Art Tatum was
among the most extraordinary of all jazz musicians, a pianist with
wondrous technique who could not only play ridiculously rapid lines
with both hands (his 1933 solo version of "Tiger Rag" sounds as if
there were three pianists jamming together) but was harmonically 30
years ahead of his time; all pianists have to deal to a certain extent
with Tatum's innovations in order to be taken seriously. Able to play
stride, swing, and boogie-woogie with speed and complexity that could
only previously be imagined, Tatum's quick reflexes and boundless
imagination kept his improvisations filled with fresh (and sometimes
futuristic) ideas that put him way ahead of his contemporaries.Born nearly blind, Tatum gained some formal piano training at the Toledo School of Music but was largely self-taught. Although influenced a bit by Fats Waller and the semi-classical pianists of the 1920s, there is really no explanation for where Tatum gained his inspiration and ideas from. He first played professionally in Toledo in the mid-'20s and had a radio show during 1929-1930. In 1932 Tatum traveled with singer Adelaide Hall to New York and made his recording debut accompanying Hall (as one of two pianists). But for those who had never heard him in person, it was his solos of 1933 (including "Tiger Rag") that announced the arrival of a truly major talent. In the 1930s, Tatum spent periods working in Cleveland, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and (in 1938) England. Although he led a popular trio with guitarist Tiny Grimes (later Everett Barksdale) and bassist Slam Stewart in the mid-'40s, Tatum spent most of his life as a solo pianist who could always scare the competition. Some observers criticized him for having too much technique (is such a thing possible?), working out and then keeping the same arrangements for particular songs, and for using too many notes, but those minor reservations pale when compared to Tatum's reworkings of such tunes as "Yesterdays," "Begin the Beguine," and even "Humoresque." Although he was not a composer, Tatum's rearrangements of standards made even warhorses sound like new compositions.
Art Tatum, who recorded for Decca throughout the 1930s and Capitol in the late '40s, starred at the Esquire Metropolitan Opera House concert of 1944 and appeared briefly in his only film in 1947, The Fabulous Dorseys (leading a jam session on a heated blues). He recorded extensively for Norman Granz near the end of his life in the 1950s, both solo and with all-star groups; all of the music has been reissued by Pablo on a six-CD box set. His premature death from uremia has not resulted in any loss of fame, for Art Tatum's recordings still have the ability to scare modern pianists.
Art Tatum - CD 01 - Tiger Rag
01. Strange As It Seems
02. I'll Never Be The Same
03. You Gave Me Everything But Love
04. This Time It's Love
05. Tea For Two
06. Saint Louis Blues
07. Tiger Rag
08. Sophisticated Lady
09. Moonglow
10. I Would Do Anything For You
11. When A Woman Loves A Man
12. Emaline
13. Love Me
14. Cocktails For Two
15. Ill Wind
16. The Shout
17. Liza
18. I Would Do Anything For You
19. When A Woman Loves A Man
Art Tatum - CD 02 - Humoresque
01. After You've Gone
02. Star Dust
03. Beautiful Love
04. Liza
05. Body And Soul
06. With Plenty Of Money And You!
07. What Will I Tell My Heart
08. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
09. Gone With The Wind
10. Stormy Weather
11. Chloe
12. The Sheik Of Araby
13. Tea For Two
14. Deep Purple
15. Elegie
16. Humoresque
17. Sweet Lorraine
18. Get Happy
19. Lullaby Of The Leaves
Art Tatum - CD 03 - Begin The Beguine
01. Tiger Rag
02. Sweet Emaline
03. Emaline
04. Moonglow
05. Love Me
06. Cocktails For Two
07. St. Louis Blues
08. Begin The Beguine
09. Rosetta
10. Indiana
11. Wee Baby Blues
12. Stompin' At The Savoy
13. Last Goodbye Blues
14. Battery Bounce
15. Lucille
16. Rock Me
17. Corinne, Corinna
18. Lonesome Graveyard
19. I Got Rhythm
20. Cocktails For Two
21. I Ain't Got Nobody
Art Tatum - CD 04 - On The Sunny Side Of The Street
01. After You've Gone
02. Moonglow
03. Deep Purple
04. I Would Do Anything For You
05. Liza
06. Tea For Two
07. Honeysuckle Rose
08. The Man I Love
09. Dark Eyes
10. Body And Soul
11. I Know That You Know
12. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
13. Flying Home
14. Boogie
15. Topsy
16. Fine And Dandy
17. It Had To Be You
18. Ja Da
19. Where Or When
Art Tatum - CD 05 - Poor Butterfly
01. Sweet And Lovely
02. Danny Boy
03. Hallelujah!
04. Poor Butterfly
05. Song Of The Vagabonds
06. Lover
07. Memories Of You
08. Runnin' Wild!
09. Yesterdays
10. Kerry Dance
11. Begin The Beguine
12. She's Funny That Way
13. Lover 2
14. Body And Soul
15. I'm Beginning To See The Light
16. 9:20 Special
17. Where Or When
18. Poor Butterfly
19. Indiana
20. Song Of The Vagabonds
Art Tatum - CD 06 - Tatum - Pole Boogie
01. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
02. Ain't Misbehavin'
03. Out Of Nowhere
04. Cherokee
05. How High The Moon
06. Humoresque
07. Tatum - Pole Boogie
08. Someone To Watch Over Me
09. Yesterdays
10. I Know What You Know
11. Willow Weep For Me
12. Gershwin Medley
13. The Kerry Dance
14. Willow Weep For Me
15. I Cover The Waterfront
16. Aunt Hagar's Blues
17. Nice Work If You Can Get It
18. Someone To Watch Over Me
19. Dardanella
20. Time On My Hands
21. Sweet Lorraine
Art Tatum - CD 07 - Tea For Two
01. Somebody Loves Me
02. Don't Blame Me
03. My Heart Stood Still
04. You Took Advantage Of Me
05. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
06. How High The Moon
07. Makin' Whoopee
08. Lover
09. Over The Rainbow
10. Love For Sale
11. Too Marvelous For Words
12. Love For Sale
13. Tea For Two
14. September Song
15. Out Of Nowhere
16. Melody In F
17. Just One Of Those Things
18. Indiana
19. Would You Like To Take A Walk
Art Tatum - CD 08 - Elegy
01. Elegy
02. Over The Rainbow
03. This Can't Be Love
04. September Song
05. Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin'
06. Come Rain Or Come Shine
07. Tenderly
08. You're Driving Me Crazy
09. Memories Of You
10. Makin' Whoopee
11. The Man I Love
12. If You Hadn't Gone Away
13. I've Got The World On A String
14. Yesterdays
15. Night And Day
16. What Does It Take
17. Love For Sale
18. Body And Soul
Art Tatum - CD 09 - Wrap Your Troubles In A Dream
01. Begin The Beguine
02. Louise
03. Can't We Be Friends
04. Wrap Your Troubles In A Dream
05. There Will Never Be Another You
06. Jitterbug Waltz
07. You Took Advantage Of Me
08. I Hadn't Anyone But You
09. I Cover The Waterfront
10. Fine And Dandy
11. I'm In The Mood For Love
12. All The Things You Are
13. Blue Skies
14. Humoresque
15. You're Driving Me Crazy
16. Dixieland Band
17. I'm Comin' Virginia
Art Tatum - CD 10 - Stompin' At The Savoy
01. Stompin' At The Savoy
02. I'm In A Sentimental Mood
03. Where Or When
04. Without A Song
05. The Very Thought
06. Stardust
07. Someone To Watch Over Me
08. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance
09. Isn't This A Lovely Day
10. Have You Met Miss Jones
11. I'll See You Again
12. Stay As Sweet As You Are
13. My Last Affair
14. Ill Wind
15. I'll See You In My Dreams
