Misty - Erroll Garner/Sy Johnson

Justin Sanner performs Sy Johnson's arrangement (in G Major) of Misty by Erroll Garner. Justin Sanner is a pianist in San Francisco. Update 01.22.11: Some people have commented on this version of Misty not having much "feeling" or that it seems "square" or "boxy" or "not enough swing" and that type of thing. It is what it is. It's Sy Johnson's arrangement. It's not my arrangement. It's really a simplified version of the original. I could have "jazzed it up," but I chose not to, in part, because one of my students was working on this arrangement at the time and I thought she might use this video as a model of how to basically play the piece. She was not that advanced. As it is, there's only so much one can do with this particular Sy Johnson arrangement. I played it the way he wrote it, and put in as much "feeling" as I could within the constraints of his arrangement. I added nothing as far as notes are concerned. So really, if one has a problem with it, contact Sy Johnson. He's the one who wrote it this way. It's his arrangement. I've seen videos of Erroll Garner playing Misty (he played it different ways) and again this Sy Johnson arrangement is definitely a simplified version of the original. At some point, when I have the time I had planned to do my own piano transcription of the original Erroll Garner Misty, which would sound very different than this Sy Johnson arrangement. I prefer the original, but my student could not have played the original and I don't think there's a score available for it.
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Piano: Kawai Digital Piano
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Peace.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Justin
• Sanner
• Misty
• Erroll
• Garner
• jazz
• solo
• arrangement
• piano
• instructor
• San
• Francisco
• shenandoah
• conservatory

[amscon]

I just love to listen to your music. I come to this site again and again. Would you be kind enough to play other pop songs? Thanks.

[justinsanner]

Hello Amscon,

I currently have multiple videos I'm working on which I'll be releasing within the next year, as time allows me (and Dean, my production guy) to work on them in between my piano teaching duties. Thanks for your comment.

[jimbomed]

Technically perfect but lacking in feeling.You should also credit the arranger who is Sy Johnson as this rendition in G-major was officially published in 1977 in "The Erroll Garner Songbook"

[justinsanner]

Thank you for your comments. There are so many different versions of Misty. I had thought of improvising on the piece but chose instead to play it exactly as written in the score. I will be adding a more elaborate and advanced version later on. It will be my own piano transcription of Misty. I appreciate your crediting Sy Johnson. I didn't credit him because he is not credited anywhere on the score I used (Warner Brothers Publications). The score says "Misty by Erroll Garner, piano solo."

[johnymarder]

I love the sound of your keyboard.

[bujuib]

I have listen to this song three times tonight, and i am still loving it...thank you for sharing it...

[zimmermann10]

thanks so much

[fatistan]

great performance!!!! Thanks for sharing your talent here ... I love it. Regards.

Fatima

[billy0246810]

too square

[jorisjorisjoris]

without feeling

[jlarrys]

Very Very Good

[prodexit]

Oh great! Finally found what I was looking for. I am playing it also;)

[Dengydoo]

Errol Garner had a "wave" in all his playing where his hands would move as a wave from left to right, giving the specific touch and (in lack of a better word) sound that both he and Thelonious Monk shared. I see the pianist here is somewhat doing that. If you get the right piano sound and drop a few "digital moments" in the playing, you'll be moving peoples feeling a lot more when playing Misty :-)

[jamestakeshi]

#1 rule in professional video making..DO NOT ZOOM..Great playing though...nice...

[hedgewytche]

Hey pianossimo, my piano tuner jokingly calls my piano a harp-in-a-box. All pianos harps autoharps dulcimers etc, belong to the Zither family. And musicians can reconstruct sounds from symbols on a piece of paper written by someone from another place and another time! I think sheet music is like magic!