Search - Red Garland :: Red Garland's Piano

Fine showing by the Red Garland Trio

Shawn K. Smith | Indianapolis, IN United States | 10/04/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is a fine showing by Red Garland's Trio. The songs are all pretty straight forward (not that there's anything wrong with that) rendentions of ballads and blues. Overall nothing really musically offensive or abrasive takes place however nothing horribly exciting or different takes place either. Paul Chambers is featured pretty heavily and he is in nice form throughout. For that reason fans of Chambers' work will want to check this record out. Fans of Garland's other records are very likely to enjoy this too. Fans of more 'out' or edgy styles will probably not find enough here to keep them excited."

Lovely, "Great American Songbook" renditions...

William E. Adams | Midland, Texas USA | 10/03/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I think most fans of jazz recordings made between the end of World War II and the start of the Vietnam Era, the period I think of as the golden years of jazz, would not name Red Garland as one of the top ten or even top 15 pianists. Those slots would go to Bill Evans, Dave Brubeck, Thelonious Monk, Errol Garner, George Shearing, Oscar Peterson, and many other candidates who left us many recordings on which they were soloists or leaders of groups small and large. Red Garland left relatively few tracks on which he was the leader, including this album. He was in the Coleman Hawkins band, the first quintet put together by Miles Davis and was a sideman on many, many recordings fronted by other artists. This 1957 Prestige release has him being helped by the great bassist Paul Chambers, and the competent drummer Art Taylor. The menu includes some very fine songs, and the Garland take is always pleasant and gently swinging. This version was remastered in 2005 by Rudy van Gelder, the engineer on the original sessions, and it sounds great. This CD is not one you will likely "study" unless you play piano yourself, but stick it in the player while driving, or as background at home while reading or paying the bills or on the computer, and you will have an excellent experience. The eight selections complement each other perfectly. While no part of this record screams "Master at work, pay close attention and you will hear something new" it does satisfy. The songs will be familiar to anyone with a good knowledge of '50's jazz and pop music, and Red's improvisations are just varied enough from the standard treatments of the tunes to produce smiles of surprise in casual listeners."

Superb

Jazzcat | Genoa, Italy Italy | 08/20/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Superb. Jazz piano as it should be played. Superb.

Nothing more to add. Red's phrasing, his balance in mixing melody and technique and his way in giving colours to a standard song with his style are simply magnificient. Here's a pianist who knows what the word MUSIC means. Red's style is predictable? Who said that? If playing the best possible way means being predictable, wow, I want to be predictable too! Same for Chambers and Taylor exceptional musicians, but here the star is Red even if the trio seems almost like a single instrument. I hate to be brief but here there's nothing more to say for real. I have to repeat myself. SUPERB, from the first note to the last one. Exceptional!"