What Is This Thing Called Love – 1964
Erroll Garner
A typically dazzling performance by the pianist
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Erroll Garner, who rarely ever looked at his hands when he played (the music seemed to flow through him), had a distinctive and very original style on the piano by the mid-1940s, sounding like a full big band by himself.
He was capable of recording three albums in one day (all first takes) and never sounded less than inspired.
Garner particularly enjoyed creating abstract introductions to songs, leaving it to his sidemen to figure out what tune he was about to play.
For this inventive version of “What Is This Thing Called Love” from 1964, Garner is joined by bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer Kelly Martin.
– Scott Yanow
Ella Fitzgerald