HANK GARLAND

Hank Garland was inspired to pick up the guitar by Arthur "Boogie" Smith.
Landing a gig with Paul Howard's Georgia Cotton Pickers at age 15, he rapidly gained renown as a fast, sophisticated, jazzy player. He continued to develop as a guitarist, absorbing the styles of Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, Les Paul, Barney Kessel, Tal Farlow, and Wes Montgomery.
Hank Garland worked as a session player on recordings by Don Gibson, Jim Reeves, Ferlin Husky, Brenda Lee, Webb Pierce, Jerry Lee Lewis, Charlie Rich, Elvis Presley, and others.
Hank was a higly versatile musician, a guitarist's guitarist, a master of his instrument the likes of which you don't see too often in this day and age of disposable music.
In 1960, Hank's impressive jazz picking was spotlighted on his "After The Riot At Newport" LP (recorded after Garland's Newport Jazz Festival appearance was aborted due to rioting on the festival grounds), on which he was teamed up with jazz vibraphonist Gary Burton. His next LP, "Jazz Winds From A New Direction", showcased his expansive improvisations which never deteriorated into pointless noodling.
Less than a year later, Hank Garland's promising career was tragically cut short by an automobile accident that left him crippled and unable to play guitar.


Hear Hank Garland's classic "Sugarfoot Rag"