Premiere: Erroll Garner Reissue Series Begins with ‘When You’re Smiling,’ a Cut off ‘Dreamstreet’

By DownBeat I Aug. 29, 2019

The Octave Remastered Series aims to fortify the legacy of pianist Erroll Garner (1921-1977).
(Photo: Courtesy Mack Avenue)

Initially released in 1961 on his own Octave Records, Erroll Garner’s Dreamstreet opens an ambitious Mack Avenue reissue campaign that in total will unloose 12 albums of the pianist’s music.

Dreamstreet, among four Garner discs set to be dispatched as part of the Octave Remastered Series on Sept. 27, then will be followed by a new release each month through June 2020.

The trio on Dreamstreet—which also includes bassist Eddie Calhoun and drummer Kelly Martin—leans into a batch of standards, including “When You’re Smiling,” which premieres below. On the tune, Garner, an underrated figure in 20th century jazz, proves his mettle, toying with the composition’s lyrical lines as his rhythm section leans into the midtempo offering.

Along with the familiar songs on Dreamstreet and throughout the 12-album project are a number of unreleased cuts, too. For this first disc, a Garner composition called “By Chance” closes out the set.

“It’s truly shocking, and one of the greatest joys of this work, to find these fully realized tunes just sitting there on tape,” Peter Lockhart, senior producer of the series, said in a press release.

Along with Dreamstreet, Closeup In Swing, One World Concert and A New Kind Of Love will be available next month.

For additional information about the album—and series of releases—visit the Mack Avenue homepage. DB