Mistyfied

Wikipedia: Composed by Erroll Garner as an instrumental following the traditional 32-bar format, the tune later had lyrics by Johnny Burke. It has been covered numerous times and the song plays a key role in the plot of the movie Play Misty for Me (1971).

Filmsite : In the town of Carmel, California, cool-talking, all-night DJ, Dave Garver (Clint Eastwood) receives regular requests to play “Misty”, the Erroll Garner classic, from a seductive listener/fan Evelyn Draper (Jessica Walter). When he first meets her in a local pickup bar, The Sardine Factory, and they have a one-night stand, he is not aware that she is the…. (sounds scary!)

NPR : Raised in a musical family, Erroll Garner was playing the piano by the age of three and never learned to read music. Childhood friend and bassist Wyatt “Bull” Ruther took piano lessons from Garner’s sister and recalls how easily Garner picked up music. His high school band teacher, who encouraged him not to take lessons for fear it would corrupt his talents.

icarus y : His characteristic traits are of course his steady, guitaristic, left hand compings, and, most obviously, his octaval treatments of melodies and solo lines. The major seventh arpeggio in octaves which introduces Garner’s biggest hit, Misty is an example.

ScrippsNews. : Jonny Matis says : “I’m lucky because I had some pretty good songs (Chances Are,” “Twelfth of Never” and, his personal favorite, “Misty,” ) to sing. They were not frivolous and they weren’t foolish sounding. They were regular romantic ballads and they’ve held up over the years”.

Jazzitude : Before returning to Europe, Gordon played live gigs at Baltimore’s Left Bank Jazz Society on May 4, 1969. There’s a beautiful reading of “Misty” on which Gordon doesn’t really deviate from the melody all that much but on which he nonetheless puts his distinctive stamp.

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