play "misty" for me -- philly style

Some songs, it's hard to ever think of someone writing them. It's like they've always been among us, and likely none moreso than that most standard of jazz standards -- "Misty".

As it turns out, "Misty" is relatively young for a jazz standard. Errol Garner, that pure genius improviser, wrote in in 1954. It was released on the Dial label, on a 78, coupled with a tune called "Dreamy". Errol had already had a few moments in the sun, including a hit version of "Penthouse Serenade", which as not as miraculous as it might sound. There were a few jazz piano hit singles during that period (George Shearing having enjoyed some of the biggest).

Around 1959, Johnny Burke (who wrote lyrics for more Bing Crosby hits than anyone this side of Johnny Mercer) put words to the melody, and soon enough it became them makeout classic of a generation, and became de riguer for every pop singer who tackles the American songbook.

But its life as a ballad is far from its only life. In 1963, Lloyd Price released the uptempo version posted above (which includes the exclamation "Great googly moogly!", predating Frank Zappa's use of that same phrase in 1974's "Nanook Rubs It"). Lloyd lights it up in a big way, and it just about cracked the R&B Top Ten (peaking at 11). By far not Lloyds's biggest hit -- "Stagger Lee" was -- but, oddly enough, at least as influential.

Jazz organ fans are well aware that jazz organ was ghettoized by the very labels that put out the records, which meant lotsa organ combo covers of rock, pop, and rhythm'n'blues hits for jazz organ fans. "More", "California Sun", "Satisfaction", and many others were organ-ized.

In 1965, Camden, NJ son Richard "Groove" Holmes had been cutting for about four years, mostly for Pacific Jazz. But it was with his local Philly trio -- Gene Edwards (guitar) and Jimmie Smith (drums)-- that he cut the bare bones soul jazz masterpiece Soul Message for the notoriously parsimonious Prestige label, which included this masterpiece version of "Misty", which is still played in this arrangement someplace every night. This was a true jazz jukebox hit, and it's a performance as perfect as just about any in the jazz canons.

Prestige Records -- run by Bob Weinstock -- launched a great many important jazz careers, most notably Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Thelonious Monk. But the label's roster in the 1960's was really about organ-dominated soul jazz, exemplified by Groove Holmes, Charles Earland, Willis Jackson, Jack McDuff, and their ilk.

No doubt Errol Garner dreamt "Misty" to be the perfect ballad, which it was.

But -- as every Philadelphia who ever got served underage in a bar full of black folk two and three times his age can attest -- Errol Garner didn't have the last "Misty" word. Richard "Groove" Holmes did.

(PS Only other Camden-bred hit I know of is "Mixed Up Shook-Up Girl" by Patty and the Emblems.)