Arv Garrison


Arvin Charles Garrison was an American jazz 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 Trio. They recorded one album.
In 1946, Garrison recorded sessions with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie in Los Angeles, sharing the studio with Miles Davis, Dodo Marmarosa, and Lucky Thompson. As part of the Earle Spencer 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