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Can’t See For Lookin’ ~ Red Garland | By Eddie Carter

I was in the mood for some nice soothing music to enjoy after dinner a few nights ago when I came across this morning’s choice from the library by Red Garland. Can’t See For Lookin’ (Prestige PRLP 7276/PRST 7276) is his twelfth album and was recorded in 1958 but not released until 1963. William “Red” Garland was born in Dallas, Texas, and began playing the clarinet and alto sax before taking up the piano. He became famous in The Miles Davis Quintet from 1955 to 1958 and was well versed in the styles of Bebop, Hard-Bop, and straight-ahead jazz. After leaving Miles, he formed a trio and has recorded albums with Arnett Cobb, John Coltrane, Curtis Fuller, Jackie McLean, Charlie Parker, Art Pepper, Sonny Rollins, and Phil Woods. Here, he’s joined by Paul Chambers on bass and Art Taylor on drums. My copy used in this report is the 1972 US Stereo reissue (Prestige PRT-7276) by Fantasy Records.

Side One starts with a pretty song from the forties, I Can’t See For Lookin’ by Nadine Robinson and Dock Stanford. The trio begins an enchanting collective melody then Red glides into the first solo with a gracious amount of warmth and elegant simplicity. Paul walks through the second statement with a dreamy, rich tone revealing some intimate thoughts ahead of the trio’s delightful ending. Soon by George and Ira Gershwin began as a show tune from the musical, Strike Up The Band (1927). The ensemble gets things underway with a lively theme that’s passionate, enthusiastic, and extremely confident. Garland gives a stunning account on the opening solo with an energy that tweaks some new insights out of this old warhorse. Chambers makes his mark on the second reading with a showcase of incisively nostalgic ideas, and Taylor becomes a friendly sparring partner to the pianist on the closing statement.

Side Two opens with Blackout, a tune from the pen of Avery Parrish and Sammy Lowe beginning with an easy, caressing style by the ensemble on the melody. Red steps up first, establishing a nice momentum with a gorgeous opening statement. Paul approaches the next interpretation with great sensitivity and delicacy. Red returns to share a polite conversation with Art on the closing reading into a tender exit. Castle Rock by Al Sears brings the trio back to a brisk beat on the melody in unison. Garland leads off the opening statement with a light and nimble performance, then Chambers cooks up a tasty treat of cool jazz on the second solo. Taylor enters the spotlight last with Garland in a brief exchange into the closing chorus and happy ending.

Can’t See For Lookin’ was supervised by Prestige founder Bob Weinstock and Rudy Van Gelder was the man behind the dials. Both men are at the top of their game with a tremendous soundstage and incredible definition of each instrument. The piano has an amazing sound, and the bass and drums are perfectly balanced as if we’re in the studio while the musicians are recording. Red Garland recorded forty-six albums as a leader and was always good regardless of the setting or bandmates he appeared with. His career lasted over forty years and he continued recording until he suffered a heart attack, passing away on April 23, 1984, at age sixty. If you’re a Hard-Bop fan, enjoy Red Garland or jazz piano, I submit for your consideration, Can’t See For Lookin’. It’s thirty-five minutes of great music that you can file under “T” for terrific and perfect to enjoy while relaxing!

~ Soon – Source: Wikipedia.org © 2021 by Edward Thomas Carter

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Dick Vance was born on November 28, 1915 in Mayfield, Kentucky, and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He learned violin before concentrating on trumpet and by 1932 was playing with J. Frank Terry before joining Lil Armstrong’s band in 1934.

He moved to New York City and played with Willie Bryant, Kaiser Marshall, and Fletcher Henderson between 1936 to 1938. In Henderson’s band he was lead trumpeter and occasionally sang. By 1939 he joined Chick Webb’s orchestra, remaining in the group when Ella Fitzgerald took over leadership. His next move had him becoming the staff arranger for Glen Grey’s band and, in 1942, joined the Lucky Millinder Orchestra.

From 1944–45 he worked with Charlie Barnet, Don Redman, Eddie Heywood and Ben Webster. From 1944 to 1947 he studied at Juilliard, and moonlighted as a pit orchestra musician and an arranger for Harry James, Cab Calloway, Earl Hines and Duke Ellington. During this time Dick played on notable Broadway productions including Pal Joey, Beggar’s Holiday, and in the off-stage band for Streetcar Named Desire.

In 1950, Vance reunited with Fletcher Henderson, playing in his New York sextet. 1951 to 1952 saw him as a member of Duke Ellington’s trumpet section where he arranged most of the items for the album Ellington ‘55. In 1958 he co-composed Jazz Festival Suite with Ellington for performance at the Newport Jazz Festival. He led Sonny Stitt’s trumpet section on the 1962 album Sonny Stitt & The Top Brass. He toured abroad with his own band in 1969, which later appeared in the film L’aventure du jazz.

He toured with Redman in 1953 and was a regular at the Savoy Ballroom throughout the 1950s. He released two albums in the 1960s and toured with Eddie Barefield in 1969. He appears briefly in episode 9 of the music documentary series All You Need Is Love: The Story of Popular Music. In 1979, he composed for the documentary film No Maps On My Taps, starring Lionel Hampton and Howard Sims.

Trumpeter, vocalist, composer and arranger Dick Vance passed away on July 31, 1985 in New York City at the age of 69.

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Edward Otha South, born November 27, 1904 in Louisiana, Missouri, studied classical music in Budapest, Hungary, Paris, France and Chicago, Illinois. In the 1920s he was a member of jazz orchestras led by Charlie Elgar, Erskine Tate, and Jimmy Wade.

In the early 1930s Eddie led a band that included Milt Hinton and Everett Barksdale. In 1937 he recorded in Paris with Stephane Grappelli, Django Reinhardt, and Michel Warlop. In 1945 he worked for the studio band at WMGM in New York City. During the 1950s, he was a guest on television with Fran Allison and Dave Garroway and on WGN in Chicago.

South was among hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire. On September 2, 2020, The New York Times consulted violinist Mazz Swift, who selected Eddie South’s performance of Black Gypsy for a feature on 5 Minutes That Will Make You Love the Violin.

Violinist Eddie South passed away on April 25, 1962 in Chicago, Illinois.

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James Douglas “Trump” Davidson was born on November 26, 1908 in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. He formed one of Canada’s earliest jazz bands in 1925, under the name The Melody Five. From 1929 to 1936 he played in Luigi Romanelli’s orchestra, then led a dance band from 1937 to 1942, which broadcasted on NBC and toured in the United Kingdom with Ray Noble in 1938–39.

In 1942 during World War II he worked in Horace Lapp’s orchestra in 1942, then led a dance band in Toronto, Canada at the Palace Pier from 1944 until 1962. This group appeared often on CBC radio and recorded several times during the 1960s. He led a big band from 1974 to 1978, also singing with this group.

Cornetist, singer and bandleader Trump Davidson passed away on May 2, 1978 at the age of 69 in his hometown.

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Paul Desmond was born Paul Emil Breitenfeld on November 25, 1924 in San Francisco, California.  His father was a pianist, organist, arranger, and composer who accompanied silent films in movie theaters and produced musical arrangements for printed publication and for live theatrical productions. He started his study of clarinet at the age of twelve and continued while at San Francisco Polytechnic High School. During high school he developed a talent for writing and became co-editor of his high school newspaper.

As a freshman at San Francisco State College he began playing alto saxophone, however, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he spent three years in the Army band stationed in San Francisco. After his discharge in 1946 he legally changed his name to Desmond. Working in the San Francisco Bay Area as a backing musician, occasionally with Dave Brubeck.

Following a breakup and a reunion with Brubeck, the quartet became especially popular with college-age audiences, often performing in college settings like on their ground-breaking 1953 album Jazz at Oberlin at Oberlin College. The group played until 1967, when Brubeck switched his musical focus from performance to composition and broke the unit up. During the 1970s Desmond joined Brubeck for several reunion tours, with Brubeck’s sons Chris, Dan and Darius.

He worked several times during his career with baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan, guitarist Jim Hall, Chet Baker, and Ed Bickert.  Alto saxophone and composer Paul Desmond, who was one of the most popular musicians to come out of the cool jazz scene, passed on May 30, 1977, not of his heavy alcohol habit but of lung cancer, the result of his longtime heavy smoking.

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