Red Garland
Piano Solo on
Four

About

Red Garland's piano solo is the last of three solos on this recording, following John Coltrane on tenor sax. Spanning two choruses of the 32-bar ABAC form in E♭ at a driving 200 BPM with a swing feel, Garland rounds out the solo section with two choruses of piano, his fluent bebop lines and block-chord passages providing a warm contrast to the horns. Garland brings both harmonic sophistication and melodic invention to the improvisation, utilizing the piano's full range to build and release tension throughout.

Red Garland was 32 to 33 years old at the time.