00 Notes.txt
JOHNNY GUARNIERI
"Gliss Me Again"
Classic Jazz 105, 1978
Side A
GLISS ME AGAIN J. Guarnieri / 3:42
WALLA WALLA J. Guarnieri / 1:57
I LEFT MY HEART IN SAN FRANCISCO G. Cory - D. Cross
SAN FRANCISCO B. Kaper - W. Jurmann - G. Kahn / 3:59
SWEET GEORGIA BROWN M. Pinkard - K. Casey / 2:24
TEA FOR TWO V. Youmans - I. Caesar / 2:54
MY HONEY'S LOVIN' ARMS I. Meyer - H. Ruby / 3:02
Side B
THE SHEIK OF ARABY T. Snyder - H. B. Smith - F. Wheeler / 2:38
LOVE FOR SALE Cole Porter / 4:12
SOMETIMES I'M HAPPY V. Youmans - I. Caesar / 4:03
CHEROKEE R. Noble / 2:37
INDIANA J. F. Hanley - B. McDonald / 3:58
ONE O'CLOCK JUMP C. Basie - J. Mundy / 0:50
Johnny Guarnieri, piano
Jimmy Shirley, guitar
Slam Stewart, bass, vocal
Jackie Williams, drums
Johnny Guarnieri's piano has been heard on over 6000 records from classical to
jazz, and his recording and performance activities continue today with no abatement.
This enormous quantitative output of Guarnieri is plausible to some extent in terms of
his broad versatility on the keyboard. His lengthy discography reflects a
concentration in the swing era tradition; however, his stylistic reach goes beyond the
loosely dotted-lined boundaries of swing stylists.
A native of New York City, Guarnieri was born on March 23, 1917. He started on
classical piano as a ten-year-old prodiqy. His idiomatic shift to jazz was initiated
by his attraction to the nightly diet of sounds of a player-plano emanating from an
upstairs neighbor's apartment. As a well-honed teen-aged stride pianist with
devastating abilities, he came to the attention of the legendary James P. Johnson--
"Father of the Stride Piano"--who was so thoroughly impressed with Johnny that he
promptly considered J.G. as one of the foremost exponents of the stride approach . . .
a very handsome recognition indeed, for a very young man.
Preceded by a bright reputation, Johnny was recruited in 1939 by Benny Goodman
for both jazz and classical functions on piano, since Benny was a devotee of Mozartian
music as well as jazz. Thus, Guarnieri filled the vacancy left by Fletcher Henderson
and began the first of two stints with BG, saddling over an important tenure with
Artie Shaw's orchestra. As for the latter, there is lasting allure of such Shavian
1940 vintage classics as "Summit Ridge Drive," "Cross Your Heart" and "Special
Delivery Stomp" recorded by Artie Shaw's Gramercy Five--the jazz combo within Shaw's
big swing band, featuring trumpeter Billy Butterfield, Artie's clarinet and the rhythm
section of guitarist Al Hendrickson, bassist Jud DeNaut, drummer Nick Fatool and
Johnny Guarnieri introducing the harpsichord to jazz. It was a beautiful sounding
group with strong ear grabbing powers, and Guarnieri's improvised solos were large
contributions to the musical and popular success of the combo. His career in the
forties continued with a host of luminaries, making records with Jimmy Dorsey, Lionel
Hampton, Cozy Cole, Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas and Lester Young--chalking up
participation in literally hundreds of sessions. His principal styles were often
filtrates of various concentrations derived from Fats Waller, Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson
and Count Basie.
Guarnieri became immersed in the radio/television studio scene at NBC in New
York throughout the fifties and stretching to 1962, when he decided to leave for the
West Coast. He has since made his home in North Hollywood. Besides writing musical
shows, appearing at jazz festivals here and abroad and finishing the manuscript of an
ambitious book on 75 jazz pianists and their music, his main venues as a soloist have
been hotels or supper clubs. At the time of writing these notes in August '78,
Guarnieri has already seen close to seven years at the piano at the Tail o' the Cock
restaurant in Sherman Oaks, not far from his residence.
It was at this comfortably appointed restaurant where Johnny and I had a chat
recently. His evening's repertoire is validly representative of the breadth of his
scope--drawn from light classical to ragtime to swing tunes and solid, beautifully
melodious Tin Pan Alley standards, old and new. "I have a huge catalogue of tunes,"
Guarnieri volunteered. "I can easily play an hour and a half of Kern, of Fats, of
Gershwin or whoever else. I consider myself old only in the sense of having really
been around. Few people take the time and effort to play the wonderful old tunes.
They are so great you don't have to do anything fancy with them. Just play the right
chords at a good tempo." Tunes like "Tea for Two" and "The Sheik of Araby" on this
record are examples of this category.
No matter what he played, his approach was girded with lyricism, warmth and a
highly communicative sensitivity to his au dience. At times he would amazingly play
that isn't enough of a challenge, he has been cultivating the exclusive use of his
right hand to play complete pieces of music! His preoccupation with 5/4 time,
beginning about a decade ago, is evident in his music. He referred to his early
performance of his concerto in 5/4 time and his upcoming violin and piano double
concerto in 5/4 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in February of 1979. "I was
disgusted with people saying early on that I played like Fats so much that it excluded
my ability to create anything else. So I went into a reckless 5/4 kind of a thing and
have become a virtual master of something I didn't necessarily want to be. But it's
been good and it has value since there is value anytime you can fill a market or a
void," Guarnieri said. "A field goal kicker of 47 years of age can't work forever,
but a stride pianist can, just like Eubie Blake has lasted. And the old masters like
James P. and Art Tatum and Fats would obviously be swinging as super giants and
commanding great interest."
As a young grade school jazz fan, I had seen Johnny Guarnieri with Benny
Goodman's famed sextet, swinging his butt off with Charlie Christian and likewise with
a variety of other jazz groups through the years. As a soloist, Guarnieri draws
immediate attention to his deft and tasty pianistics whether it be in a bistro, a
festival or on the grooves of a record like the one at hand; e.g. "Walla, Walla" and
favorite pianist--Fats Waller," Guarnieri explained. "Tatum was the best, but Fats
was my favorite because as a young kid I was raised on classical music and it was like
the first girl you fall in love with when I heard Fats. He entranced me--nothing but
instant enjoyment, instant wonder and instant greatness. At 61, I realize that all
Fats did was take over James P. Johnson's material just as I have taken over Fats'
Honey's Lovin' Arms," one of the first tunes written by Fats."
This record was made in March of 1975 while JG was on a special Fats Waller jazz
tour in France. Pat Flowers, incidentally, was the second pianist on the tour playing
on the thematic base of Fats' music. "It may not show in the music on the record, but
it was made under difficult conditions," Guarnieri recalled vividly. "We started at
1:00 A.M. after a long evening program. No food was brought in and as I was a
diabetic, it was strenuous. Slam Stewart, Jimmy Shirley the guitarist and Jackie
Williams the drummer were all tired out before we finished the session, so I played
the solos to complete the album." As a fortunate by-product of these less than ideal
circumstances, Guarnieri's solos give the record a nice balance of material and a wide
open opportunity to hear his marvelous solos in stark relief.
Speaking of bassist Slam Stewart, his characteristic bowed solos in unison with
his humming/singing offer such refreshing moments! Dig his work on "Sometimes I'm
Happy" and "The Sheik of Araby." Slam's extensive history is well sutured with
premium associations such as Slim Gaillard, Art Tatum, Benny Goodman, Charlie Parker,
just fabulous," Guarnieri said enthusiastically. "In France when we got on the stand,
people acknowledged both of us with grace and knowingness. Remember, I had not worked
with Slam for 25 years--since our days together on 52nd Street--and we sat down to
play and it was like it was yesterday. Only he was better and I was better.
"It's simply because you have to love what you're doing. I love to play piano.
I play in any key, any way, any shape and I'm just now getting the hang of it! My
rate of improvement is making me very happy and I honestly believe in the next few
years I'm going to be very close to being on top."
Johnny Guarnieri may be right on target about his confidence and ability to
achieve his goal. Listen to "Cherokee." Guarnieri's left hand is like the bass and
drums together. He's like a one-man band--another one of the rare, creative anomalies
in the jazz world. Johnny Guarnieri is a helluva pianist. Like his music, he himself
is a "collectors' item."
--Herb Wong
Recorded at Barclay Studios, Paris
March 10th, 1975, by Francis Miannay
Produced by Disques Black and Blue
Photo Jean-Pierre Tahmazian
Illustration: Woodrow Nash
Design: Leo Bliok and Jeff Vogt
Tape editor: Aimee Chiariello
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