Red Garland Auf Wiedersehen (2015)

Legendary jazz pianist Red Garland teams up with the perfect complementary rhythm section of Sam Jones on bass and drummer Roy Brooks on this 1971 recording, Garland's first recording after a nine year absence. Auf Wiedersehen features covers of tunes by Joe Henderson, Clifford Brown and Dizzy Gillespie along with originals such as the title track, a romantic ballad that has Garland saying a pianistic “goodbye” with a nod to Nat King Cole.

After being very active on records and in clubs from 1955-62, pianist Red Garland went back to his native Texas. He did not return to records until 1971, when he cut "Auf Wiedersehen" and this particular LP, which has not yet been reissued on CD; except for a couple of Japanese dates in 1974, it would be another six years before Garland began making a real comeback. Teamed up with Jimmy Heath (who doubles on tenor and soprano), bassist Peck Morrison and drummer Lenny McBrowne, Garland plays in the same distinctive style he had in the 1950s, not showing any decline or loss of chops. The quartet performs four jazz standards, the title cut (a Heath original), and Leroy Vinnegar's "For Carl".