Had Miles Davis not put Red Garland in the piano chair of what was to become the most influential jazz band of the 1950s, the pianist might have continued in semi-obscurity. As things turned out, Garland affected the development of jazz piano, particularly in his influence on Bill Evans’s approach to chord voicings. After he left Davis in 1958, Garland had a successful decade with his trio, all but dropped out of music for another ten years, then had a substantial comeback that lasted until his death in 1984. He made dozens of albums that are among the most popular OJCs. This collection of ballads offers the listener a clear view of Garland’s style, which was characterized by taste, harmonic sophistication, a remarkable sense of touch and, always, at even the slowest tempo, irresistible swing. The material he chose is among the finest works in the great American songbook of the classic era.

with Larry Ridley, Frank Gant