Opening 23 Jan 2025
Directed by:
Georges Gachot
Writing credits:
Georges Gachot, Paolo Poloni
This captivating film by the French/Swiss director Georges Gachot, who is known for his documentary films about musicians, reveals the life of pianist Erroll Garner, who wrote the famous song “Misty” among many others, and was recognised as a jazz star early in his career.
Erroll taught himself to play the piano by listening and never learned to read music. As a young child, his only attempt with a teacher was when one was instructing his older siblings. However, the teacher refused to continue with Erroll because he was advanced in ways she could not understand. This resulted in him always taking the lead, often to the chagrin of members in his ensemble, as they could only follow him (an exception to the jazz principle of listening to each other). Erroll took all the solos, but they were magnificent and he became very successful.
His personal life is revealed: his two major partners and daughter were mostly non-relationships. As a Black man in the 1940’s and ’50’s he never spoke about discrimination. In 1953, at a time when very few women were in the business, he was approached by a white woman Martha Glaser to become his business manager. Under her careful management, he became one of the highest-paid musicians in the business, not just jazz, and for 25 years “…making as much money for a concert as Horowitz.” Glaser believed he was the equivalent “...to Laurence Olivier in acting and Picasso in painting—the greatest artists, in whatever field they were in.” (Nancy Tilitz)
