Red Garland Where Grey Skies Prestige Van Gelder piano

$

104

Pestige records vinyl LP Red Garland " Where There Are Grey Skies " playgraded to VG, cover is VG+. stereo Prestige 7258 mono. There is some background hiss, much more noticable on the quiet passages and between tracks. It is not NM. But very playable. And of course it has that great analog sound of Rudy Van Gelder's recording for Prestige. It is a 1A pressing, with VAN GELDER in the LP run-off.  Nobody played with the touch, feel and soul of Red.

This set was pianist Red Garland's 25th session as a leader since 1956, but it would be eight years before his next record. Garland's influential style had been fully formed since the mid-'50s and his chord voicings were immediately recognizable. With the assistance of bassist Wendell Marshall and drummer Charlie Persip, Garland explores and updates seven veteran songs (including a previously unreleased "My Blue Heaven") dating from the '20s era. This fine CD is highlighted by such unlikely material as "Sonny Boy," "St. James Infirmary," "Baby Won't You Please Come Home," and a 12-minute "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen."

TRACKS

1. Sonny Boy
2. Mr Honey’s Lovin’ Arms
3. St. James Infirmary
4. I Ain’t Got Nobody
5. Baby Won’t You Please Come Home
6. Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen
7. My Blue Heaven

Red Garland mixed together the usual influences of his generation (Nat Cole, Bud Powell, and Ahmad Jamal) into his own distinctive approach; Garland's block chords themselves became influential on the players of the 1960s. He started out playing clarinet and alto, switching to piano when he was 18. During 1946-1955, he worked steadily in New York and Philadelphia, backing such major players as Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, and Roy Eldridge, but still remaining fairly obscure. That changed when he became a member of the classic Miles Davis Quintet (1955-1958), heading a rhythm section that also included Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones. After leaving Miles, Garland had his own popular trio and recorded very frequently for Prestige, Jazzland, and Moodsville during 1956-1962 (the majority of which are available in the Original Jazz Classics series). The pianist eventually returned to Texas and was in semi-retirement, but came back gradually in the 1970s, recording for MPS (1971) and Galaxy (1977-1979) before retiring again.