Erroll Garner
Piano Solo on
This Is Always

About

Erroll Garner closes out the solos on piano with a quarter of the form, following Charlie Parker at approximately 71 BPM. Set within a ballad setting, the 24-bar AAB form and the key of E♭, the solo allows for nuanced, expressive phrasing. Coming last in the solo order, Garner has the task of building on everything that came before while steering the performance back toward the closing head. The stripped-down quartet setting pairs Parker with Erroll Garner on piano, Red Callender on acoustic bass, and Doc West on drums. Garner plays over the middle 8 bars of the chorus.

Erroll Garner was 25 to 26 years old at the time.