Customer Reviews

Groovy

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Just who is this James from the USA? Red's "Groovy" may possibly be deemed the utmost representative of the now legendary Garland, Chambers, Taylor trio. The art of the trio is indeed perfected quite seldom; "Groovy" presents a superior example of this perfection. The first cut, Red's rendition of the very simple yet very complex Ellingtonian "C Jam Blues," is enough to ensure this album's place within the halls of the art of the jazz trio. Peterson, Brown, and Thigpen are not to be compared with these three masters--each trio offers equal yet opposing forms of genius.

After hearing Milestones by Miles Davis, and hearing track 05 Billy Boy, I hurried over to my nearest CD store to pick up Groovy. The ease and the buoyancy created by Red Garland on Billy Boy, one of my favorite standards, was just it. Having the name Groovy, one would think that this album is full of alot of songs played with the style he had on Billy Boy. Although C-Jam Blues, Hey Now and What Can I Say (After I Say I'm Sorry) are very similar to the style of Billy Boy the other half of the songs are ballads. Now don't get me wrong the ballads are beautiful, candy to the ears. But if I were you I would buy Garland of Red first. But if you already have Garland of Red I would strongly recommend picking this album up.

Red Garland has never received the amount of praise he deserves. Maybe he simply didn't stick around long enough with Miles once the maestro was signed to Columbia. The great Miles Prestige sets which Garland was a part of as well as Round About Midnight and Milestones, are among the greatest piano accompanyments on record.

It was very hard to decide whether this record merits 4 stars or 5. I chose 4 because I cannot put this record on the level of other Garland/Miles records. However, this is Garland's greatest set, because he plays just what is needed and nothing more; something many pianists forget.

To the avid jazz listener: Be warned, while this is a very special set, it will not blow you away, if you've heard Garland in the Miles Quintet. If by some chance you came upon this recording and do not own any of Miles' recordings with Garland, I suggest you purchase that first, particularly Milestones.

Do yourself a favor and go pick up a copy of 'Groovy' and a 'Garland of Red', clearly the best works of Red as a solo artist. No piano player I have ever heard swings as well and as hard as Red does. Check out his version of C Jam Blues (worth the price of the CD just to hear that).

Definitely one of the great piano trio recordings. Red Garland was the man alright. Subtle, tasteful rolled into one. Loads of space, great timing etc.

It's hard to be selective when choosing among Red Garland's recordings between 1956 and 1964. As a glance at his discography will show, he was a prolific and immensely popular pianist, one of the genuine profit-makers for the small, specialist Prestige label, and therefore visiting the studio on a regular (often monthly) basis for another session--whether a trio or a sextet--under his own name. But "Groovy" is definitely one of his most accessible, appealing, representative sessions, exemplary in terms of the jazz piano trio. For those of us who happened to play piano but not as well as Oscar (by a long shot) Red was frequently the pianist we chose to emulate (to the point of transcribing his solos and chord voicings note for note).

This recording represents 2/3 of the Miles Davis rhythm section, as Red and bassist Paul Chambers are joined by Art Taylor, a drummer perhaps lacking the quick hands and nifty bebop phrasing of Miles' regular, Philly Joe Jones, but making up in Blakey-rooted swing and drive what might be missing in finesse. And unlike Blakey, he can play with subtlety and taste when called upon to do so, making him perhaps an ideal compromise between Philly Joe and Art in a piano trio ensemble.

In teaching a jazz course, I've frequently used this recording's first track, "C Jam Blues," to demonstrate the structure and feel of the blues to students encountering this music for the first time. If a piano is in the classroom, I even call on some volunteers to play Red's opening chorus while I simultaneously "fill in" for Chambers with some walking bass in the low register. In other words, this is a very user-friendly, appealing, ceaselessly swinging Garland session, one I would rate slightly higher than the overrated (imo) "Red Garland at the Prelude."

"Groovy" is a great record and I can't believe a reviewer would even contemplate giving a Garland album 1-star. That's downright disgraceful. Anyway, don't listen to that person, this album cooks from start to finish. Red is joined by Paul Chambers and Art Taylor. This trio is one of the greatest in the history of piano trios in my opinion. This album deserves 10-stars! Highly recommended.

Red Garland's style is refined, purity at its greatest, simplicity at its finest. This album (Groovy) has been chosen as one of the 100 jazz recordings of all time. Most countries out of U.S., this CD will go for twice the price here. The value of this album is that much noticed abroad. Please let's not give ratings irrationally and defame one of the greatest jazz pianist of all time.

He never have learned to play. I guess he is a poor piano man.

Go to listen Oscar Peterson. He is much better.