ERROLL GARNER – 1949 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1138 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Errol Garner's textured, expressive piano playing is featuring on the 2001 compilation 1949. Garner is an interesting player; at times he can be quite powerful and intense as he bangs away on old standards like "All of Me" and "I'm in the Mood for Love." At other times he really adds nothing to the songs, instead just playing the straight melody and letting the original composition speak for itself. These are the moments where he is at his weakest; despite his excellent playing skills, these are songs that are fairly simple and have been performed many times before, and his excellent flourishes would have helped the music out greatly. But then there are the other tracks, which at least balance out the album. The other problem here is the sound quality, something that curses many jazz recordings from this era. Some songs simply sound bad; the album is quite fuzzy and scratchy at times. But, overall, the music on the album manages to impress for a good portion of the album, and fans of Garner can at least get more of his recordings from this era. Bradley Torreano  
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