Arvin Charles Garrison (August 17, 1922 – July 30, 1960) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

guitarist. He was born in Toledo, Ohio, and spent most of his life there. Garrison taught himself ukulele at age nine and played guitar for dances and local functions beginning at the age of twelve. He led his own band at a hotel in Albany, New York, in 1941. He married a double bassist and performed with her in a group under her name, the

Vivien Garry Vivien Garry (1920 – December 1, 2008) was a jazz bassist. She led the Vivien Garry Quintet (which, on at least one date, included Edna Williams of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm on trumpet and Ginger Smock on violin) and the Vivien Ga ...

Trio. They recorded one album. In 1946, Garrison recorded sessions with

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

and Dizzy Gillespie in Los Angeles, sharing the studio with

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

Dodo Marmarosa Michael "Dodo" Marmarosa (December 12, 1925 – September 17, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. Originating in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Marmarosa became a professional musician in his mid-teens, and toured with several ...

, and

Lucky Thompson Eli "Lucky" Thompson (June 16, 1924 – July 30, 2005) was an American jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist whose playing combined elements of swing and bebop. Although John Coltrane usually receives the most credit for bringing the soprano sa ...

. As part of the

Earle Spencer Robert Earle Spencer (born 26 June 1925 Welborn, Kansas – 19 September 1973 Fillmore, Utah) was an American trombonist and leader of a progressive swing big band bearing his name — Earle Spencer and His Orchestra. He formed the band in 1946 ...

orchestra, he played in a guitar section that included Irving Ashby and Barney Kessel. In the 1950s he returned to Toledo and played locally. In 1960, while he was swimming, he died when he had an epileptic seizure in the water.

Discography

* Vivien Garry Quartet, ''Central Avenue Breakdown Vol. 1'' (Onyx, 1974) split album with

Teddy Edwards Theodore Marcus Edwards (April 26, 1924 – April 20, 2003) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Biography Edwards was born in Jackson, Mississippi, United States. He learned to play at a very early age, first on alto saxophone and the ...

and

; includes "Hopscotch", "I Surrender Dear", "Where You At", "I've Got To, That's All", "Tonsillectomy", and "These Foolish Things" recorded 1945 for Sarco Records in Hollywood, California * ''Swing to Bop Guitar: Guitars in Flight 1939–1947'' ( Hep, 2000) various artists CD anthology; includes Garrison's "Five Guitars in Flight" recorded 1946 for

Black & White Records Black & White Records was an American record company and label founded by Les Schreiber in 1943. It specialized in jazz and blues. When the label was sold to Paul and Lillian Reiner, it moved from New York City to Los Angeles. The catalog includ ...

with

's Orchestra) *

, ''The Complete Charlie Parker Vol. 2: Now's The Time 1945–1946'' (Frémeaux & Associés, 2011) * ''The Complete Dial Modern Jazz Sessions'' (

Mosaic A mosaic is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and were particularly pop ...

, 2014) various artists 9-CD box set; includes Garrison's February 1946 Dial Records session with Dizzy Gillespie's Tempo Jazzmen, his March 1946 session with

's septet, and his October 1946 session with the

Howard McGhee Howard McGhee (March 6, 1918 – July 17, 1987) was one of the first American bebop jazz trumpeters, with Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro and Idrees Sulieman. He was known for his fast fingering and high notes. He had an influence on younger beb ...

/Dodo Marmarosa Sextet

References

;Further reading *

Leonard Feather Leonard Geoffrey Feather (13 September 1914 – 22 September 1994) was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer, who was best known for his music journalism and other writing. Biography Feather was born in London, England, into an u ...

and Ira Gitler, ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz''. Oxford, 1999, pp. 247–48. {{DEFAULTSORT:Garrison, Arv 1922 births 1960 deaths American jazz guitarists Guitarists from Ohio 20th-century American guitarists Jazz musicians from Ohio Earle Spencer Orchestra members