Day 29: Groovy- Red Garland Trio
Note: This post is part of a series where I listen to an album each day in December. Past posts can be found on my substack. All hyperlinked songs go to Spotify links, Youtube links can be found at the end of the post.
I forgot to mention it in yesterday’s reflection, but another one of my motivations for an Album a Day was to increase my jazz consumption. Writing about jazz, though I hope to make a career in it someday, is very intimidating to me. There are several reasons for this. One is the already existing canon of phenomenal work that I’ll forever have to work through, two is the general theoretical and academic approach I often come across which sounds different than my voice, and the third is the fear of “getting it wrong.” I know that these aren’t viable reasons to not try, if anything they should be motivation to continue practicing writing about a genre I feel so excited by and make space for a new voice. Nevertheless, I always feel nervous to share my thoughts on jazz. Some of this comes from my relationship with jazz as a young woman and the friction I’ve been met with while navigating the music, but this problem has waxed and waned as I’ve gotten older and found a welcoming community of musicians and music lovers. Without that, I’m not sure I would’ve been comfortable sharing my opinion on 7 jazz albums this month, but that’s growth I’m grateful for.
Today, I decided to listen to Groovy—a 1957 release from the Red Garland Trio. My exposure to Garland’s playing started where I’m assuming many listeners start, with his time as a part of Miles Davis’ first great quintet. The quintet included Davis on trumpet, John Coltrane on tenor, Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones behind the drum kit. A friend also recommended I explore his sessions recorded live at the Prelude with his trio of Jimmy Rowser on bass and Charles Wright on drums. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed their playing, and when I first started listening to jazz, the Prelude Sessions were some of the first piano trio recordings I had checked out with intention.
Now, years later, I wanted to revisit Groovy. I’d listened to the album once or twice over the summer and felt it deserved a thoughtful listening session. Garland explores multiple moods on the 6 track album. From happy-sounding uptempo tunes like “Will You Still Be Mine,” which he also recorded with Davis in 1955 on The Musings of Miles, to longing heartbreak on “Gone Again” and “Willow Weep for Me.” With his bandmates Art Taylor and Paul Chambers, Garland swings comfortably and plays melodic blues language on “C-Jam Blues” and “Hey Now,” the only original on the album. What continuously made me smile throughout the record was Paul Chambers’ walking lines and the way he maneuvered through the upper register and back down in his ideas. It feels so good to listen to the trio play the blues to open the record. While listening to the track, I texted a friend “Paul Chambers is literally playing the f-ing blues.” and then proceeded to send her every blue emoji I could find. I know it sounds silly, but sometimes that honest excited reaction while listening is all that really matters. Our exchange and my listening to the rest of the album inspired me to make this collage. It’s a visual representation of what blue colors came up for me and my ideas.
Groovy is still a sweet, swinging, solid listen. The trio is tight and provides a thoughtful set. My favorite tracks happen to be on the A-side, except “Hey Now,” but I recommend spending 40 minutes listening to the entire album and enjoying the musical chemistry.
Until Tomorrow,
Emily
Listen to Groovy on YouTube
Listen to the complete Red Garland at the Prelude sessions on YouTube
Listen to The Musings of Miles on YouTube