Danish pianist
Henrik Gunde's ongoing
Gunde on Garner is a heartfelt tribute to the late
Erroll Garner, who died in 1977. On earlier releases, he has played songs either written and/or recorded by
Garner, but this time around he chose pieces that the late pianist was likely unfamiliar with or that were written after his passing. Accompanied by bassist Nicolas Kock, drummer Steen Holm and, on three tracks, conga player Rune Olesen,
Gunde successfully captures the flavor of
Garner's approach to the keyboard, with the rhythm section restricted to a supporting role, as on
Garner's records. The question for
Garner fans is whether or not he would of chosen to play any of these songs if he'd had the opportunity.
Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are" and "New York State of Mind" seem more likely than
Elton John's drippy "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" or
Norah Jones' platinum record "Don't Know Why," though
Gunde does his best to spice up the tempo in an attempt to make them more interesting. It seems plausible that
Garner was familiar with the popular aria "Santa Lucia"; this loping arrangement with
Gunde playing a bit behind the beat is amusing. The other compositions of European origin are a bit harder to judge. The obvious verdict is that there was only one
Erroll Garner, and
Gunde's well-meaning tribute wears out its welcome after a few tracks. ~ Ken Dryden