Red Garland

Good morning.

Today we’re listening to Red Garland, an American jazz pianist originally from Dallas, Texas. In the ‘50s, Garland joined the Miles Davis Quintet and exerted a formative influence on the group’s sound. Then he formed his own trio and in 1957 released Red Garland’s Piano. That loungey record showcases Garland’s pioneering “block chords,” a voicing that combined tonal consistency and blue-note harmonics (there’s a great musicological deep dive into this style by Ethan Iverson). We’re also playing Blues in the Night, an hour-long compilation of blues recordings from circa 1960.

Red Garland’s Piano - Red Garland (40m, no vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Bandcamp / Tidal

Blues in the Night - Red Garland (60m, no vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music

Have a really nice Thursday.