Erroll Garner In Performance
Picture: C
Sound: C Extras: D Concert: B
Still today, most people only know pianist Erroll Garner
for his hit classic Misty, made even more well known all over again with
Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut, 1971’s murder thriller Play Misty For Me. However, Garner was quite a talented showman
and this DVD offers a TV appearance from the BBC no less, running just over 72
minutes. Erroll Garner In
Performance is from 1964, featuring some fine piano work on classics like Just
One of Those Things, Dreamy, Spring Is Here, Laura, Sonny Boy, Jeannine, and
Lady is a Tramp. Oddly, he does no
play Misty!
This is included as an audio track in the one brief
supplement, set to a nice set of stills.
The monochrome image is average, lucky to have survived at all. Bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer Kelly
Martin are with him throughout the two parts of the program. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is also average,
but I wonder if this would sound a bit richer and thicker in another format, or
may just be a generation down.
The legend, born in 1921 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, had
just had a good run at Columbia Records, when he went over to the ABC-Paramount
label (now defunct, the catalog lies with Universal Music). Ironically, the composer could not read
music, and never had a piano lesson. He
was a natural, and that comes through on all 18 songs here.
Its great to see something so nice and simple out on DVD,
though it would have been nice to have more extras, like a discography. Still, if you like Jazz and piano, Erroll
Garner In Performance is a DVD you will want to pick up.
- Nicholas Sheffo
