ERROLL GARNER - Long Ago and Far Away (1951-1987) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

These sides from 1950-51 were the first Garner recorded for Columbia, and like the later Body And Soul reissue from the same label, this disc includes a sophisticated and highly enjoyable program of classic standards. In his inimitable keyboard style -­ a seamless mixture of swing's bounce, pianist Art Tatum's mammoth facility, and some of bebop's mercurial twists -­ Garner glides through fine ballad readings of "Spring Is Here" and "Long Ago and Far Away," as well as compact, medium to fast tempo swingers like "When You're Smiling" and "Lover." Garner's burgeoning knack for abstract song preludes are plentiful too, with his two minute (half the song's length) impressionistic reworking of the chords to "My Heart Stood Still" standing out in particular. Extending the process further, Garner plays cat and mouse with the chords over the entirety of both "It Could Happen to You" and "Laura," creating spectral -- some might say overly florid -- interpretations in the process. The pianist's soft, almost strumming touch endeared him to a millions of fans in the late '40s and early '50s, and made the complex improvisational embellishments almost seem like part of the original composition. A great disc for newcomers and fans alike ­- nicely remastered, too. by Stephen Cook 
Tracklist:
1 When Johnny Comes Marching Home 3:22
Patrick S. Gilmore / Louis Lambert / Traditional
2 It Could Happen to You 3:44
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
3 I Don't Know Why 3:26
Fred E. Ahlert / Roy Turk
4 My Heart Stood Still 4:16
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
5 When You're Smiling 3:44
Mark Fisher / Joe Goodwin / Larry Shay
6 Long Ago (And Far Away) 2:37
Ira Gershwin / Jerome Kern
7 Poor Butterfly 3:06
John Golden / Raymond Hubbell
8 Spring Is Here 2:24
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
9 The Petite Waltz 2:35
Phyllis Claire / Duke Ellington / Joe Heyne
10 The Petite Waltz Bounce 3:11
Phyllis Claire / Duke Ellington / Joe Heyne
11 Lover 3:10
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
12 How High the Moon 3:23
Nancy Hamilton / Morgan Lewis
13 People Will Say We're in Love 3:50
Oscar Hammerstein II / Richard Rodgers
14 Laura 2:43
Johnny Mercer / David Raksin
15 I Cover the Waterfront 3:38
Johnny Green / Edward Heyman
16 Penthouse Serenade (When We're Alone) 2:55
Val Burton / Will Jason
Credits:
Erroll Garner - Piano
John Simmons - Bass, String Bass
Shadow Wilson - Drums