# Hear a taste of Erroll Garner at the 1962 Seattle world’s fair, from a Deluxe new reissue series: Videos, Photos

- Link: https://jazzblues.eu/2019/08/26/hear-a-taste-of-erroll-garner-at-the-1962-seattle-worlds-fair-from-a-deluxe-new-reissue-series-videos-photos/
- Published: 2019-08-26T18:46:14+01:00
- Author: https://JazzBlues.EU

**The Century 21 Exposition, better remembered as the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair,
left an indelible mark on the skyline of that city: the iconic Space Needle was 
created for the event, along with the Seattle Center and its elevated monorail.**

There were also major musical performances: a whole mess of them, by the Seattle
Symphony Orchestra (conducted in one concert by Igor Stravinsky); by folksingers
like Theodore Bikel and Josh White; and by jazz artists including Ella Fitzgerald,
Count Basie and Nat King Cole. Also among that last cohort was pianist Erroll Garner,
a star attraction at the height of his powers.

Garner’s performance would yield _One World Concert, _his first live album since
the world-beating _Concert By the Sea__. _(On the cover of _One World Concert_, 
a subhead declares: _Recorded in Actual Performance at Seattle World’s Fair_.) This
was the third release on Octave Records, which Garner had established with his manager,
Martha Glaser. Originally distributed by Philips, it has never had a fully dedicated
reissue.

That’s about to change, thanks to the Octave Remastered Series. A joint initiative
of Mack Avenue Records and the Erroll Garner Jazz Project, it’s a batch of reissues
spanning Garner’s total output on Octave: 12 albums from the 1960s and ‘70s. The
first four — along with One World Concert, they include Dreamstreet, Closeup in 
Swing and A New Kind of Love — land on Sept. 27.

Here is a track from the refurbished _One World Concert_: “Movin’ Blues,” whose 
title tells you almost everything you need to know.

Note that I said “almost.” It must be said that Garner is working alongside his 
usual terrific rhythm team, bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer Kelly Martin. Listen
for how he shifts from his rumbling introduction to the song’s main theme, which
includes an answering chime voiced like a train whistle. (A nod to Duke Ellington’s
locomotive onomatopoeia, perhaps.)

[[

Then there’s the improved sound quality, which is really this series’ _raison d’être.
_Like _The Complete Concert By the Sea, _released in 2015, and _Nightconcert_, which
arrived last year (and for which I wrote liner notes), the albums in the Octave 
Remastered Series were transferred and restored using the Plangent Processes Playback
System. This method removes wow and flutter effects in analog tape transfers, which
is a more technical way of saying it dramatically cleans up the sound.

Each album in the Octave Remastered Series will also feature one previously unissued
track, the majority being new Garner originals. “It’s truly shocking, and one of
the greatest joys of this work, to find these fully realized tunes just sitting 
there on tape,” says Peter Lockhart, who with Rosenthal has produced the reissue
series, in a press release. The bonus find on _One World Concert _is a trio version
of “Other Voices,” the [balladic title track](https://youtu.be/RIoXF7VV7ZQ) from
a 1957 orchestral album.

Following the Sept. 27 batch release, the Octave Remastered Series will issue one
album each month leading up to the start of Garner’s centennial year, next June.
These next six albums are: _A Night at the Movies, Campus Concert, That’s My Kick,
Up in Erroll’s Room, Feeling is Believing, Gemini, Magician, _and_ Gershwin & Kern_.

In addition to this rollout, the Octave Remastered Series plans to release a limited
podcast, with an episode devoted to each album. Titled _Erroll Garner — Uncovered,
_and produced by our own Alex Ariff, it will be hosted by noted jazz scholar Robin
D.G. Kelley. (The _One World Concert _episode_ _will feature a conversation with
pianist Jason Moran.) More information about the podcast is forthcoming.

**Erroll Garner with Connie Page in 1962, appearing on KTNT-TV in Seattle, Wash.**

![Erroll Garner with Connie Page in 1962, appearing on KTNT-TV in Seattle, Wash.](
https://i0.wp.com/www.wbgo.org/sites/wbgo/files/styles/medium/public/201908/Image-
1_0.jpeg?w=640&ssl=1)

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