Red Garland

Red Garland
Garland at Keystone Korner jazz club, San Francisco, California, May 1978
Background information
Birth name	William McKinley Garland, Jr.
Born	(1923-05-13)May 13, 1923 Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Died	April 23, 1984(1984-04-23) (aged 60) Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, straight-ahead jazz, bebop, hard bop
Occupation	Musician
Instrument	Piano
Years active	1940s–1984
Labels	Prestige

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 playing in jazz piano.

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 his boss, Billy Eckstine.

Later life and career

1955–1958: the first great 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.

1958–1984: Red Garland Trio and later life

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.

Partial discography

As leader

Year recorded	Title	Label	Year released	Personnel
1956	A Garland of Red	Prestige	1957	Trio, with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums)
1956–57	Red Garland's Piano	Prestige	1957	Trio, with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums)
1956–57	The P.C. Blues	Prestige	1970	Most tracks trio with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums); one track trio with Chambers (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums)
1956–57	Groovy	Prestige	1957	Trio with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums)
1957	Red Garland Revisited!	Prestige	1969	Most tracks trio, with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums); some tracks quartet, with Kenny Burrell (guitar) added
1957	All Mornin' Long	Prestige	1958	Quintet, with John Coltrane (tenor sax), Donald Byrd (trumpet), George Joyner (bass), Art Taylor (drums)
1957	Soul Junction	Prestige	1960	Quintet, with John Coltrane (tenor sax), Donald Byrd (trumpet), George Joyner (bass), Art Taylor (drums)
1957	High Pressure	Prestige	1961	Quintet, with John Coltrane (tenor sax), Donald Byrd (trumpet), George Joyner (bass), Art Taylor (drums)
1957–58	Dig It!	Prestige	1962	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	1970	Trio, with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums)
1958	Manteca	Prestige	1958	Quartet, with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums), Ray Barretto (congas)
1958	Can't See for Lookin'	Prestige	1963	Trio, with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums)
1958	Rojo	Prestige	1961	Quartet, with George Joyner (bass), Charlie Persip (drums), Ray Barretto (congas)
1958	The Red Garland Trio	Moodsville	1960	Trio, with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums)
1958	All Kinds of Weather	Prestige	1959	Trio, with Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums)
1959	Red in Blues-ville	Prestige	1959	Trio, with Sam Jones (bass), Art Taylor (drums)
1959	Coleman Hawkins with the Red Garland Trio	Swingville	1959	Quartet, with Coleman Hawkins (tenor sax), Doug Watkins (bass), Charles "Specs" Wright (drums)
1959	Satin Doll	Prestige	1971	Most tracks trio with Doug Watkins (bass), Charles "Specs" Wright (drums); some tracks trio with Jimmy Rowser (bass), Taylor (drums)
1959	Red Garland at the Prelude	Prestige	1971	Trio, with Jimmy Rowser (bass), Charles "Specs" Wright (drums); in concert
1959	Lil' Darlin'	Status/Prestige	1965	Trio, with Jimmy Rowser (bass), Charles "Specs" Wright (drums); in concert
1959	Red Garland Live!	New Jazz/Prestige	1965	Trio, with Jimmy Rowser (bass), Charles "Specs" Wright (drums); in concert
1959	The Red Garland Trio + Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis	Moodsville	1960	Most tracks trio, with Sam Jones (bass), Art Taylor (drums); some tracks quartet, with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (tenor sax) added
1960	Red Alone	Moodsville	1960	Solo piano
1960	Alone with the Blues	Moodsville	1960	Solo piano
1960	Halleloo-Y'-All	Prestige	1964	Trio, with Sam Jones (bass), Art Taylor (drums); Garland plays organ on one track
1960–61	Soul Burnin'	Prestige	1964	Three tracks trio, with Sam Jones (bass), Art Taylor (drums); two tracks quintet, with Oliver Nelson (tenor sax, alto sax), Richard Williams (trumpet), Peck Morrison (bass), Charlie Persip (drums)
1961	Bright and Breezy	Jazzland	1961	Trio, with Sam Jones (bass), Charlie Persip (drums)
1961	The Nearness of You	Jazzland	1962	One track solo piano; most tracks trio, with Larry Ridley (bass), Frank Gant (drums)
1962	Solar	Jazzland	1962	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	1962	Quintet, with Blue Mitchell (trumpet), Pepper Adams (baritone sax), Sam Jones (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums)
1962	When There Are Grey Skies	Prestige	1963	Trio, with Wendell Marshall (bass), Charlie Persip (drums)
1971	The Quota	MPS	1973	Quartet, with Jimmy Heath (tenor sax, soprano sax), Peck Morrison (bass), Lenny McBrowne (drums)
1971	Auf Wiedersehen	MPS	1975	Trio, with Sam Jones (bass), Roy Brooks (drums)
1974	Groovin' Live	Alfa Jazz	1991	Trio, with James Leary (bass), Eddie Marshall (drums); in concert [2CD]
1974	Groovin' Live II	Alfa Jazz	1991	Trio, with James Leary (bass), Eddie Marshall (drums); in concert
1977	Keystones!	Xanadu	1977	Trio, with Leroy Vinnegar (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums); in concert
1977	Groovin' Red	Keystone	1995?	Trio, with Leroy Vinnegar (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums); in concert
1977	Red Alert	Galaxy	1978	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	1978	Trio, with Ron Carter (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums)
1978	Feelin' Red	Muse	1979	Trio, with Sam Jones (bass), Al Foster (drums)
1978	I Left My Heart...	Muse	1985	Some tracks trio, with Chris Amberger (bass), Eddie Moore (drums); some tracks quartet, with Leo Wright (alto sax) added; in concert
1978	Equinox	Galaxy	1979	Trio, with Richard Davis (bass), Roy Haynes (drums)
1979	Stepping Out	Galaxy	1981	Some tracks trio, with Ron Carter (bass), Ben Riley (drums); some tracks quartet, with Kenny Burrell (guitar) added
1979	So Long Blues	Galaxy	1984	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
1979	Strike Up the Band	Galaxy	1982	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
1982	Misty Red	Sony Music Entertainment	1982	Trio, with Jamil Nasser (bass), Frank Gant (drums)

Compilations

• Rediscovered Masters (Prestige, 1958–61 [1977])
• At the Prelude, Vol. 1 (Prestige, 1959 [1994]) (compilation of Red Garland at the Prelude + Red Garland Live!)
• Blues in the Night (Prestige, 1960 [1997]) (compilation of Halleloo-Y'-All + Soul Burnin' )
• Red's Blues (Prestige, 1956–62 [1998])
• Stretching Out (Prestige, 1959 [2002]) (compilation of Satin Doll + Lil' Darlin' )
• The Best of the Red Garland Quintets (Prestige, 2004)
• The Best of the Red Garland Trios (Prestige, 2004)

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, 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)
• Standard Coltrane (Prestige, 1962)
• 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 (Status/Prestige, 1957 [1965])

External links

• "Red's Bells," an in-depth analysis by Ethan Iverson
• Discography at jazzdisco.org
• Red Garland at IMDb