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Red Garland
Quick Facts
Biography
William McKinley "Red" Garland, Jr. (May 13, 1923 – April 23, 1984) was an American modern jazz pianist. Known for his work as a bandleader and during the 1950s with Miles Davis, Garland helped popularize the block chord style of piano playing.
Early life
William "Red" Garland was born in 1923 in Dallas, Texas. He began his musical studies on the clarinet and alto saxophone but, in 1941, switched to the piano. Less than five years later, Garland joined the trumpet player Hot Lips Page, well-known in the southwest, playing with him until a tour ended in New York in March 1946. With Garland having decided to stay in New York to find work, Art Blakey came across Garland playing at a small club, only to return the next night with Blakey's boss, Billy Eckstine.
Garland also had a short-lived career as a welterweight boxer in the 1940s. He fought more than 35 fights, one being an exhibition bout with Sugar Ray Robinson.
Later life and career
1955–58 – Miles Davis Quintet
Garland became famous in 1954 when he joined the Miles Davis Quintet, featuring John Coltrane, Philly Joe Jones, and Paul Chambers. Davis was a fan of boxing and was impressed that Garland had boxed earlier in his life. Together, the group recorded their famous Prestige albums, Miles: The New Miles Davis Quintet (1954), Workin, Steamin', Cookin', and Relaxin'. Garland's style is prominent in these seminal recordings—evident in his distinctive chord voicings, his sophisticated accompaniment, and his musical references to Ahmad Jamal's style. Some observers dismissed Garland as a "cocktail" pianist, but Miles was pleased with his style, having urged Garland to absorb some of Jamal's lightness of touch and harmonics within his own approach.
Garland played on the first of Davis's many Columbia recordings, 'Round About Midnight (1957). Though he would continue playing with Miles, their relationship was beginning to deteriorate. By 1958, Garland and Jones had started to become more erratic in turning up for recordings and shows. He was eventually fired by Miles, but later returned to play on another jazz classic, Milestones. Davis was displeased when Garland quoted Davis's much earlier, and by then famous, solo from "Now's The Time" in block chords during the slower take of "Straight, No Chaser". Garland walked out of one of the sessions for Milestones, so that on the track "Sid's Ahead", Davis comped behind the saxophone solos.
1958–84 – After the Miles Davis Quintet
In 1958, Garland formed his own trio. Among the musicians the trio recorded with are Pepper Adams, Nat Adderley, Ray Barretto, Kenny Burrell, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Jimmy Heath, Harold Land, Philly Joe Jones, Blue Mitchell, Ira Sullivan, and Leroy Vinnegar. The trio also recorded as a quintet with John Coltrane and Donald Byrd. Altogether, Garland led 19 recording sessions while at Prestige Records and 25 sessions for Fantasy Records. He stopped playing professionally for a number of years in the 1960s when the popularity of rock music coincided with a substantial drop in the popularity of jazz.
Garland eventually returned to his native Texas in the 1970s to care for his aged mother. He led a recording in 1977, named Crossings, which reunited him with Philly Joe Jones, and he teamed up with bassist Ron Carter. His later work tended to sound more modern and less polished than his better known recordings. He continued recording until his death from a heart attack on April 23, 1984 at the age of 60.
Playing style
Garland's trademark block chord technique, a commonly borrowed maneuver in jazz piano today, was unique and differed from the methods of earlier block chord pioneers such as George Shearing and Milt Buckner. Garland's block chords were constructed of three notes in the right hand and four in the left hand, with the right hand one octave above the left. Garland's left hand played four-note chords that simultaneously beat out the same exact rhythm as the right-hand melody played. But unlike George Shearing's block chord method, Garland's left-hand chords did not change positions or inversions until the next chord change occurred. It is also worth noting that Garland's four-note left-hand chord voicings frequently left out the roots of the chords, a chord style later associated with pianist Bill Evans.
Partial discography
As leader
Year recorded | Title | Label | Personnel |
---|---|---|---|
1956 | A Garland of Red | Prestige | Trio, with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums) |
1956–57 | Red Garland's Piano | Prestige | Trio, with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums) |
1956–57 | The P.C. Blues | Prestige | Most tracks trio with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums); one track trio with Chambers (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums) |
1956–57 | Groovy | Prestige | Trio with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums) |
1957 | Red Garland Revisited! | Prestige | Most tracks trio, with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums); some tracks quartet, with Kenny Burrell (guitar) added; released 1969 |
1957 | All Mornin' Long | Prestige | Quintet, with John Coltrane (tenor sax), Donald Byrd (trumpet), George Joyner (bass), Art Taylor (drums) |
1957 | Soul Junction | Prestige | Quintet, with John Coltrane (tenor sax), Donald Byrd (trumpet), George Joyner (bass), Art Taylor (drums) |
1957 | High Pressure | Prestige | Quintet, with John Coltrane (tenor sax), Donald Byrd (trumpet), George Joyner (bass), Art Taylor (drums) |
1957–58 | Dig It! | Prestige | One track trio, with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums); two tracks quintet, with John Coltrane (tenor sax), Donald Byrd (trumpet), George Joyner (bass), Taylor (drums); one track quartet, without Byrd |
1958 | It's a Blue World | Prestige | Trio, with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums); released 1970 |
1958 | Manteca | Prestige | Quartet, with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums), Ray Barretto (congas) |
1958 | Can't See for Lookin' | Prestige | Trio, with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums); released 1963 |
1958 | Rojo | Prestige | Quartet, with George Joyner (bass), Charlie Persip (drums), Ray Barretto (congas) |
1958 | The Red Garland Trio | Moodsville | Trio, with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums) |
1958 | All Kinds of Weather | Prestige | Trio, with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums) |
1959 | Red in Blues-ville | Prestige | Trio, with Sam Jones (bass), Art Taylor (drums) |
1959 | Coleman Hawkins with the Red Garland Trio | Moodsville | Quartet, with Coleman Hawkins (tenor sax), Doug Watkins (bass), Charles "Specs" Wright (drums) |
1959 | Satin Doll | Prestige | Most tracks trio with Doug Watkins (bass), Charles "Specs" Wright (drums); some tracks trio with Jimmy Rowser (bass), Taylor (drums); released 1971 |
1959 | Red Garland Live! | Prestige | Trio, with Jimmy Rowser (bass), Charles "Specs" Wright (drums); in concert |
1959 | The Red Garland Trio + Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis | Moodsville | Most tracks trio, with Sam Jones (bass), Art Taylor (drums); some tracks quartet, with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (tenor sax) added |
1959 | Red Garland at the Prelude | Prestige | Trio, with Jimmy Rowser (bass), Charles "Specs" Wright (drums); in concert; released 1971 |
1959 | Lil' Darlin' | Status | Trio, with Jimmy Rowser (bass), Charles "Specs" Wright (drums); in concert |
1960 | Red Alone | Moodsville | Solo piano |
1960 | Alone with the Blues | Moodsville | Solo piano |
1960 | Halleloo-Y'-All | Prestige | Trio, with Sam Jones (bass), Art Taylor (drums); Garland also plays organ |
1960–61 | Soul Burnin' | Prestige | Most tracks trio, with Sam Jones (bass), Art Taylor (drums); some tracks quintet, with Oliver Nelson (tenor sax, alto sax), Richard Williams (trumpet), Peck Morrison (bass), Charlie Persip (drums) |
1961 | Bright and Breezy | Jazzland | Trio, with Sam Jones (bass), Charlie Persip (drums) |
1961 | The Nearness of You | Jazzland | One track solo piano; most tracks trio, with Larry Ridley (bass), Frank Gant (drums) |
1962 | Solar | Jazzland | Most tracks trio, with Sam Jones (bass), Frank Gant (drums); some tracks quartet, with Les Spann (guitar, flute) added |
1962 | Red's Good Groove | Jazzland | Quintet, with Blue Mitchell (trumpet), Pepper Adams (baritone sax), Sam Jones (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums) |
1962 | When There Are Grey Skies | Prestige | Trio, with Wendell Marshall (bass), Charlie Persip (drums) |
1971 | The Quota | MPS | Quartet, with Jimmy Heath (tenor sax, soprano sax), Peck Morrison (bass), Lenny McBrowne(drums) |
1971 | Auf Wiedersehen | MPS | Trio, with Sam Jones (bass), Roy Brooks (drums) |
1974 | Groovin' Live | Alfa Jazz | Trio, with James Leary (bass), Eddie Marshall (drums); in concert |
1974 | Groovin' Live II | Alfa Jazz | Trio, with James Leary (bass), Eddie Marshall (drums); in concert |
1977 | Keystones! | Xanadu | Trio, with Leroy Vinnegar (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums); in concert |
1977 | Groovin' Red | Keystone | Trio, with Leroy Vinnegar (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums); in concert |
1977 | Red Alert | Galaxy | Some tracks trio, with Ron Carter (bass), Frank Butler (drums); one track quartet, with Nat Adderley (cornet) added; two tracks sextet, with Harold Land and Ira Sullivan (tenor sax) added; one track quartet, with Sullivan, Carter, Butler |
1977 | Crossings | Galaxy | Trio, with Ron Carter (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums) |
1978 | Feelin' Red | Muse | Trio, with Sam Jones (bass), Al Foster (drums) |
1978 | I Left My Heart... | Muse | Some tracks trio, with Chris Amberger (bass), Eddie Moore (drums); some tracks quartet, with Leo Wright (alto sax) added; in concert; released 1985 |
1978 | Equinox | Galaxy | Trio, with Richard Davis (bass), Roy Haynes (drums) |
1979 | Stepping Out | Galaxy | Some tracks trio, with Ron Carter (bass), Ben Riley (drums); some tracks quartet, with Kenny Burrell (guitar) added |
1979 | So Long Blues | Galaxy | Some tracks trio, with Ron Carter (bass), Ben Riley (drums); two tracks quartet, with Kenny Burrell (guitar) added; some tracks quintet, with Julian Priester (trombone), George Coleman (tenor sax) added; released 1984 |
1979 | Strike Up the Band | Galaxy | One track quartet with Julian Priester (trombone), Ron Carter (bass), Ben Riley (drums); one track quartet with George Coleman (tenor sax), Carter (bass), Riley (drums); three tracks quintet, with all listed |
Compilations
- Rediscovered Masters (Prestige 1958-1961; released 1977)
As sideman
With Arnett Cobb
- Sizzlin' (Prestige, 1960)
- Ballads by Cobb (Moodsville, 1960)
With John Coltrane
- Tenor Conclave (Prestige 1957) with Al Cohn, Hank Mobley, and Zoot Sims
- John Coltrane with the Red Garland Trio (Prestige 1957; reissued as Traneing In)
- Soultrane (Prestige 1958)
- Lush Life (Prestige 1961)
- Settin' The Pace (Prestige 1961)
- The Believer (Prestige 1964)
- The Last Trane (Prestige 1965)
With Miles Davis
- The Musings of Miles(Prestige 1955)
- Miles: The New Miles Davis Quintet(Prestige 1955)
- Cookin' with The Miles Davis Quintet(Prestige 1956)
- Relaxin' with The Miles Davis Quintet (Prestige 1956)
- Workin' with The Miles Davis Quintet (Prestige 1956)
- Steamin' with The Miles Davis Quintet (Prestige 1956)
- 'Round About Midnight (Columbia 1957)
- Milestones(Columbia 1958)
With Curtis Fuller
- Curtis Fuller with Red Garland (Prestige 1957)
With Jackie McLean
- McLean's Scene (Prestige 1956)
With Charlie Parker
- Charlie Parker at Storyville (Blue Note 1953)
With Art Pepper
- Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section (Contemporary 1957)
With Sonny Rollins
- Tenor Madness (Prestige 1956)
With Phil Woods
- Sugan (Prestige Status, 1957)