Red Garland - In the Groove

In 1955, Miles Davis assembled what would be known as his first great quintet. As usual with Miles, he would start out with an idea of what the band should sound like and then set out to find players who could fulfill his vision. As he gathered up-and-coming talent such as John Coltrane, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones, he had to find the perfect pianist to anchor the new group’s sound.

William “Red” Garland was fairly unknown at the time, having played back up with trumpeter Hot Lips Pages and singer Billy Eckstine. Joining Miles’ band elevated him into the national spotlight and Miles’ label, Prestige, quickly signed Garland to a separate solo contract to record his own trio sessions – the first of which was released in early 1957.

From the end of that year came Garland’s first iconic album “Groovy”, which featured individual tracks from three previous sessions featuring the pianist along with bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor. Likely Garland’s most famous album - partially due to the eye-catching chalk graffiti cover - the LP made a long overdue return this summer as part of Craft’s OJC series (Craft/Prestige CR00719).

Made up almost entirely of standards, the LP starts off with Duke Ellington’s “C Jam Blues”. This track, along with “Gone Again” and “Willow Weep For Me” emphasize Garland’s use of space to create both tension and mood, while more upbeat tunes such as “Will You Still Be Mine” and “Hey Now” fit into the mainstream of modern jazz piano in ways that rival Gene Harris or Oscar Peterson.

After “Groovy”, Prestige would record Garland in larger group settings, including the classics “All Morning Long”, “Soul Junction” and “High Pressure” (all featuring tenor saxophonist John Coltrane and trumpeter Donald Byrd), alternating with trio and solo sessions done mostly for Prestige’s subsidiary label Moodsville.

Family issues forced Garland to return to his native Texas in 1962 – effectively ending his recording career. Playing locally in Dallas well into the 1970s, Fantasy Records’ Galaxy label brought him back to their studios for an extensive series of albums – grooving’ all the way.