Red Garland recorded so prolifically as a leader during the late 1950s and early 1960s that it is easy to take his work for granted. But Garland was not only equally at home in bop and swing, but he always found a fresh approach to the most frequently played standards, while remaining open to exploring less familiar material, too. This compilation is primarily a survey of pianist Garland's trio recordings for Prestige and Moodsville, with half of the selections featuring his favorite rhythm section, bassist Paul Chambers ...
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Red Garland recorded so prolifically as a leader during the late 1950s and early 1960s that it is easy to take his work for granted. But Garland was not only equally at home in bop and swing, but he always found a fresh approach to the most frequently played standards, while remaining open to exploring less familiar material, too. This compilation is primarily a survey of pianist Garland's trio recordings for Prestige and Moodsville, with half of the selections featuring his favorite rhythm section, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor. Guitarist Kenny Burrell is added for the snappy take of "Walkin'" and conga player Ray Barretto for the explosive Afro-Cuban masterpiece "Manteca." Garland takes a backseat to comp behind tenor saxophonist Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis in "When Your Lover Has Gone." The most surprising choice may be "And the Angels Sing," but Garland's soft arrangement (with Taylor on brushes) works in his trademarked block chords in a swinging treatment. But the most impressive track in this anthology is his richly textured solo performance on "The Nearness of You." This excellent survey of Red Garland's work will likely entice most buyers to seek out the individual CDs that served as source material for this collection. ~ Ken Dryden, Rovi
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