Hotshot guitarist Hank Garland (1930-2004) had a truly meteoric and tragic career: in his youth he took guitar lessons from bluegrass legend Don Reno, and soon traded local fame in South Carolina for the bright lights of Nashville, moving to Music City while still in his teens. He soon became a go-to session picker, adding memorable licks to hit records by Patsy Cline, Lefty Frizzell, The Everly Brothers, Janis Martin, Roy Orbison, Brenda Lee, and perhaps most notably, Elvis Presley, who he backed in the studio for a few years starting in 1958. Garland played country, pop and jazz, though he may be particularly remembered for his muscular yet elegant riffs on a number of early rock'n'roll tunes, and numerous rock-influenced country songs. Notably, his earlier uptempo work during the post-WWII "hillbilly boogie" era helped pave the way for the rockabilly sound, combining clean, concise picking with an assertive, almost aggressive melodic vigor. Tragically, Garland's career was cut short in 1961, when an auto accident left him debilitated and unable to work, due to a traumatic brain injury. Various family members took care of him for several decades until he passed away at age 74, leaving behind a modest but potent recorded legacy. Here's a quick look at his work...
Hank Garland "Velvet Guitar" (Columbia-Harmony Records, 1960) (LP)
(Produced by Frank Jones & Don Law)
Though he was famous for his punchy, rock-flavored riffs on numerous country and pop hits, Garland had a softer side, and in particular an affinity for jazz music. Though the album title implies an easy-listening orientation, this smooth set could also be seen as one of his jazz records, filled with sweet, elegant, instrumental performances. The release on Columbia's sub-label Harmony Records is a little unusual, as Harmony was primarily used as a budget-line reissue imprint, though the decision to consign these tracks to a Harmony release probably shows how flummoxed the label was, trying to figure out what to do with non-twang performances by one of its hottest country pickers.
Hank Garland "Jazz Winds From A New Direction" (Columbia Records, 1961) (LP)
(Produced by Don Law)
Garland's legacy as a jazz picker from Nashville more or less stems from this album, where he led a compact quartet that included future jazz-fusion star, vibraphonist Gary Burton (who was just seventeen at the time) along with bassist Joe Benjamin and drummer Joe Morello, who had a regular gig in Dave Brubeck's band. This album, which was managed by one of Nashville's greatest producers, Don Law, only included six tracks, though the combo recorded much more material, later anthologized in a string of jazz-oriented Garland retrospectives. (See below).
(Hank Garland &) The Nashville All-Stars "After The Riot At Newport" (RCA Victor, 1961) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Sholes)
An oddly-titled album with a striking back-story... In 1960, Nashville decided to send a contingent of its finest musicians to the fabled Newport Jazz Festival, in the yankee enclave of Newport, Rhode Island. They had a lot of talent to pick from, settling on guitarists Chet Atkins and Hank Garland, as well as Brenton Banks (on piano and violin), Floyd Cramer (piano), Buddy Harman (drums), Bob Moore (bass) and the young jazz vibrophonist Gary Burton, who had been working with Garland on his solo jazz explorations. The Nashville ensemble's performance turned out to be ill-fated, as the festival itself was cancelled after a couple of days due to actual rioting that stemmed out of bubbling tensions between local residents and a large number of younger, mostly African-American, jazz fans who came to Newport for the music, and found the town less welcoming than they had hoped. Garland, Atkins and their crew had come equipped with their own recording equipment and, following the cancellation of festival after a surprisingly violent weekend, they set up their mics at the house they were staying in, and taped this set on the fly, adding to Garland's modest legacy of jazz-oriented recordings.
Hank Garland "The Unforgettable Guitar Of Hank Garland" (Columbia Records, 1962) (LP)
(Produced by Don Law & Frank Jones)
Released after Garland's career-ending 1961 auto accident, this set has a posthumous-adjacent feel, but it also exposed the world to more of Garland's jazz explorations. It includes a puckishly titled Gary Burton song, "Call D. Law," which was probably an homage to producer Don Law, who helmed these sessions. [Note: This was also released as Subtle Swing on the SESAC label, and later reissued under that title by the Sundazed label in 2004.]
Hank "Sugarfoot" Garland "Sugarfoot Rag" (Bear Family Records, 1992)
Solo studio work by hotshot guitarist Hank Garland, whose distinctive picking made songs like "Sugarfoot Rag" so irresistibly catchy. This disc is pretty much only for diehard fans of instrumental pop, though a couple of tracks are as boisterous and fun as his old hillbilly boogie tracks with Red Foley. For the most part this CD is an attempt to document how Garland was a serious jazz enthusiast -- not my cup of tea, but it might be yours. Includes a couple of (nice) vocal tracks as well.
Hank Garland "Move! The Guitar Artistry Of Hank Garland" (Sony Music/Sundazed Records/Euphoria Jazz, 2001)
(Produced by Frank Jones & Don Law)
A two-disc collection of Garland's ambitious jazz sessions, including a healthy chunk of previously unreleased material. Garland was working in a small combo which notably included vibraphonist Gary Burton, as well as bassist Joe Benjamin and Joe Morello on drums.
Hank Garland "In Session" (Jasmine Records, 2025)
An expansive collection of Garland's work as a Music City sideman, backing dozens of early Nashville stars. This set concentrates almost exclusively on his country side, with a few rock'n'roll tunes in the mix as well. Pretty sweet.
