Erroll Garner - Misty
There are classics that until you've sat quietly and let the music flow through your soul, your Blues Jazz collection just isn't complete.
The story goes, Erroll was inspired to write "Misty" on a flight from San Francisco to Chicago which passed through a thunderstorm: as the plane descended into O'Hare airport, he looked looked at of the window to see a rainbow glowing through a haze and was moved to begin composing "Misty" on the spot, striking imaginary piano keys on his knees as he hummed the notes he imagined, causing his neighbouring passengers to summon a flight attendant to assist the apparently mentally ill Erroll.
The lyrics were added later by Johnny Burke. Burke was initially reluctant to create lyrics for the tune, but was persuaded to do so at the insistence of his pianist, Herb Mesick. It was said that Mesick played the tune every time Burke came into the room, until Burke said: "Alright, give me the damn music, and I'll do it." Burke wrote the lyrics in two to three hours.
26th September 2026