A Dozen Years Later, Finally Heard
AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow called it predictably excellent music—which says more than it seems to.
Red Garland Revisited! landed in 1969 as a reissue, not a fresh release, which tells you everything about its path to the listener. The tracks were recorded in 1957, then shelved for twelve years before Prestige got around to releasing them. By the time the album arrived, Garland was well-established but hardly a household name—a working pianist with a steady trio, respected by musicians and jazz insiders but not the kind of artist commanding wide attention. When it finally appeared, it did not land as a news event. There was no rush of discovery, no critical reassessment. AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow heard it as predictably excellent music, which is honest shorthand: Garland doing exactly what he did best, no surprises, nothing to argue about.
The musicianship is direct and swinging. Garland's playing sits somewhere between bebop intelligence and a blues pianist's feel for touch and time. He doesn't overplay. The trio concept here is clean and working—each player knows his role and fills it without ego. What makes this worth hearing is simply that it swings hard and doesn't waste your time. The sessions have the ease of musicians who have played together enough to stop thinking and start feeling.
This is a record for people who already like Red Garland or who are curious about solid mainstream jazz piano trio work from the 1950s. It is not a turning point or a peak. It is competent, listenable music that arrived too late and without fanfare to make much impact. But if you find yourself drawn to that era and style—straightforward playing, no pretense—it holds up.
Who's playing
Where next?
More by Red Garland
All 26 albums →
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
