He then took up tuba and string bass; like many New Orleans bassists of the era, he doubled on the two instruments which filled similar roles in different types of bands.

He played with the Excelsior Brass Band and Manuel Perez's Imperial Orchestra.

[3] In 1944 Garland became best known as a member of a traditional New Orleans band that was a leader of the West Coast revival, put together for the CBS Radio series The Orson Welles Almanac.

The all-star band also included Mutt Carey, Jimmie Noone (succeeded by Barney Bigard), Kid Ory, Bud Scott, Zutty Singleton and Buster Wilson.

[7] Garland appeared in the 1959 film Imitation of Life, performing with Andrew Blakeney, Teddy Buckner, George Orendorf and Joe Darensbourg in the funeral sequence ("Trouble of the World") featuring Mahalia Jackson.