Erroll Garner - Night and Day (CBTS - 1955)

Monday evening, September 19 1955. Now, with all due respect to July 27 1954, that's what I call a historic date in musical history. Yes, one of the greatest of all popular music recordings was made on said evening at Carmel by the Sea in California thanks to the musical talents of Erroll Garner, Eddie Calhoun and Denzil Best, and to the organizational skills of Jimmy Lyons, Will Thornbury, and perhaps one or two others. CBTS made Erroll a crossover star, a household name before Misty had captivated the imaginations of music lovers. So, it seems to me de rigueur to mark Erroll's centenary by posting Jimmy Lyons introduction to the proceedings that evening followed by the original opening number, Night and Day, not the I'll Remember April of the original fifties lp record.
"With the great glow of wonderful friendship .." With those words Jimmy Lyons captured perfectly what millions around the world have perceived about Erroll Garner, the man and his music, in his ability to communicate joy and beauty through time and space. Erroll's music is a friend of mine, one that I couldn't live without. I know many of you feel the same way.