Acclaim from Peers
Contributed by Adam Lee
Erroll Garner was one of the most critically acclaimed jazz pianists of all time, certainly in no small part due to the promotional efforts of his manager Martha Glaser. As Garner’s representative, Glaser tirelessly advocated for him during his lifetime and continued to champion his compositions by asking other renowned jazz musicians to play and record his work, even after his passing in 1977. We can tell that these other musicians held him in high regard from public interviews and published texts (Steven Cerra has compiled a great collection of sources at: https://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com/2019/05/a-compilation-of-writings-about-erroll.html). But personal correspondence written to Garner directly (and conveyed through Glaser) can show an even more intimate respect for the pianist and his music. The documents shown below represent only a small portion of the correspondence to the pianist that can be reflected in the archive.
Garner received correspondence from numerous musicians with whom he had developed close relationships. For example, the archive contains a series of letters addressed to Garner from bassist Leroy “Slam” Stewart, which highlight the appreciation these two musicians had for each other. Other correspondence was shared between Claire Stewart (Stewart's wife) and Martha Glaser, with the two women both acting as proxies for Garner and Stewart updating each partnership on the status of the other. These proxy correspondences also demonstrated an independent relationship between Claire Stewart and Glaser. This example from 1976, just a few months before Garner’s passing, shows Stewart recounting the good times they had playing with each other in New York City in the 1940s.
This telegram from pianist Marian McPartland spoke directly to Garner’s recorded works. McPartland was a talented British pianist holding a long-standing gig at the Hickory House, a renowned supper club on West 52nd St. in New York City. Like Garner, McParland was a pianist who bridged the gap between swing and more modern jazz approaches and was able to navigate between the subgenres with ease. Her declaration that she would be playing Garner’s composition “Dreamy” at an upcoming concert is sure testament to her respect for his music.
Sadly, Erroll Garner’s untimely death in January of 1977 left a void in the musical world. In the wake of his passing, fans sent letters and telegrams to Glaser and to Garner's family expressing their regrets. Among these well-wishers were many of Garner’s colleagues and contemporaries, including fellow Pittsburghers Ahmad Jamal and Mary Lou Williams, and jazz legends such as Count Basie (along with his wife Catherine and daughter Diane) and Dizzy Gillespie (also with his wife Lorraine). Singer Pearl Bailey wrote a particularly heartfelt letter to the Garner family, printed on her official letterhead in her role as Special Ambassador to the United Nations: “As long as we love the ones we lose, we never lose the ones we love.”
Despite Garner’s passing, musicians continued to respect his work, in no small part due to the continued efforts of Martha Glaser to promote his material. She continued to send copies of Garner compositions and other material to various artists in the hopes they would record their own versions of his pieces and help shepherd them into the status of “Jazz Standards.” A 1981 letter from Glaser to Count Basie implies that Basie had spoken reverently about Garner, revealing a friendship between the two pianists – both giants of jazz. Another letter comes from tenor saxophone master Sonny Rollins, who states that, “Erroll was, or should I say is, one of my all time favorite pianists and musicians. On top of that, he was very encouraging to me when I was new on the scene.” Fellow saxophonist, Jean-Baptiste “Illinois” Jacquet also wrote regarding Garner's composition “Misty,” which has risen to the lofty position of a jazz standard after all: “The song is quite a gift from Erroll. It happens to be one of my favorites, also.”
Not only did musicians show their regard for Garner, but so too did jazz critics. British jazz critic and composer Leonard Feather sent this letter to Garner imploring the pianist to record his composition “Signing Off” and hoping for an opportunity to meet Garner for an interview, presumably for the Los Angeles Times where Feather was employed at that time. Garner never did record the tune, but it was successfully recorded by both Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald. More surprising is this letter from French critic Hugues Panassié, a controversial jazz figure who is well known for his disdain for “new” forms of jazz, meaning styles outside of the traditional form. The fact that Garner could win over a staunch traditionalist like Panassié shows just how broad was the appeal of Garner’s music.
Although these letters and telegrams are brief, they demonstrate clearly that Garner was well regarded not only by his fans but also by his peers, developing long-lasting professional and personal relationships. His work continues to be admired by musicians, and he remains one of the most influential jazz pianists and composers to this day.