Hank Garland, wicked alternate picker

[AlsoRan]

Can any of you Jazz Guitar veterans talk about Hank Garland? I am familiar with his movie and his background with Elvis, as well as his car accident. But, I would like to know how is how well he was accepted by the Jazz Community at the time and whether or not he was taken seriously as a Jazz musician, coming from country roots the way he did.

I have heard some of his Jazz work on the "Move" CD and I have to say, he has a wickedly consistent and fast picking action. And his solos are so melodic. I kind of think the world was cheated out of a LOT of great Jazz when he was injured in that accident.

Thanks.

[brwnhornet59]

Well, I know Les Paul loved him. He was very well respected in his day. I owned a 1976 Byrdland. I bought a used model in 84 for $1500. I sold it 5 years ago to a guy in Japan for $5000. I never really liked the scale. The floating bridge was a pain in the butt. It did have a great tone. But Hank sure loved them. That's all I know.

He was good enough for Les, he's good enough for me. BTW, some of the best Jazz players around have country roots. Nashville is a Jazz Mecca.

[Reg]

HG was who I copied licks and style from, for all the country, rockabilly etc gigs years ago... still try and cover in his style...Not really jazz feel.
But who cares...Reg

[P.J.]

George Benson dug Garland!

PJ

[AlsoRan]

Originally Posted by Reg

HG was who I copied licks and style from, for all the country, rockabilly etc gigs years ago... still try and cover in his style...Not really jazz feel.
But who cares...Reg

I agree with you about the feel of his music, BH. Hard to describe, but its almost a pop/ early rock feel. Like he could use many of those licks on an Elvis Presley song. Still, it worked for me, especially when he applied some swing to it.

And thank you as well, Reg, for the comments. I am just starting to enter the stage in which I am assembling a battery of individual licks/phrases. HG will be supplying more than a few.

[63Bigsby]

This is Hank at 17 yrs old, his first job as a session sideman in Nashville:
‪Autry Inman - You Gotta Leave Those Guys Alone.wmv‬‏ - YouTube

I've heard the flipside of this 78 once, it features an equally great solo by Hank but unfortunately you won't find that on Utube.

[Synchro]

If you listen to Velvet Guitar you will hear a quite different side of H.G. than Jazz Winds. On Velvet Guitar he sounds more like Johnny Smith. I think that he was always accepted and admired by many Jazz guitarists but the reverb laden sound on Jazz Winds, a sound I didn't mand at all, was off-putting to some purists.

His solo on the song (I'll Be Loving You) Always, from the Jazz Winds album, is a favorite of mine. He keeps one toe in the melody but manages to put a very Bluesy feel into it and, IMHO, the reverb actually helps.

The Jazz Winds album has always held a mystical appeal to me. I know that I was aware of it for a long time befor finding a copy in '77. The whole package, the coll cover with the MG and the neat guitars, the knowledge of the accident that happened, all of it, was very compelling to a young man that lived for Jazz guitar.

A few months ago a friend with a large collection was showing me his acquisitions. There was a Byrdland among them, one that had belonged to Hank. I played it for a few minutes bathing in the concept that this very guitar could well have been used on both some of my favorite Jazz cuts, but also, on some very famous Pop/Rock tunes like Jingle Bell Rock or Little Sister. That was a good day.

[wizard3739]

Hank "Sugarfoot" Garland has always been one of my favorite guitarists and after his accident, he was unable to play for quite a long time. He did eventually recover some of his abilities. A good friend told me Chet Atkins, also his friend, used to have him come to studio sessions with his guitar even though he was unable to play at that time. I have always considered his version of "All The Things You Are" from "Jazz Winds From A New Direction" to be a definitive study of a jazz arpeggio approach to the changes for a song. His playing technique was unbelievable with fast, articulated lines and a swing feel that was unmatched by most of the other guitar players of that time.

wiz

[63Bigsby]

^^ît is said that Hank had a specific sound in his head for recording Little Sister, so he borrowed Harold Bradley's Jazzmaster for the session.