Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 - January 21, 1977) was a jazz pianist whose distinctive and melodic style brought him both popular acclaim and the admiration of peers. June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... 1921 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ... Jazz is a musical art form characterized by blue notes, syncopation, swing, call and response, polyrhythms, and improvisation. ... A pianist is a person who plays the piano. ...

Life and Career

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA in 1921, Erroll began playing piano at the age of 3. He played locally in the shadow of his older pianist brother Linton Garner and moved to New York in 1944. He briefly worked with the bassist Slam Stewart, and though not a bebop musician per se, in 1947 played with Charlie Parker on the famous Cool Blues session. City nickname: The Steel City Location in the state of Pennsylvania Founded 1758 Mayor Tom Murphy (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water 151. ... State nickname: The Keystone State Other U.S. States Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Governor Ed Rendell (D) Official languages None Area 119,283 km² (33rd)  - Land 116,074 km²  - Water 3,208 km² (2. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the United States, and is at the center of international finance, politics, communications, music, fashion, and culture. ... Slam Stewart Leroy Elliott Slam Stewart (September 21, 1914-December 10, 1987) was an African-American jazz bassist whose trademark style was his ability to bow the bass and simultaneously hum an octave apart. ... Bebop or bop is a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos and improvisation based on harmonic structure rather than melody. ... Charlie Parker Charles Parker, Jr (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. ...

Garner's ear and technique owed as much to practice as to a natural gift. His distinctive style could swing like no other, but some of his best recordings are ballads, such as his best-known composition, Misty. A Swung note is a rhythmic device, also known as a shuffle note; it is an augmentation of the initial note in a pair and diminution of the second. ... Misty is a jazz standard written in 1954 by the pianist Errol Garner. ...

Works

His 1955 recording, Concert by the Sea, ranks among his very best work and has Eddie Calhoun on bass and Denzil Best on drums. Other notable works include 1951's Long Ago and Far Away and 1974's Magician, both of which see Erroll perform a number of classic standards in his own style.

Samples

• Download sample of "Laura" by Erroll Garner