Art Tatum

[montiverdirocks]

Any fellow fans?

[brahmsian]

Yes

He was a genius

[Derek]

I sometimes get annoyed with how many firework type arpeggios he plays with that really loud high note at the top of them, but other than that he played some pretty sweet jazz lix

[thalbergmad]

I have to agree with derek, sometimes he irritates me and i find myself wishing he would get back to the theme.

However, no denying he was a genius.

Myself, I prefer Waller, Johnson, Smith and Hines.

[Derek]

I'm into Meade-Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson, Jimmy Yancey, and other boogie woogie guys. That's where I get all my jazz/blues kicks. Or my dad's recordings. hah.

I like Theolonious Monk's solo album "Solo Monk," there's some really nice playing on there, very tasteful.

[sevencircles]

Tatum overused some patterns and runs but he was in a class all by himself.

His lefthand was a lot better then most people think too.

I find it strange why he didnīt ask for a tuned piano on his recordings.

Sometimes he played on pianos that was so out of tune it hurts your ear.

[ole]

Out of tune pianos can lend a nice atmosphere to certain styles of music.

[raskolnikov]

Here's a tribute website to Art Tatum:
https://www.collinatorstudios.com/tatum/

The author got one fact wrong, Art Tatum had partial vision and wasn't completely blind.

But be sure to watch the video of this guy playing!  He seems nervous though, and his chops aren't up to Tatum's (not many people's chops are!).

If anyone's interested the album which has Tatum's take on "Begin the Beguine," is called "20th Century Piano Genius (Verve)."

[arensky]

He was the greatest Jazz pianist ever, and that probably ever will be.

[sevencircles]

Out of tune pianos can lend a nice atmosphere to certain styles of music.

Maybe so!

I donīt think Rachmaninov would have agreed though.

I remember a report of him listening to a superb performance by one of the greatest pianist  in those days.

The only comment Rach had when they asked him what he thought about the performance was "Piano out of tune!"

[carolina estrada]

do you know guys , that he was blind?

his touch and sound is extraordinary.

[raskolnikov]

do you know guys , that he was blind?

Tatum was not totally blind.  In the biography "Too Marvelous for Words" the author provides several quotes from people who were around during Tatum's time and they mention Tatum playing cards and billiards.  And that he was a good hustler at pool, because most people around his time thought he was blind too.

[thejoel]

Tatum had limited vision in only one eye... when he played cards he had to hold his hand mere inches away from his face.

[fun king ded]

I find it strange why he didnīt ask for a tuned piano on his recordings.

Sometimes he played on pianos that was so out of tune it hurts your ear.

I don't think he really had much choice.  When he was alive and recording, jazz musicians certainly didn't get the respect they deserved.  Being afro-american didn't help either...

Oscar Peterson himself was so intimidated by Tatum that he would completely fall apart whenever he played and Tatum was around.

[sevencircles]

I don't think he really had much choice.  When he was alive and recording, jazz musicians certainly didn't get the respect they deserved.  Being afro-american didn't help either...

Oscar Peterson himself was so intimidated by Tatum that he would completely fall apart whenever he played and Tatum was around.

Thatīs awfull!

I know Horowitz praised Tatum and I assume that it made Art  a lot more respected.

i donīt know when Horowitz discovered Tatum but I wouldnīt be surprised if it was just a few years before Tatum died.

[da jake]

 

https://s9.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2JD4IP9Y07EAY1JRDGUZE8M512

[arensky]

Thatīs awfull!

I know Horowitz praised Tatum and I assume that it made Art  a lot more respected.

i donīt know when Horowitz discovered Tatum but I wouldnīt be surprised if it was just a few years before Tatum died.

Horowitz probably first heard Tatum in the early 30's , probably at one of George Gershwin's parties, Gershwin would pay Tatum what was then an astronomical fee for him to play at his parties; Gershwin would watch and listen, transfixed while Tatum played Gershwin's tunes; Horowitz was a frequent guest at these affairs, when he was in New York. Horowitz frequented jazz clubs both uptown (Harlem) and downtown (52nd Street) after moving permanently to New York City in 1940. He was a big Tatum fan, but his favorite jazz pianist was Joe Bushkin (who died only a year or two ago at the age of 87).