“Hank
Garland is among those rare and unforgettable guitarists of our time.
The fire of his rhythmic picking is tempered by his beautifully interwoven
harmonic concept. He continues to be one of my favorites of all time.”
-George
Benson
“Once
in a while, the presence of a great guitarist emerges to inspire
generations of artists and becomes a part of musical history. Hank
Garland is among the best of all time. Thank God for his talent and
legacy. Cesar Oliveira’s excellent transcriptions of Hank Garland’s
work fill a void in the archives of jazz music.”
-Jackie
King
“For
many, many years, guitarists have considered Hank Garland one of
the very best players. Thanks to Cesar Oliveira, some of Hank’s
musical ideas will now be available for the serious students of the
jazz guitar.”
-Johnny
Smith
“Listening
to Hank Garland play the guitar changed my musical life, as well
as the lives of thousands of other musicians over the years. In this
professional and detailed presentation of Hank’s genius, Cesar
Oliveira has done a wonderful job of capturing Hank Garland’s
landmark performances from JAZZ WINDS FROM A NEW DIRECTION. This
is a virtual college course in jazz improvisation and it is my hope
this great music will be passed on to a new generation of musicians.
-Billy
Williams
“Hank
Garland created a landmark recording with JAZZ WINDS FROM A NEW DIRECTION.
It set the bar so high that no one will ever reach it again. After
all these years, that recording is still modern and fresh. Every
guitar player that hears it will never forget it. Hank was the best
of the best.”
-Jimmy
Bruno
“Hank
Garland is one of the great guitarists of all times. His inventiveness
in several styles of music has contributed substantially to the evolution
and development of guitar music. He has been an influence on me and
many others! “
-Junior
Brown
“There
have been many renditions of the great standard “All the Things
You Are” on all instruments. Hank Garland’s interpretation
of this great Hammerstein piece on guitar is as if you are hearing
it for the first time. This established Hank Garland as one of the
great jazz guitarists of our time, and the album JAZZ WINDS FROM
A NEW DIRECTION as the standard all jazz guitarists should use as
the level to reach in their musical maturity.”
-Lou
Mecca
Book
review in “Just Jazz Guitar” Magazine (reviewed by Jackie
King), November 2003
GUITAR
TRANSCRIPTIONS OF HANK GARLAND’S SOLOS
Jazz Winds from a New Direction
By Cesar Oliveira
Virtually
every jazz guitarist has heard the name Hank Garland – and
with good reason. Not only is Hank Garland one of the greatest guitarists
that ever lived, but his contribution to the jazz world in the recording “Jazz
Winds from a New Direction” is, without question, a landmark
in the archives of guitar music. This CD, including all of Hank’s
guitar works and solos, has been transcribed by Cesar Oliveira in
a volume titled “Guitar Transcriptions of Hank Garland’s
Solos: Jazz Winds from a New Direction”. To my knowledge this
is the only existing published transcription of this recording and
is a long-awaited treasure. Our gratitude should go to Hank, Billy
(Hank’s brother), and Amy Garland for their dedication and
generosity in making this project possible, and in commissioning
Mr. Oliveira for the transcription of this music.
The
guitar music of Hank Garland transcribed in this book was embodied
in the 1960 Nashville recording that brought together jazz drummer
great, Joe Morello, as well as the instrumental virtuosos Gary Burton
(vibes), and Joe Benjamin (bass). It has come to be acclaimed as
one of the foremost jazz guitar albums of all time. The book includes
a CD of the classic recording along with 85 pages of music, and is
dedicated to the memory of Robert Bryan Garland.
“Hank Garland Solos” begins with the most memorable song on the recording, “All
the Things You Are”. This beautiful version of the classic jazz standard
involves a fugue-like arrangement of the A sections of the tune between the guitar
and vibes, and appears (as do all the transcriptions) in large, easy-to-read
notation as well as unfingered tablature. Much of Garland’s comping is
also written out, which is a plus, because his comping ability was another mark
of Hank’s genius. The dialogue between the guitar and vibes is written
for both instruments, including fours, twos, and simultaneous soloing. Hank Garland’s
beautiful, burning lines and phrasing are a school within themselves, and are
priceless to the dedicated student and player.
The
tracks, “Three Four Blues”, and Miles Davis’ “Move” show
Hank Garland’s virtuosity with _ time as well as up-tempo bop.
The beautiful acoustic version of “Always” is one of
the highlights of the book, and includes chord voicings and diagrams
of the chord melody, chord solos, and chord fills that Garland played. “Riot-Chorus” and
the classic tune “Relaxing” demonstrate some of the best
single-line soloing that jazz guitar has ever produced, and should
be heard by every lover of jazz.
The
complete scores appear in all the transcriptions, including many
bass and drum parts. All on all, I think the book is a real labor
of love, and would highly recommend it to every serious guitar player.
Cesar Oliveira has produced a fine work with this book.
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