Erroll Garner Body & Soul

As was the case with Fats Waller, Erroll Garner's natural and advanced musical talent ingratiated him to jazz aficionados and experts alike. Garner took to the piano intuitively, never needing to take lessons because of his exceptional ear for music. Further breaking the mold, he transcended many of the jazz styles he came up with, including both swing and bebop. You hear the power of swing pianist Earl Hines in his fleet and robust approach, and, yes, he once played with Charlie Parker, but as heard on this Columbia collection from 1951-1952, Garner concocts a unique blend of the big band's svelte rhythms and bebop's heady swing…

One of the most popular jazz pianists during his lifetime, the great Erroll Garner played by ear and never learned to read music. Nevertheless, he created a highly personal and unmistakable style. He also composed wonderful tunes, the most famous of which is the immortal “Misty”. Presented here is the complete LP One More Time (Harmony HS-11268), represented on tracks 2-10, and consisting of a selection of Garner’s brilliant Columbia recordings. Two versions of the aforementioned “Misty”, as well as 11 additional hits, fill out this release.

3 CD Set, 45 essential tracks from the brilliant jazz pianist & composer. One of the most distinctive of all pianists, Erroll Garner proved that it was possible to be a sophisticated player without knowing how to read music, that a creative jazz musician can be very popular without watering down his music, and that it is possible to remain an enthusiastic player without changing one's style once it is formed. A brilliant virtuoso who sounded unlike anyone else, on medium tempo pieces, Erroll Garner often stated the beat with his left hand like a rhythm guitar while his right played chords slightly behind the beat, creating a memorable effect. His playful free-form introductions (which forced his sidemen to really listen), his ability to play stunning runs without once glancing at the keyboard, his grunting, and the pure joy that he displayed while performing were also part of the Erroll Garner magic.

Erroll Louis Garner (1921-1977) was one of the greatest and most popular pianists in jazz history. At three years of age, being the youngest of six very musical siblings, he was able to play everything by ear, that the family's piano teacher presented to him. Reading sheet music, on the other hand, was of no interest to Garner, who had a phenomenal musical memory. When asked about this, he once said: "You can't hear me reading."

New release of a previously unissued 1964 live performance, recorded at The Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Restored and mixed from the original master tapes, featuring 8 never-before-heard songs including a newly discovered Garner original.

Jazz Ballads - the ultimate musical expression of feelings. A CD sets with the most beautiful ballads in the history of jazz. Lyrical, imaginative, sensuous and melodic jewels from the art of music. Precisely for those people who have maintained their taste for lasting musical values. Jazz in its most gentle form.