Do You Need Bebop to Swing?

[@CrisFerrerYT]

LOVE IT. HE MADE THOSE OCTAVES SO ENJOYABLE AT A FAST SPEED. WHAT A SHOW. EVERY NOTE SO ACCURATE

[@andreawilkerson2006]

Garner is my absolute favorite jazz pianist. His left hand reminds me of Freddy Green’s rhythm guitar. His use of dynamics is unrivaled. His rhythmic sophistication is stunning. I’ve heard so many of his videos where he is literally playing so many polyrhythms that you find yourself levitating. His presentation is full of pure joy. Just a genius. I’m so glad to finally see young artists such as yourself recognizing his genius. I am a retired jazz educator and always included him in my jazz history classes. Sadly most jazz textbooks ignore him. There was no one like him, he was a complete original. You probably already know this but he sat on a big phone book when he played.

[@weedanwine]

Out of all the great jazz pianists out there, Erroll Garner's spirit of playing resonates with me the most. He is incredible, infinite flexibility with how he plays and it's always 100% him. Funny you picked recordings with Eddie Calhoun, I don't think they paired that well together. I think the best bassist that paired with Erroll was Ernest McCarty and the quartet of Erroll Garner, Ernest McCarty on Bass, Jimmie Smith on Drums and Jose "Buyú" Mangual on percussion was his best band. Obviously no disrespect to anyone else he played with, but that line-up works so well together IMO. There is a video of a recording of that line-up for French TV called "Erroll Garner Live in Paris, Maison de la Radio 1973" which used to be on youtube but is behind a paywall now on medici tv. That recording is my total fave of his, I think it's amazing. There is a video of them playing Misty from that recording on youtube titled "1972 Paris, coloured, Erroll Garner, Ernest McCarty, Jimmie Smith: Misty" You can also find that line up on a youtube video called "ERROL GARNER RAI TV ITALY 1972 Encode 31" but the quality is quite ropey. Also I highly recommend the documentary about Erroll titled "ERROLL GARNER - SO YOU WANNA LEARN TO PLAY THE PIANO HUN?" which is on youtube

[@nickrees4706]

Fun fact: Errol Garner taught himself to play at age 3 and was a professional at age 7 (1928) ! So he had been playing a while before be-bop came along.

[@tomhammermusic]

It’s his contrast. Rhythmic and dynamic. So great.

[@MrCoogiePenthouse]

The actual GOAT. No one swings harder, no one fucks with tempo better. Never fumbles the ball.

[@JimboJazz]

Please no jazz goat Olympics .It’s not a contest and we all are affected by differing musicians -doesn’t mean the one that influences you or me the most is the “goat” 🙄

[@klaus8456]

Love almost all giant jazz pianists but have to say that Monk "swung" (swinged) the hardest. I agree, not a competition.

[@AustinCasey]

Garner is the GOAT. Respect to the other legends... but Garner is supreme if you ask me.

[@QuadriviumNumbers]

Goat worship! 🤣 You sound low grade and young. It's not a competition and even if it were....you are NOT the person to judge. All you can do is provide your opinion. You simply don't understand swing, it's not in you.

[@mark_lhr3]

IMO there simply is and was no one better and with a greater harmonic depth.

[@jamessullivan1830]

Erroll Garner and Chopin were my two main inspirations for learning piano as an adult. I love that Erroll hums/sings everything he is playing, as he is playing it. So masterful

[@shanjayaweera3036]

Fun Fact: Erroll Garner, Ahmad Jamal and Billy Strayhorn all went to Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh - that must have beed some music program

[@PabluchoViision]

Mary Lou Williams another Pittsburgh gem!!!

[@brian106699]

My grandmother remembered him playing at assemblies and dances.

[@SyncopateTheShot]

Art Blakey, too, is from Pittsburgh

[@jamesonrichards5105]

dude, what's in the water at pittsburgh to make so many gems

[@gmartin167]

The chaotic intros were very common with Erroll. Almost like a warmup before he went into the melody.

[@alannohlgren]

Man, I can see you're as big a fan of Erroll Garner as I am. I grew up in a musical family , & swing was the thing of my parents, who came of age in the 30's & 40's. They idolised many of the swing greats, such as Benny Goodman & Artie Shaw. But the favorite in our household was always Erroll Garner (followed by Nat King Cole). I think we about wore the grooves off his Concert By The Sea album, also I believe, from 1964. The gems from that album, particularly Teach Me Tonight & Penthouse Serenade, inspire me to this day & can bring tears to my eyes. As you say, he alone, with his trio, offers the enrichment of any big band swing arrangement you can name...

[@richgleason3793]

Thanks for this, Adam. I've been a fan of Garner since my high school bandmates and I saw him live at San Francisco's Blackhawk back in '61 or '62. Back then, teens of at least 16 years old could sit in a special chicken wire sectioned-off part of the club. Among other things, I remember that we were astounded by the timing of his left hand, which seemed to be ever so slightly behind the beat maintained by his right hand. A true genius!

[@carymeout]

My favorite! Garner is the hands down best. What a brilliant musician.

[@SessionsWithMike]

🐐 Those octaves never get old. It's something almost magical and time transporting about them. My favorite of my favorites.

[@zdogg8]

You give a very good description, Erroll was Ahmad's hero, absolutely, I've heard it from his own lips, Erroll being a several years older and both having attended the same high school - I think it was Westinghouse in Pittsburgh - and shared at least one influential high school music teacher. They had a long lasting great friendship and shared some significant side men as well. It was Ahmad's then wife Sharifa who told me this thing about Erroll not being able to read was a bit overstated, he could read some, he just did not need to and thus he never developed that.

[@maciek_d]

Thank you for sharing this story

[@zdogg8]

@@maciek_d You're very welcome.

[@donschneider7953]

...effortless joy...unrestrained...life-force creativity flowing through him into form...not "in his head" at all...not looking at his hands...just a "pleasing and pleased with" outpouring...a blessing to behold...

[@fongfongb]

So great to hear Erroll Garner on this podcast, it's also incredible he didn't read music but learned only by ear. It shines through his musicality !

[@darrenbrock8372]

I first became aware of Erroll about 40 years ago when I was just 16. At that time I had no idea musically what he was doing but it was addictive , I then played every Jazz standard in this style on my Rhodes! A few years later I was fortunate enough to share a stage with Dudley Moore on the QE2 cruise ship. He was on holiday but would get up and jam with my band every night on the 5 day crossing from Southampton to N.Y . Dudley could do the Erroll "Thing" perfectly . I was also very good friends with the late Harry Stoneham another great musician that also was able to imitate Erroll to perfection. Harry and Dudley were good friends both being from Romford in the uk and also sharing the same Bass player and drummer for years ( Chris and Pete). As spoken about in this clip Erroll sits very high at the piano as you can see he is sitting on a book. This is actually a New York Phone book he would take everywhere with him. When Erroll visited the uk he brought the phone book with him. When he left he forgot to take it with him. This was picked up and kept as a keep sake. I have seen this phone book many times . It still exists today!!

[@mcclue210]

Was hoping y'all would cover Erroll someday! Thanks for saving me the trouble of a formal request. "Teach Me Tonight" from the Concert By the Sea album (1955) is a personal favorite of mine--his swinging syncopation over the B sections (particularly the second time around) has all the sassy smoothness and punctuated lyric attack of the best hip hop flows: feet thumping velvet fire, just be sure to hold on to your hat!

[@alannohlgren]

I totally agree. From the same album, delve into Penthouse Serenade (sung previously by Sarah Vaughuan). Dream music!

[@Dericulus]

Only a few years younger than you, Adam, and Erroll Garner has been my favorite pianist since the first time I heard him. No one can find and put the blues in a song like him, and he somehow plays the whole piano at once and swings impossibly good. I've been dying to see some about him on the channel. Would love to see some breakdown of some of his tricks or moves you guys can pick out. Thanks for this one.

[@peterjacobs2012]

Been listening to Erroll since the 60's. Still playing his Chopin Variations and Moonglow on piano. He was phenomenal.

[@jurchenaz4276]

I listen to all those swing players who didn't get the bebop bug and they just went on and iterated on their own melodic conceptions to an insane degree. I think it's proof that bebop language isn't strictly a necessity.

[@thenewninja4726]

who?

[@jurchenaz4276]

Coleman Hawkins for one. Just grab any swing player and plot their journey, not all of them just sat there doing the same thing forever. @@thenewninja4726

[@mark_lhr3]

I’m late to the game too. He is an absolute genius. The interview with his bassist is well worth watching.

[@maciek_d]

Always one of my favorites. His orchestral and joyful playing is so uplifting. Cant help but dance

[@elliottcrib]

Hey Adam, that was a really cool & also … beautiful spotlight on a truly great pianist … I love Errol Garner’s version of “ Laura”, as well as “ Autumn Leaves” … Nostalgia Lives on!!!!

[@gjones9283]

The great Errol Garner. 'Misty' was the reason I taught myself to play the piano.

[@tomroot7961]

He stays in close dialogue/engagement w/ the song as known and loved by the audience of the time. Those My Fair Lady tunes here were very popular in the 1960s, and the way he plays with them is so entertaining, if you are coming with a prior love of those tunes as show tunes/pop tunes. I think that was a key to his popularity (my wife was taken to see him as a young girl). He is a great tease, not just with the improvised intros, but throughout the tune. He keeps the song ever present, not just as a harmonic skeleton, but as conceptual totality. It's that totality that he is playing with, teasing with, singing with.

[@zevlee]

I appreciated your episode and play by play. I am an Errol Garner fanatic and can never get enough of his joyous genius😊

[@pikuma]

Jimmy Smith loved Erroll Garner. Trying to emulate Garner's octaves method gave birth to squabbling on the B3. Beautiful swing stuff!!!

[@cbyedd8970]

Thank you for featuring "the one and only" Erroll Garner! Since I encountered his video on KZbin a year ago, I cannot stop listening to his music. I could see the sheer joy on Adam's face. I probably look the same when I listen to Erroll Garner.

[@geraldpalmer1027]

He seems to know every musical line he ever heard or something like that and somehow makes it part of the melody. Irresistible swinging wizardry. The one and only. Very great American composer all at once. Thank you for the show.

[@AustinCasey]

Erroll just dug deep into the swing. And his ballad playing? Man... talk about expression! Im a Trumpet player and EG is my 2nd biggest inspiration behind Pops.

[@harri2626]

The video seen was from the British TV (BBC) Jazz 625 programme which had excellent direction values and camerawork which highlighted Errol's technique.

[@will.sagastume]

A huge favorite of mine from this performance is Laura!! His arrangement is crazy! I really enjoy listening to it.

[@brandonjamar]

i know what i’m gonna be playing all day today. thanks adam!!

[@michelcamachomusic]

He is my favorite jazz pianist of all times. I've transcribed and covered Just One Of Those Things and On Green Dolphin Street. Jeanine is the next song I'm planning to cover, the small 20s intro at the beginning is gonna be part of a song for my next album, I'm gonna use it like a theme and improvise over it. Garner was the guy, I haven't heard such amazing ideas and melodies in any other jazz pianist, not Even Oscar Peterson or Camilo among others, Musicians I've covered songs before. The one who makes me cry and when I'm transcribing his music I always wonder how was he able to play this without rehearsals, music formation, etc. He was a Miracle

[@denominator208]

One of my favorite pianists. Always such a joy to listen to. This is how jazz should be; playful and dynamic.

[@minogallone3053]

he's actually improvising arrangements rather than solos, not so much musicians do this

[@devaramkelawan4766]

Errol is my fave. Explicit rhythm, great Color. He was left handed. He plays Happy music. Hal Leonard put out a great transcription of ‘Concert by the Sea’ album.

[@alannohlgren]

Beautiful man. I stumbled upon you by accident, but obviously it was destiny. I've loved Erroll Garner ever since my dad joined the Columbia Record Club & purchased Concert By The Sea, amongst many others, in 1964 or so. Both my parents had been musicians in their younger years (the Swing Era) so of course they passed on a bit of their musical tastes to me. Thus, I inherited a love of the puano giants of the 40's & 50's such as Erroll, Oscar Peterson & Nat King Kole, to mention a few. I love your commentary on Erroll's playing. Yes, he was a one man swinging big band, in a sense. As you point out, he was continually riffing melodically, while inventing melodies & musical throwaway phrases, always with a driving pulse, whatever the tempo, & never more than a moment away from the melody. And as we can see, he was always--Always--enjoying himself to the fullest, looking right at the audience to encourage full involvement. I remember him from numerous appearances on mainstream American television throughout the 60's & into the 70's,& it was always 100 % pure enjoyment & swing.

[@wretchro100]

great video.... a couple of notes... you mentioned similarities to Ahmad Jamal. Ahmad Jamal has cited Garner as a big influence. i would suggest that Garner was the link between Earl Hines and later popular pianists like Jamal and Oscar Peterson.....also... while Garner wasn't part of the bebop scene, he did play with bird, most notably on Cool Blues where his style is instantly identifiable.

[@RathboneLevy207]

great solo episode. straight to the point!

[@patzimmusic]

Erroll Garner is an absolute virtuoso. Inspiring!

[@bruceboome]

I was sure from the beginning that you were going to say Errl Garner. I have the LP Concert by the Sea. I love his playing.

[@danielfonseca2223]

So crazy how I was just thinking about his this channel hadn’t covered erroll garner yet, and not even a week later here it is! Bravo

[@thomascordery7951]

I'd bet that Erroll Garner's unique style elements all came out of his being self-taught from an early age, and were only possible for that reason. Playful exploration can be such a powerful medium for inventiveness. I believe it's important to leave children with lots of room to engage in such creative play, even while they're being directed into "proper" paths by their mentors. Imagine if Erroll the young lad had been strictly constrained within the defining limits of "proper" piano technique, what the world might have missed. It's because he wasn't subjected to such constraints as an inquisative child that he was able to show us all something new. So cool, and such great insights, Mr Maness. Thank you for doing this!

[@user_-qg6yd]

I agree. That’s precisely what makes him truly unique. His sound is the most unique, instantly recognisable, and just exudes joy and style in EACH AND EVERY performance. He’s so great

[@user-ig7nq7pc7k]

Errol swung his ASS off! As did his rhythm sections. I have come to love the early 70s albums the best, perhaps, when he added conga and started doing those double time / half time grooves, like on the album Magician. Magical stuff.

[@paulgibby6932]

9:40 love the modulations in this bridge

[@BrendaBoykin-qz5dj]

Thank you,Adam. Simply Joy.🔥🔥🔥 And... you know The Elf was very short. Art Tatum to Oscar Peterson:(paraphrase)---"Watch out for the Short Man." Erroll exudes love,humor and joy. Incredibly sophisticated and due to his melodic and playful approach the audience was never lost. A whole generation of highly-skilled hobby players with excellent reading skills would play through books of his transcriptions for fun.

[@zdogg8]

Yes, short indeed, hence the consistent use of the phone book.. Someone said he carried the NYC phone book with him. Or two, not completely sure.

[@KimBrown900]

I can see that definitely his posture facilitates his style.

[@MrHignite]

Reminds me of a stride player at times playing the blues and still at the same time amazing and maybe an ear player. Been a long time since I've listened to him. Thanks again

[@citronnet]

Erroll was a true genious!

[@Ari-ev4hk]

Unrelated to this video, but want to say that I would love it if you guys did a segment to talk about Bach, and in a way pertinent to jazz (obviously). Needless to say, love your content and Erroll Garner! Thanks!

[@spidejohnson8345]

❤ 14:23

[@PabluchoViision]

Adam, I was thrilled to see you’ve fallen in love with the playing of the man Diz once called "our most sanctified pianist." From the very first notes of the intro to “How High The Moon” on his LP Gemini, the very first time I heard it through headphones on a turntable in my high school library, I was a goner for EG and have been been ever since. He created a unique style with a strumming left hand punctuated by bass jabs and a typically chord-based right hand-a big band conception, but always melodic, with long, essentially vocal lines and a singer's phrasing. He combined irrepressible rhythmic drive and variation with endless melodic invention, and his zany, unpredictable intros made every number a gift-wrapped surprise. Nobody swung harder or with greater joy-and the hardest he ever swung (as well as an 8-chorus rocket flight that’s the greatest solo I’ve ever heard on any instrument) was on “How High The Moon” from Gemini: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hKfdgH5_ndOsY9Usi=o_j-77cy9wYgHeKz ….. I also recommend "When A Gyosy Makes His Violin Cry" from the same LP, kzbin.info/www/bejne/pYapiKuMjMmgnJIsi=KaSqkSqQu1ureHqZ, which will put you in a trance from the very first delicate notes of the pianissimo melody, and also includes the hardest swinging harpsichord solo you'll ever hear. PS You and Peter do a great job, I’m a lifelong pianist and don’t often find the jazz piano stuff on KZbin really useful, but I never fail to learn something, or think of something in a new way, from your videos.

[@zdogg8]

I heard only one person call him "our most sanctified" pianist and that was Dizzy Gillespie. "Our" makes one think it's referring to "our black thing," the black church uses that vernacular, (sanctified, or "holy" reflecting mostly the "holiness" tradition of the black Pentecostal Church) and both his parents sang in a church choir, not sure which church they would have attended, but the mother's funeral was at the local AME Church in Pittsburgh, and that is a more traditional church, not Pentecostal.

[@stuartthorne4872]

At 3:19, Errol Garner suddenly changes tempo during the intro. You can see bassist Eddie Calhoun shaking his head and gesturing as if to say, “What are you doing, bruh???” 😂😂❤️🙌🏿🦁☀️

[@richardeland2394]

Cool Blues/Hot Blues with Bird. It's the Blues!

[@yogavibe2516]

The great is an understatement Errol Garner was the giant flying miles above the best pianists of the time ...Absolute genius, So charismatic ..ridiculous time and independance .. so much feel never boring ...i mean the only person i can think of on that level was Fats Waller.

[@chasecoleman232]

Errol Garner and Ahmad Jamal were both from Pittsburgh and learned their craft in the jazz scene there. Garner was a few years older and came to prominence in NYC about five years before Jamal; I think it’s more likely that Garner influenced Jamal, not the other way around as the host suggests. Jamal never produced the orchestral body of sound that Garner inevitably dives into in most of his performances; Jamal’s playing is more specifically pianistic. He was classically trained in contrast to Garner who was entirely self taught and never learned to read music. They were both prodigies and highly influenced by classical music, and while their styles are similar they are very different at the same time. They were both very influential for for me as I developed my own style .

[@FabienSchori-uo7mg]

Its simple ... Erroll plays like the whole Count Basie Orchestra ... he is an entire orchestra all by himself !!

[@lesliecolonello9320]

My father played trombone with Earl Garner for 3 years. They were in the high school band together. My dad never mentions that fact.

[@afpseb4582]

Fun fact :i self taught myself just to follow errol garner.now can allist okay every cool . The priest of my village used to play this in church.

[@BarnabyG]

Wish that I was on the jazz cruise this year, Taylor Eigsti is performing!!

[@jamesonrichards5105]

substitute teacher vibes where we just watch a movie and chill. y'all should make playlists for active and passive listening

[@Gustavo_Weckesser]

Erroll Garner is the third most liked jazz pianist of all time by... ME. After Tatum and Peterson. My personal holy trinity. Greetings.

[@pickinstone]

Adam, many of his albums got the amazing remaster treatment from Octave Remasters. Some of my favorites are GERSWHIN & KERN, DREAMSTREET, and MAGICIAN. Ready Take One is also quite funky, but not a remaster. Garner sounded great with conga accompaniment. Hey Adam, I told those other KZbinrs about the Hip Hop collab. Make it happen, we'd all be surprised by the wealth from that speak pipe ;)

[@Vaejovis357]

Erroll Garner was about 5 ft tall. He brought a Manhattan phone book with him everywhere to place on the bench. So, that’s probably why his elbows seem high.

[@Nick-gx4oc]

Great ep!

[@RobertLanuza-ky7bk]

Almost all pianists in that time played a song with the same arrangement. One example is Oscar Peterson. Many pianists would even play the same solo for years. Erroll would not only play a song in different keys but in different styles. I saw an interview with one of his bassist and he said that no one could play like that. The band never knew the arrangement or what key, what style. Also Erroll used a lot of substitutions, passing chords … he was a genius

[@trevorelliston1]

Remember he cut some classsic tracks with “Bird”

[@samueloswald4962]

Cool blues

[@dancam4685]

Great video. thanks for this

[@philippackermann3751]

As far as I’m concerned, Bud Powell, Dizzy Gillespie, and Charlie Parker did also not rely on the bebop scale …

[@zdogg8]

Erroll made at least one album with Charlie Parker and he did play boppish on that record, and he also gets a sort of top billing of that record, as "special guest" as I recall. Listen to the way he plays I Get A Kick out of You, with his own trio in one of these European video taped concerts, the breaks are pure bebop. But you are correct, he did not need the bebop vernacular to communicate, nor to be "hip." He was his own style of hip, totally his own category, inimitable. Really one of the brightest stars in the jazz constellation. Tatum could be said to be "better" but not more musical, nor more creative, and nobody, absolutely no one, swung as hard and for many, Erroll is much better to just enjoy and listen to, so who's to say who's better. I've heard some more obscure stuff that Fat's Waller recorded, some really virtuoso stride, and it would scare the crap outta either of those two.....

[@CWBella]

It would hurt my hands to play that high, but I can see the advantage for him when he's playing octaves: he doesn't have to worry about going in and out of the black keys.

[@chasecoleman232]

No, you don’t need bebop to swing. You just need to swing

[@erikboje460]

He was one of a kind...

[@SyncopateTheShot]

Erroll was known for his long, avant-garde introductions!

[@Clown321321]

Loved it!

[@petergallay2900]

I defy anyone to listen to Garner without smiling.

[@erikboje460]

Not only his left hand, both hands were the best in the buisness

[@JONNYHOTROD]

NEVER BE ANOTHER PIANO PLAYER EVER LIKE ERROL GARNER SIMPLY A GENIUS!!!!

[@AntoinePressiat69]

Hi, as an absolute fan of Erroll, I probably got all material recorded and more ( unissued ). He is a real genius in jazz music. I don't totally agree with you about bebop. Erroll recorded a tune called Trio, which sounds close to bebop. Thank you for the video.

[@calvertmorgan4550]

For proof that Bird and Garner could speak the same language, see their wonderful collaboration on "Bird's Nest," where Garner gives as good as he gets: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYSVpYN6ZbWZqZY

[@drewmfie]

speaking of sophisticated and masterful swing players, teddy wilson is another giant

[@song4night]

what joy!

[@marcmatthys.pianist]

THE piano giant !

[@SharmaYelverton]

Love Garner!

[@dskinner6263]

Left hand sounds like off beat eighths (first tune)?

[@MrRemi1802]

Absolutely. It's a signature sound of Garner. His hands very often played "Rubato".

[@aniankh]

SOUL GENIUS

[@PANDORAZTOYBOKZ]

There's a reason Bop legends like Peterson still considered him the GOAT

[@zdogg8]

I wouldn't call Peterson a bop player, though certainly he plays everything. Maybe bop influenced. Bud Powell is the quintessential bop player.

[@SyncopateTheShot]

Peterson thought Tatum was the GOAT.

[@josephmarin8086]

don’t pin this but please add a plug to Robin D. G. Kelley’s (the black surrealist historian and author of the only Monk biography) podcast series “Erroll Garner Uncovered” somewhere on this page!!! in it, he interviews a number of v good musicians about their musical relationship to Garner and his time, his style, his touch on the piano, etc. it is a such great resource for giving him more context as a person and for finding many more things to appreciate about his playing

[@KimBrown900]

I don't know what you mean by no bebop, because I heard plenty of bebop syntax in his melody lines.

[@brassmagic]

Pure Joy

[@rjpineda9557]

he is my numero uno. no one like him

[@jamesonrichards5105]

6:34

[@willshaw4110]

Garner makes be-bop irrelevant. Greatest piano player to ever live. The swing, the groove, the inventions, the depth, the rhythm, the harmonics. A genius to say the very least. Forget everything you know about piano playing until you can play like Garner, Tatum, and Peterson.

[@afpseb4582]

I've listened and analyse his style for 10 years. He was the best entertainer so.. nonred beebop

[@PabluchoViision]

Oh, one more thing, it sounds a little odd to call Erroll’s playing “Ahmad Jamal-ish”. Erroll was 10 years older and I’m pretty sure the influence ran more in the other direction!!

[@zdogg8]

Certainly it was, and Ahmad has said so. He was Ahmad's hero, by his own admission. I think AJ did quite well to absorb some Garnerisms without becoming some sort of clone. There were MANY great jazz musicians from Pittsburgh at that time when Fritz Jones was coming of age. But I think the reference to Jamal is made by Adam because more of his students/followers are more exposed to AJ than Garner. Garner was placed in his own category, deemed not "essentially" a jazz player -- by maybe the critics -- more of a "show pianist" or entertainer because of his transcendent style and appeal to people that did not really appreciate or "get" jazz. I don't necessarily agree with that sort of categorization. But it is what it is.

[@chazinko]

Ah...the time for the Elf is nigh.

[@Frisbieinstein]

? Swing came decades before bebop. Indeed some would say bebop doesn't swing.

[@QuadriviumNumbers]

It's not in the vein of bebop? There's no bebop in there? I like you but you still don't understand our music!

[@frankgradus9474]

Thanks awfully !