One of the most influential jazz pianists of all time was born in Pittsburgh on June 15, 1921. His name was Erroll Garner. His best known composition, “Misty,” is a lush ballad that has been recorded by hundreds of vocalists over the years. “Misty” was featured in the Clint Eastwood movie, “Play Misty for Me.”
On Feb. 11, at Alumni Hall, the University of Pittsburgh presented their annual K. Leroy Irvis Black History Month program. This year’s feature was “The Lasting Legacy of the Great Errol Garner.” Despite the cold evening, there was a large crowd on hand to enjoy a reception and an exciting program. Kathy Humphrey (senior vice president for engagement, chief of staff and secretary of the Board of Trustees for the University of Pittsburgh) served as a vibrant mistress of ceremonies and introduced University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Patrick Gallagher, the Afro American Music Institute Boys Choir, and a video and musical tribute to Erroll Garner. The live musical tribute featured Grammy-nominated pianist and composer Geri Allen, Victor Lewis on drums and former Erroll Garner bassist, Ernest McCarty Jr. Many said they did not want the evening to end.
Garner died of lung cancer in 1977 at age 55. He is buried in Homewood Cemetery. In 2015, Sony Music Entertainments Legacy Recordings released a new Garner album, “The Complete Concert by the Sea,” by Pitt Jazz Studies Director and pianist Geri Allen. The Grammy-nominated album features previously unreleased tracks and never before heard interviews of the Errol Garner Trio.
Garner’s professional materials were recently given to Pitt’s University Library system. The materials were assembled by the late civil rights advocate Martha Glaser, who was Garner’s longtime agent and manager. A new exhibition of the Garner materials is currently open in the lobby of the William Pitt Union throughout February. Pitt jazz students who studied the archive last term helped to select the materials for the display.
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