The Erroll Garner Estate

[brownie]

I spent considerable time around Gloria Swanson, mostly at her apartment, and the way she acted around Bill Dufty (kinda parental) always brought to mind Helen's mommying of Bill Evans.

Christern, you must have loved the Billy Wilder film 'Sunset Boulevard'?

[Christiern]

Christern, you must have loved the Billy Wilder film 'Sunset Boulevard'?

Yes, and Gloria was very much Nora Desmond when Bill was around. He used to call me and say, "If Gloria calls for me, I'm at your place and out walking your dog." She inevitably called and I always played Bill's game. When I told Bill that all Gloria needed was a swimming pool, he nodded with a weak smile.

Apropos "Sunset Boulevard," I have never had as many goosebumps as Gloria gave me one night when she told me about an aborted (Paramount killed it) musical project based on "SB." She had actually performed one number from it on the Steve Allen show, the one where she slithers down the staircase to face the cameras. She gave me a sample, looking me straight in the eyes as she slowly approached me (I was seated on a sofa) with her right hand stretched out in my direction and those fingers working their magic. The hand and those mesmerizing eyes gave me a moment I shall never forget.

Yes, I love Billy Wilder's "Sunset Boulevard."

Edited March 31, 2006 by Christiern

[AllenLowe]

1) I thought Martin Williams was gay (of course, Keane may be the cause of this)

2) when I lived in Connecticut in the late 1970s I got to know Nan Evans, Bill Evans last wife, pretty well; I met Keane at some conference, mentioned Nan's name, and, boy, did this set off a tirade - they hated each other and apparently had more than a few turf battles before and after Evans's death -

[Christiern]

I never thought Martin was gay, but--given the era in which I knew him, and the jazz world's homophobia--it would not surprise me if he was closeted.

[BERIGAN]

What prompted that question? No, I don't think Martha is a racist

if so, she has an odd way of showing it.

Check the link in the post I made, I think you zigged, when you meant to zag!

[brownie]

The Spanish fellows at American Jazz Classics (Disconforme, or whatever...) are beating The Estate at this game and are quietly releasing the Erroll Garner Columbia albums thanks to the EU copyright laws:

Available at Amazon.fr and other outlets...

Hopefully there will be more!

[Christiern]

Allan is right about Martin's preference....and, sorta kinda, about Martha, but she was only "crazy" in that she was overly protective—a reissue producer's nightmare. I have no idea why we got along, but we did.

[Bill B]

The only chips Martha has left to play in the Garner game are the Concert by the Sea unissued tracks are eight unissued tracks from 1956-57. There is some commercial pap from 1958 unissued.

Classics issued all the sessions from 1950-53 in their entirety. Chris, you speak of Martha in the past tense.Is there something we don't know ?

[Christiern]

Bill B: "Chris, you speak of Martha in the past tense.Is there something we don't know ?"

Sorry about that. As far as I know, Martha is still around, it is my contact with her that has slipped into past tense.

[AllenLowe]

ironically, maybe, she has lost a lot of money (I hope) by being stupid and not allowing reissues, which are now going to come out anyway without her consent and likely without her receiving $$$$ (unless there's publishing royalties involved; I'm thinking there's a good possibility she owns the publing for Garner's tunes, but that's just a guess; and who knows if these labels pay into them anyway).

[B. Clugston]

ironically, maybe, she has lost a lot of money (I hope) by being stupid and not allowing reissues, which are now going to come out anyway without her consent and likely without her receiving $$$$ (unless there's publishing royalties involved; I'm thinking there's a good possibility she owns the publing for Garner's tunes, but that's just a guess; and who knows if these labels pay into them anyway).

Beyond the money issue, I wonder if Erroll Garner has also lost some recognition and exposure with more recent generations (I associate him more with Charlie Parker) due to the fortress that his back catalogue has become. I've always skipped the Sony CDs because those Columbia Jazz Masterpiece CDs were ugly and generally sounded awful.

[Christiern]

There was a time when Garner seemed to record for half the labels around.

[DMP]

Agree. Garner - one of jazz's most popular artists - could be relegated to a footnote, pretty much forgotten.

[JSngry]

And then what?

[AllenLowe]

I especially like the record he made with Doris Day - here's a shot from the session:

.

[JSngry]

That's June Christy.

[AllenLowe]

and Jennifer Garner -

[JSngry]

No, that's Doris Day.

[bluesoul]

Erroll Garner Recordings Unearthed for a New Album

 

Amazon release date 9/30/16

Edited August 9, 2016 by bluesoul

[JSngry]

 

 

[mr jazz]

Isn't there supposed to be a concert from a club in NYC circa 1965 released?

[Quasimado]

On 2016/8/21 at 9:27 AM, JSngry said:

 

 

Drummer seems limited. Q

[JSngry]

There's a drummer?