Coast To Coast

Description

Erroll Garner was born on June 15, 1923 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; where he then largely grew up. Attending an integrated school, he found himself the schoolmate of another aspiring pianist destined to make a name for himself in bebop, the white son of European immigrants, Michael 'Dodo' Marmarosa. Erroll himself would only flirt with bop though. As his own, two-handed style developed, it became clear he was destined for the concert platform rather than the club circuit. Again, unlike Marmarosa, and despite having a piano-playing father he was reluctant to study and never would learn to read music properly. Which, as it transpired, didn't matter. These deficiencies were more than compensated for by a phenomenal 'ear' and its parallel memory-bank for tunes and chords. Following school, in 1937 Erroll gigged with local bands; then at age 23 left for New York City and took jobs with various bands along 52nd Street, including notably, the Slam Stewart Trio. But bop at the Three Deuces and other clubs along The Street was not quite for him, nor was playing in groups with other horns. He liked the rhythmic accompaniment of bass and drums; but otherwise, from the mid-1940s on he would be his own man (or rather, soloist). In 1946 Erroll won the Esquire 'New Star' award for piano (one year ahead of Dodo) and the rest, is musical history. By 1950 he was first a successful club and then increasingly, concert artist all around the world. Especially once his promotions had been taken over by the legendary Sol Hurok, previously only known for staging classical performers. Errol would go on to appear with leading symphony orchestras himself, beginning with the Cincinnati Symphony in 1957. Also, to compose for feature films and, because his playing was so easily acceptable to the public ear, as guest on such important TV spectaculars as the Ed Sullivan, Jackie Gleason, Perry Como and Arthur Godfrey shows. First and foremost though, he remained a concert performer, and with no language barriers to his instrumental music, this meant in almost every city on the globe. (Even in space, since his tapes became firm favourites with the US Astronauts!). Meanwhile he was recording scores of titles, and as his popularity grew, so a number duly made their entries into the 'pop' as well as the jazz charts all of which is well illustrated by these selections. Apart from his ever increasing global popularity, Erroll of course had huge success in the United States appearing all over the country with his Trio. We are fortunate that many of his performances Coast to Coast during the golden 'fifties were preserved for posterity. Tracks from the Basin St. Club in New York and Peacock Lane in Hollywood, along with an unknown location in between, were picked up by NBC's Monitor radio programme. Also featured are some tracks recorded in George Wein's Storyville club in the Copley Square Hotel, Boston by Station WHDH, presented by John McLellan.