz and ushered in one of the most exciting eras of jazz: the bebop era.
Charlie Parker was born with a huge amount of natural talent, but that does not mean Charlie never worked hard at his honing his craft. History reveals that Charlie spent almost a year early on in his music career memorizing – note by note – the jazz solos of Lester Young from 78 RPM recordings.
Before jazz became widely available on 78 RPM recordings, musicians relied on listening and learning in “real time”. The only way to learn jazz improvisation in the early days of jazz was to listen to live musicians and pick up what you could from what they played. Once played however, the music was gone forever.
During the 1920s, artists such Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong and many others began recording their music and jazz improvisations onto 78 RPM acetone discs. This leap in technology opened the door for future musicians to “study” the improvisations of their jazz predecessors.
The 1950s saw the introduction of reel to reel tape machines and ultimately cassette tape recordings. Magnetic tape made it possible for jazz musicians to forward and rewind the tape to exact locations of solos and specific passages of a solo. No longer did musicians have to “drop the needle” on worn out discs to learn a solo or tune. Some cassette tape players were made specifically for musicians, allowing them to slow down parts or all of a recording at half or quarter speed. This proved to be helpful, but slowing down analog tape created problems with pitch and fidelity that was annoying to say the least.
In recent years, computers have assisted jazz musicians transcribe recordings in ways that were once considered impossible. Inexpensive or free computer programs have made it possible to slow down fast passages without changing fidelity or pitch. Other advantages of computer assisted transcription include the ability to change key, precise looping of passages for ease in learning, and even help with notating pitches that are played.
Transcribing and studying great jazz solos can be one of the smartest and beneficial activities any jazz musician can undertake to help hone his or her craft. Even with the marvels of modern technology, the process still takes time and effort however. Don’t forget to use the knowledge and skills you acquire from transcribing jazz solos to performing with live musicians. Nothing will replace the experience of playing jazz with others!
By: James P Martin