Sunday Jazz Celebrating the 2024 Birthday of the Legendary Erroll Garner

by Robert Wilkinson

June 15 was the birthday of jazz piano legend Erroll Garner.

This year the bio will be brief while the music performances won’t be! Erroll Garner (June 15, 1923 – January 2, 1977) was a virtuoso of swing, as well as a great composer. A self-taught “ear player,” he hit the stage at age 7, and by 11 was playing riverboats. To note, he was Johnny Carson’s “favorite jazz player,” no small honor!

We’ll kick off this birthday celebration with his appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in March 1961 playing his signature hit “Misty”

Here’s another classic performance of this hit. Live in Belgium in 1964, Erroll’s cranking out a great version of “Misty”

So for your enjoyment, 21 minutes of that 1964 show!

Erroll Garner in Brussels Pt 1 (5+ min)

Erroll Garner in Brussels Pt 2 (5+ min)

Erroll Garner in Brussels Pt 3 (10 min)

Here’s 35 minutes more from a different gig in 1964! Erroll Garner Live In Concert - 1964

Jumping back a few years to 1959, we have 36 minutes of Erroll live at Symphony Hall in Boston! Erroll Garner at Symphony Hall - 1959

From 1962 in Amsterdam, Erroll live performing “My Silent Love”

Also from 1962, a bossa nova! “Samba de Uma Nota So” (“One Note Samba”)

Coming back to 1964, from the BBC Performance, we are given “A Medley from My Fair Lady”

Also from 1964, 35 minutes of pure video gold! Erroll Garner Live in 1964

[Set List: Honeysuckle Rose (Fats Waller, Andy Razaf) 5:37 No More Shadows (Garner) 9:30 Mambo Erroll (Garner) 14:45 Penthouse Serenade (Val Burton, Will Jason) 18:40 Jeannine (I Dream of Lilac Time ) (Nat Shilkret, L. Wolfe Gilbert) 23:50 On The Street Where You Live / I Could Have Danced All Night (Lerner & Loewe) 29:35 All Yours (Theme From "A New Kind of Love")(Garner) 32:35 The Lady Is A Tramp (Rodgers & Hart) 34:25 Erroll's Theme (Garner)]

Moving forward in time to 1968 Copenhagen, 25 minutes of great video! Erroll Garner in Copenhagen - 1968

We’ll follow that with a show he did in 1970 when he went back to Copenhagen, with great video performances of “On Green Dolphin Street” followed by “Girl From Ipanema.” We’ll close this threesome with “Misty”

From The Flip Wilson Show in 1971, Erroll cranking out the Stevie Wonder classic “For Once In My Life”

Last year I had a video from 1972 titled “Earl’s Dream” but it’s disappeared.

Here’s a live undated performance of “Laura”

A few audio-only recordings, some live, some from the studio.

From his Concert by the Sea in 1955, we have 5! We begin with “Lover Come Back To Me” and move into “Autumn Leaves.” We then groove into another pair of standards, “Mack the Knife” and “Where or When,” and close with “April in Paris”

Backed by the Mitch Miller orchestra, “The Very Thought of You”

“On the Street Where You Live”

“Moment’s Delight”

Cool jazz!

“I’ve Got the World on a String”

“Blue and Sentimental”

“How Deep Is The Ocean”

“Impressions”

We’ll end this audio-only section with Erroll on a radio broadcast giving us Duke’s major hit, “Take The A Train”

For our closer, a great 34 minute set from the BBC 625 show! Erroll Garner – Live at Jazz 625.

For our encore, a great hour and 3 of film from European television of Erroll titled Erroll Garner – Live in ’63 and ’64. Sometimes it’s called Erroll Garner – Europe 60s. Check out this fantastic set list! “Erroll’s Theme,” “Fly Me To The Moon,” “I Get A Kick Out of You,” “It Might As Well Be Spring,” “Mambo Erroll,” “Misty,” “My Funny Valentine,” “One Note Samba,” “Sweet and Lovely,” “Thanks For The Memories,” “When Your Lover Has Gone,” and “Where or When.”

Thanks for everything, Mister Jazz Man. Your music will be loved through all time.

Copyright © 2024 Robert Wilkinson

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