What?! Yves-Plat is great, but, c'mon... He's not a true improviser, and plus, even his overly pre-meditated version of Tea for Two doesn't even hold a candle to Tatum's in terms of musicality, creativeness, or virtuosity... sorry. This version is so much more interesting musically than Plat could ever hope to accomplish, let alone not as impressive, energetic or emotional.
No one will ever be like Tatum, including Yves who swings like a rusty gate and has a very vanilla/predictable arrangement.
@MissyHolland What I meant, dear viewer, was that it's highly probable that three extremely jealous people disliked this video when they discovered just how mediocre they were compared to someone that can actually be called "mature". And it's highly probable that those 3 very jealous people were Lady Gaga, Rebecca Black, and Justin Bieber.
The fourth disliker was probably someone who tried to favorite the video, but accidentally pressed thumbs-down as scrolling towards the "add-to" button.
credman. Thanks. Tatum is simply the greatest pianist ever and he brought out the best in what we call "the Great American Songbook." His greatness seems impossible, but there it is in what you've uploaded!
This is as good as Yves Plat's version. Yeah, just do a Youtube search "Tea for two - Yves Plat" , and you will be quite shocked, it sounds almost as good as Tatum's!
@polymath7 Huh no y? i don't think im that good but maybe i will be one day hopefully. You could check out my vids i know i currently have a lot to improve upon and can't expect to play just like Art of course. And I just thought Yves Plat was pretty amazing. But now that i think about it he didn't totally come up with anything really and couldn't do it as quick as Tatum, or without even practicing..
@16yearoldwhiteboy Just watched Yves' Plat version of this song. It's really entertaining, and I was amazed at the insane stride part (his left hand velocity was just like the one in Tiger Rag!).
But if we wanted to be serious about this, I think he's...far from Tatum in musical maturity and pure virtuosity. For example, take the rapid changing of keys in 2:45 of this video - Yves might have difficulty with it performing it at the spot.
Tatum's (this) version is simply amazing, but that doesn't mean we can already shun pianists like Yves aside. It's still a great benefit to learn from them. I dream that I will be as good as (if not better, why not?) than Yves Plat in improvising, one day. But Tatum? I wouldn't bet on it. People like him only show up once in a hundred years, and I'd be incredibly LUCKY if I were going to be that one genius to grace the 21st century, lol.
@Santosificationable Wow Yves Plat improvised?! Yeah actually Yves Plat is probably the best I've heard since Tatum of course (in terms of virtuosity). But i mean we don't know if Yves Plat practiced and they *say* Art didn't but honestly i don't know if i can believe that lol. Either way i think Yves Plat is astonishing, but Arts runs were much more complex and fast (& sometimes spontaneous) and he changed keys fluidly! Yeah Plat needs to be more mature and relaxed really to more like Art.
@16yearoldwhiteboy Many college graduates from music schools can probably reach that technique nowadays, so I don't think it's a question of how "fast" the runs are, how quick the strides are, etc. What matters is what they *CAN* do. I'd say that Bill Evans, despite playing in a less technically demanding style, can improvise at a higher level than Yves.
I used to be like you before, critiquing a pianist by the speed of his runs. Then again, it's not the hands that matter, it's the artistry.
@Santosificationable Yes i know i feel like Yves Plat may be trying to be a show-off actually sometimes. And i don't judge just by their speed, i just really enjoy these amazing songs, i mean it may seem like I do, but that's really what I like listening to / playing lol. I actually get turned off from from this genre sometimes because i feel like they only do what their fingers feel comfortable doing fast. Now Art i think he was able to play from his heart regardless, but idk about Yves Plat
It's a well known fact that both Oscar Peterson and Vladimir Horowitz were amazed and confounded by Art Tatum's technique and playing. Both were considered virtuosos of the piano, but in comparison to him they both played like they were all thumbs. The criminal thing is that because he wasn't white he never received the respect, fame and fortune he rightfully deserved, which went Instead to Horowitz and other much less creative white pianists.
@kingpleasure Actually no, if you google "Art Tatum" there are more search results than "Vladimir Horowitz". Anyway, yeah, Horowitz and co. were probably pretty much more famous during their time simply cause classical music was much more developed than jazz at that time. Even these days, we have classical music schools, universities, etc. We have much less in jazz simply because it hasn't been instilled in society that much said.
Unfortunately by todays standards it's how popular you are not how quality and gifted you are as the players of years gone by. In many instances it's been done before! You just haven't heard it. Rudy Wyatt
Could be the zenith of jazz piano, possibly never to be equaled. Without mentioning names, he makes a main competitor sound like muzak, sorry about that, but couldn´t refrain.
In our world, that of Art Tatum other such luminaries, thankfully, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Rebecca Black do not even exist. They were taken out with the trash.
@Santosificationable not bad man you put bieber and rebecca black on the same fameness level as lady gaga xD... im not a lady gaga fan... but you could put sumthin shitty like jonas brothers or something from highschool musical :D
I'd like to know who the 3 idiots are who pushed the dislike tab. I know you have a right to your opinion but then I have a right to my opinion which is that your opinion is most definitely wrong.
I'd like to know the 3 idiots who dislikes Art Tatum. I know you have a right to your opinion but then I have a right to my opinion which is that your opinion is most definitely wrong.
the thing people have to recognize is, that music is all about feeling. it should sound fresh, spontaneous and in case of jazz it needs a good portion of swing, an easy going, underlying self evidence. technic, and virtuosity as one aspect of technic, is just the mediator. that tatum celebrates all those elements on THIS technical level is beyond believe. still his virtuosity wouldnt mean nothing without the feeling..
If we're talking about pianists with the best technique, sound and musicianship, I think that Josef Hofmann and Leopold Godowsky should be added to the discussion. There's nothing that those two couldn't do.
@blchnick Certainly in Hofmann's case he sadly became an alcoholic after his divorce from his first wife. Initially, the effect wasn't that great, but latter it really ended the career of one of the greatest pianists ever. Rach himself said "Hofmann is still sky high ... the greatest pianist alive if he is sober and in form. Otherwise, it is impossible to recognize the Hofmann of old". Some amazing and some not so great performances are available on CD/youtube from this period.
What is it during 1:43-44, it kinda sounds like sloppiness, and yet accurate. Is it just a controled manipulation of tone lengths and ghost notes, or a bit of slop at the end of the day? In case anyone's analysed it.
Too many notes, some critics say. Mozart endured similar criticism. Sorta like saying "too much gravity" in Einstein. But as Mozart responded (as Tatum would), there are no more notes than needed. Genius can be taxing to most of us because it is so far beyond our learned boundaries of perception. Genius perceives more possibility in a glance than others do in a lifetime. It was Tatum's expansive musical vision, with matching technique, that makes him a "god" to most artists and afficianados.
It's like if a player piano could make things up as it went along- the almost machine-like precision coupled with the layer upon layer of ingenious chord, key, and pitch transitions defies comprehension. There is skill there, but it was crafted laboriously upon an immense bedrock of talent. Art Tatum is a legend by the virtue of his craft alone.
"All of the trademark Tatum elements are here: the grand melodic flourishes, the harmonic magic tricks, the flirtations with various tempos and musical styles. But what also emerges is Tatum's effervescence, his joy, and his humor. He seems to celebrate and mock these timeless melodies all at once." From Marc Greilsamer's review of 20th Century Piano Genius.
Oscar Peterson told a story about Tatum being asked to visit Horowitz' apartment to hear a virtuosic version of Tea for Two VH had spent a week writing, as an encore piece. When Horowitz finished playing it Tatum said something like nice, can I try? He then played something equally virtuosic. Horowitz said, that's amazing Art, when did you write it? And Tatum said, just now.
@jonorloff0 That is just a story. And a rather stupid one,I might add. First of all it's musical value of arrangement that's important, not how much time one has spend writing it. And second of all Tatum and Horowitz never even met according to all existing sources let alone hang out at Vlad's pad. Please,read some books before spreading slander about great pianists such as Vladimir Horowitz
@polymath7 Cziffra was absolutely great in his own right. At his best he cold stand comparison to anybody, probably even to Liszt himself, let alone Tatum.
You've got me there. I was pretty much talking out of my ass. I only peck around at the piano and really am in no position to assess someone's technique at that level.
I must say I've seen several of your comments elsewhere, and as a non-musician find them invariably perceptive and enlightening.
@polymath7 Thank you,I am, of course very flattered. Let me pay you back a compliment in saying that it takes an intelligent man to admit his mistakes. Pleasantries aside,though, there's something in Tatum's music that makes people compare him with other pianists to their disadvantage or sometimes put them down quite crudely instead of being immersed in his music. There's a bit of a horse-race in it that doesn't belong in a truly great art. Just an observation....
@twooffour You haven't read my comment very carefully. I said probably. I know very well that there's unfortunately no recordings of Liszt but there's plenty of accounts of his contemporaries about how he played and Cziffra comes very close to these descriptions, especially when playing Liszt.
@vova47 Cziffra had at least an equivalent technique to Tatum (and I am a huge Tatum fan)...but the way Cziffra toys with the most difficult pieces in the classical repertoire is stunning. He's very idiosyncratic-which is COOL!
Tatum is just amazing. I prefer them both to Horowitz in many ways. In my opinion, Horowitz actually outplays them in lyrical music. I love his Schubert sonatas and Schumann's scenes from childhood. Also incredible.
@bennettpiano Even though the Cziffra supervirtuoso rhetoric is accepted by everyone - and it's right - I find very few of his recordings to be of him "toying" with the most difficult pieces in the repertoire.
e.g. The Liszt transcendental etudes and Hungarian rhapsodies. He does something original, different, and personal in each one - and it just *happens* to bring the tempo down. Even he needed that little cushion for full technical control it seems.
All I can say is "well done" to Norman Granz for this recording. Tea for Two seems to be such a favorite piece for pianists to play, and Art must have played it thousands of times in his life. This is a wonderful version.
@Morahman7vnNo2 Would you mind stating the source of this highly improbable story, please. Art Tatum was a great talent and there's simply no need to put down another great pianist such as Vladimir Horowitz to prove that fact. In reality Tatum arranged many tunes in advance and repeated them note for note. As far as I know Horowitz never transcribed another pianist's arrangement but made himself quite a few fingerbreakers
@Morahman7vnNo2 Maybe you don't mean to, but whoever came up with this story surely meant to prove Tatum's superiority over classical pianists and of course they had to choose the most famous one. This story wouldn't work if pianist in question wouldn't be an instantly recognizable name,say, Moiseiwitch, Cortot, Busoni or any other great, but lesser known pianist. Good luck with that research, I've been trying to verify this story for years
@vova47 Maybe it's just an urban legend, after all, how of those guys are in New York somewhat often? I'm really asking because I don't know. I'd like to think the story pokes fun at the differences of Classical and Jazz music, but that doesn't mean I haven't seen it spun around.
@Morahman7vnNo2 You are probably right. And, yes, the story has a long beard.
Seems that people can't resist comparing Art to somebody, always to disadvantage to this poor person. They don't seem to realize there's room for all kinds of pianists.
So the Tatum-Horowitz story is apocryphal? I've seen it repeated many times on several other boards and had more or less supposed it to be true because it always went completely unchallenged.
I should have known; it always had a hyperbolic, fictive ring to it.
@polymath7 Let's just say I assume it's apocryphal unless somebody comes up with definite evidence to the contrary. I have studied both Horowitz's and Tatum's existing documents and interviews and even asked personally many people close to Horowitz including Wanda Horowitz-Toscanini and no one could confirm that the two pianists have even met, let alone have this musical encounter showing Horowitz in a very unflattering role of an ignorant admirer.
@polymath7 There's plenty of arguments against this story: Horowitz famously never went to hear other pianists they had to come to him wearing their best clothes and ties. He knew almost every virtuoso and living composer and never asked THEM the meaningless question of how long did it take them to write, arrange or learn piece of music for everybody is different- it make take 15 hours or indeed 15 years for somebody to write a piece of music and only 15 minutes for someone else.
Dear demosj, I've never claimed that Horowitz wasn't listening to other pianists at his mature age -the opposite is true. He listened to classical channel whenever he could and kept a sharp eye( ear) on competition. And of course he has heard Rubinstein, they have played together at various salons in Paris when they were younger men and later he even came to A.R. concerts but that was an exception rather than a rule - usually the pianists he wanted to hear came to him.
@polymath7 The answer that Tatum supposedly gave Horowitz " I just made it up!" it's also meaningless, beside being arrogant, for everybody who's playing something worth hearing have thought of it long and hard, no matter how spontaneous it may appear.The correct answer then would be "All my life!" And both men, being great artists that they were, knew it.
@Morahman7vnNo2 Great quotes! My father new Peterson. Story goes: some cat asked me, 'Say man, do you know Tatum?'. I replied, 'Yeah, he calls me Son'"
Happy birthday Art of music arts. We love you!!! Please come down to earth from time to time and help us play wonderfull music that makes people happy.
A simple but inaccurate definition is 'the shortest note present. More appropriate is it's use to judge the placement of all musical events. Also, the tatum would be the time division that most highly coincides with all note onsets.
The 'tatum' was named after Art. The tatum is still studied and analyzed using complementary and opposing algorithms.
Many of his recordings were made on a single take late in his life. Anyone privileged to hear him would never forget him He was without peer.
To monkiman. Sad. What could have been an informative and interesting discussion is clearly going nowhere. As you seem to need to resort to personal abuse I suspect you have no faith in your own argument.
To MSchm041. Fair comment. Even Tatum acknowledged that his style was influenced by others but I am sure he never copied them note for note. I still feel that your approach is like trying to understand a good wine by carrying out a chemical analysis of it.
you just sound retarded. there is value in transcribing, so that people who want to play with his skill can learn from the transcriptions. and with your analogy makes no sense. it's more like trying to play this song after you know what the chords, the notes, and all that other jass first.
I was transcribing today and had a revelation, and that was I didn't get it. Why I was transcribing. I guess it's good for learning or understanding style and learning intervals and stuff but unless you play that solo in every key and reharmonize over different chord changes, it's just like learning a classical tune you might as well be listening to it. I could be wrong, but taking one little lick at a time like 5 - 10 notes and doing all you possibly can with it, I think makes more sense
just enjoying this in conjunction with some Woods 57% ABV overproof Navy Rum - nice! I really like how he choses the right key to play his songs in - can make all the difference i think..... Just got a piano and will get it tuned next week so will experiment to see what key it's being played in... erm hang on a minute think this song has several key changes in it :)
I think everyone has different aspects and types of talents. Tatum was obviouslly at an Olympian level with all skills few can ever reach, and he could endlessly improvise on tunes like this one out of the blue while retaining all his stupendous technique and harmonic gifts. Yet those who can trancscribe these phenomenal works and then perform them well, are also exceptionally gifted, as are those with very high levels of sponataneous improvisational skills!
If tatum played this on three different occasions he would play it three different ways. transcribing is a waste of time. jazz is about IMPROVISATION. Wake up - we all wish we could do it as well as he did. coppying isn't even second best however well it is done.
WHAT?? You have never been taught the value of transcription. Poor you. But that's okay, I'll tell you right now: We transcribe as a way of closely studying and copying the masters so that we have the vocabulary to improvise well on our own. Who learns to talk without listening to his parents? We have to listen and regurgitate (transcription process) before we can ever hope to improvise well on our own. And yes, jazz IS about improvisation, but not about crappy/uninformed improvisation.
a friend told me there's a place in london one can go to and play and they transcribe on the spot by computor , but guess this not possible with audio only , too bad !
well, you don't need to go to that much trouble. if you play a MIDI instrument and use some decent software, you could play and it would be transcribed.
Credman, I understand and respect your opinion of Art Tatum's 1933 Tea for Two, however, he was also much younger at the time. During 1933, there were still cutting contests, so I'd like to say that those runs(which fit the chords well) were "thrown" in to impress the listener like in the contests. However, even in his youthful interpetation, you still have to appreciate how he made subtle changes to the melody and the chord structure throughout the piece.
I've had to listen to this song at least 20 times to fully appreciate just what Tatum did to this song. The chord changes are unbelievable, especially during his prime when he played this. The ambience he creates during 1:21 to 1:49 is surreal. This version far surpasses his 1933 version(which I'm trying to learn).
Yeah, I don't particularly care for that version. Maybe I'm spoiled from hearing this one first. The other one is less focused and coherent, like he was coming up with an arrangement on the spot, and throwing in a lot of runs just to fill time. This one seems much more deliberately planned out. That's also why this reminds me of a classical composition, the way every single note is meaningful and necessary. (Despite the fact that there's a billion of them!)
2:50 to 3:08 is also notable where Tatum puts the melody in the bass, then alters the melody and introduces numerous chord substitutions and modulations . . . it's the stuff of genius.
@BRazor78 it is truly amazing playing... might be worth nothing though that tatum was and is often criticised for being too busy in his playing... he truly is an amazing player but i do think the piece lacks structure... i think this comes down to tatum probably improvising a lot of it on the spot... don't get me wrong, one of the greatest, but i would agree with some of the critics... less is more and all that... before people comment no i couldnt do better, but no musician is above criticism
Somebody (it might have been Oscar Peterson) asked Art Tatum how he was able to play so fast without ever hitting a wrong note, and Tatum laughed and asked if he was joking. He said he hit wrong notes all the time, he just covered them up well. I don't think that was a mistake, though. The dissonance makes it sound better, more mysterious and suspenseful.
It's possible the first dissonance was unintended, but he quickly followed it with three more half-tone dissonances and thereby embraced the sound and used it into his improvisation. Schonberg tells a story about virtuoso Franz Liszt playing in concert and striking a wrong note, causing the audience to draw its collective breath, whereupon Liszt immediately improvised a breathtaking cadenza that incorporated the clinker in a harmonious way, and finished the piece in musical triumph.
@Kolef88 I think any kind of dissonance he does is intentional. I'm a Percussionist and my teacher just put me on to Tatum, hes so ahead of his time it's ridicolous
be crazy to see him play circus gallop!
Tcjunior18 3 weeks ago
This Is Weird
MrJarrentan 3 weeks ago
What?! Yves-Plat is great, but, c'mon... He's not a true improviser, and plus, even his overly pre-meditated version of Tea for Two doesn't even hold a candle to Tatum's in terms of musicality, creativeness, or virtuosity... sorry. This version is so much more interesting musically than Plat could ever hope to accomplish, let alone not as impressive, energetic or emotional.
No one will ever be like Tatum, including Yves who swings like a rusty gate and has a very vanilla/predictable arrangement.
elsapoguapo 1 month ago
I'm sorry, @Santosificationable, but what did you mean? (I pride myself on awareness of pop culture lateral references.)
MissyHolland 1 month ago
@MissyHolland The three listed above are musically-retarded so called geniuses.
TripleRhu 1 month ago
@MissyHolland What I meant, dear viewer, was that it's highly probable that three extremely jealous people disliked this video when they discovered just how mediocre they were compared to someone that can actually be called "mature". And it's highly probable that those 3 very jealous people were Lady Gaga, Rebecca Black, and Justin Bieber.
The fourth disliker was probably someone who tried to favorite the video, but accidentally pressed thumbs-down as scrolling towards the "add-to" button.
Santosificationable 1 month ago
four people only had tea for one.... :(
LaodMoutH 1 month ago
I think we can all agree that Art had two retractable hands that come out of his wrists.
jessedyck1 1 month ago 3
4 people disliked this video because this piece was originally set for 5 people, but because Art could play for everyone, they lost their jobs. :(
SFSylvester 1 month ago
four people can't find a friend and tea for one is no fun
GreenvilleGangsta 1 month ago
4 people disliked this video because there was only enough tea for two of them
MarcelloDoes 2 months ago
it became four!, let's add hmm..... (thinks of generic shitty disney pop star) aha!, miley?
synxfirefox 2 months ago 3
its sad that great jazz artists like art tatum are watched by only 140000 people while incapable idiots like justin bieber are watched by millions
goldensnake100 2 months ago
@goldensnake100 Oh how sadly right you are!!
jrcwwl 2 weeks ago
EARGASMIC!!!
Dardagan11 3 months ago
4 people don't like tea.
16yearoldwhiteboy 3 months ago 4
Gorgeous!!! I love this song!!!!
maisqpoesia9999lcg 3 months ago
Awesome !!!
rdr555 3 months ago
credman. Thanks. Tatum is simply the greatest pianist ever and he brought out the best in what we call "the Great American Songbook." His greatness seems impossible, but there it is in what you've uploaded!
soclarc 4 months ago
?v=OpeF4eFGDEA
Check that out, it sounds almost good as Tatum's to me!
16yearoldwhiteboy 4 months ago
Comment removed
16yearoldwhiteboy 4 months ago
Do a Youtube search "Tea for Two - Yves Plat" check him out he's good as Tatum to me!
16yearoldwhiteboy 4 months ago
This is as good as Yves Plat's version. Yeah, just do a Youtube search "Tea for two - Yves Plat" , and you will be quite shocked, it sounds almost as good as Tatum's!
16yearoldwhiteboy 4 months ago
@16yearoldwhiteboy Not at all. Completely different !
MegaBigBoss67 3 months ago
@MegaBigBoss67 Yea foundring's was sweet though even compared to tatums
16yearoldwhiteboy 3 months ago
@16yearoldwhiteboy Eh, no offense but are *you* Yves Plat? If so you are indeed quite good, but not almost as good as Tatum.
polymath7 1 month ago
@polymath7 Huh no y? i don't think im that good but maybe i will be one day hopefully. You could check out my vids i know i currently have a lot to improve upon and can't expect to play just like Art of course. And I just thought Yves Plat was pretty amazing. But now that i think about it he didn't totally come up with anything really and couldn't do it as quick as Tatum, or without even practicing..
16yearoldwhiteboy 1 month ago
@16yearoldwhiteboy Just watched Yves' Plat version of this song. It's really entertaining, and I was amazed at the insane stride part (his left hand velocity was just like the one in Tiger Rag!).
But if we wanted to be serious about this, I think he's...far from Tatum in musical maturity and pure virtuosity. For example, take the rapid changing of keys in 2:45 of this video - Yves might have difficulty with it performing it at the spot.
Santosificationable 1 month ago
Tatum's (this) version is simply amazing, but that doesn't mean we can already shun pianists like Yves aside. It's still a great benefit to learn from them. I dream that I will be as good as (if not better, why not?) than Yves Plat in improvising, one day. But Tatum? I wouldn't bet on it. People like him only show up once in a hundred years, and I'd be incredibly LUCKY if I were going to be that one genius to grace the 21st century, lol.
Santosificationable 1 month ago
@Santosificationable Wow Yves Plat improvised?! Yeah actually Yves Plat is probably the best I've heard since Tatum of course (in terms of virtuosity). But i mean we don't know if Yves Plat practiced and they *say* Art didn't but honestly i don't know if i can believe that lol. Either way i think Yves Plat is astonishing, but Arts runs were much more complex and fast (& sometimes spontaneous) and he changed keys fluidly! Yeah Plat needs to be more mature and relaxed really to more like Art.
16yearoldwhiteboy 1 month ago
@16yearoldwhiteboy Many college graduates from music schools can probably reach that technique nowadays, so I don't think it's a question of how "fast" the runs are, how quick the strides are, etc. What matters is what they *CAN* do. I'd say that Bill Evans, despite playing in a less technically demanding style, can improvise at a higher level than Yves.
I used to be like you before, critiquing a pianist by the speed of his runs. Then again, it's not the hands that matter, it's the artistry.
Santosificationable 1 month ago
@Santosificationable Yes i know i feel like Yves Plat may be trying to be a show-off actually sometimes. And i don't judge just by their speed, i just really enjoy these amazing songs, i mean it may seem like I do, but that's really what I like listening to / playing lol. I actually get turned off from from this genre sometimes because i feel like they only do what their fingers feel comfortable doing fast. Now Art i think he was able to play from his heart regardless, but idk about Yves Plat
16yearoldwhiteboy 4 weeks ago
It's a well known fact that both Oscar Peterson and Vladimir Horowitz were amazed and confounded by Art Tatum's technique and playing. Both were considered virtuosos of the piano, but in comparison to him they both played like they were all thumbs. The criminal thing is that because he wasn't white he never received the respect, fame and fortune he rightfully deserved, which went Instead to Horowitz and other much less creative white pianists.
kingpleasure 4 months ago
@kingpleasure Actually no, if you google "Art Tatum" there are more search results than "Vladimir Horowitz". Anyway, yeah, Horowitz and co. were probably pretty much more famous during their time simply cause classical music was much more developed than jazz at that time. Even these days, we have classical music schools, universities, etc. We have much less in jazz simply because it hasn't been instilled in society that much said.
Santosificationable 4 months ago
@Santosificationable
But take note, perhaps every serious jazz musician should know who Art Tatum is. After all, he's considered the "god of jazz".
Santosificationable 4 months ago
@kingpleasure Very true. Horowitz once said that if Tatum switched to classical, he'd be out of a job.
dandygamer 4 months ago 4
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@dandygamer "Very true. Horowitz once said that if Tatum switched to classical, he'd be out of a job."
While the sentiment expressed in this quote may be plausible, I think it's apocryphal; or at least I've never seen a reliable source cited.
polymath7 1 month ago
Unfortunately by todays standards it's how popular you are not how quality and gifted you are as the players of years gone by. In many instances it's been done before! You just haven't heard it. Rudy Wyatt
SCBlueShoes 4 months ago
Could be the zenith of jazz piano, possibly never to be equaled. Without mentioning names, he makes a main competitor sound like muzak, sorry about that, but couldn´t refrain.
RudySunseeker 5 months ago
TATUM
davaskin 6 months ago 2
fantastic!!
cezar1951 6 months ago
In our world, that of Art Tatum other such luminaries, thankfully, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Rebecca Black do not even exist. They were taken out with the trash.
loosetea 6 months ago 2
Justin Bieber can do this better.
Prancer1231 7 months ago
@Prancer1231 What r u smoking? Justin Bieber couldn't play his way out of a paper bag
860125mwj 6 months ago
@Prancer1231 go away
TripleRhu 5 months ago
Wow!
bigdavehunter 8 months ago
Three people disliked this video: Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, and Rebecca Black.
Santosificationable 8 months ago 33
@Santosificationable not bad man you put bieber and rebecca black on the same fameness level as lady gaga xD... im not a lady gaga fan... but you could put sumthin shitty like jonas brothers or something from highschool musical :D
LOECHARU 4 months ago
@Santosificationable Looks like Nick Jonas found this vid since then
EyMeng 1 month ago
I wonder if Glenn Gould was into Tatum.This is superhuman by any criteria.
uncasist 8 months ago
The trouble is - it's too good for us, mere mortals.
harryoakley 9 months ago
Excellent. Art Tatum rivals even Rachmaninoff in pianistic ability.
Santosificationable 9 months ago
A famous jazz pianist listened to this after his son showed him the recording and he said "so who's the other pianist then?"
Dolphidood 9 months ago
Genius and incomparable.
139547 9 months ago
End of the discussion; God was a black man!
foggy4180 10 months ago
Did u know Art Tatum has 3 hands
Donjiyd 10 months ago
this is american Classical music! this is fantastic
tmasonmi5 10 months ago
3 people are deaf in one ear and almost fully in the other.
chucknorrisfanclub 11 months ago 22
@chucknorrisfanclub
I believe there are roving idiots putting dislikes on folks who do things they never can imitate or outdo.
jazz1bro 6 months ago
@chucknorrisfanclub
Ha. That's clever. Unfortunately, now it's 4 people.
HenryAlliance 5 months ago
@HenryAlliance the fourth is just a regular non-celebrity retard... ^_^
earthypig 5 months ago
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Cette interprétation de TEA FOR TWO jazz par Art Tatum est magnifique !
J'adore .... et suis très heureuse de l'avoir découverte
SUPERBE
lebeadelartiste 11 months ago
Cette interprétation de TEAFOR TWO jazz par Art Tatum est magnifique !
J'adore .... et suis très heureuse de l'avoir découverte
SUPERBE
lebeadelartiste 11 months ago
I'd like to know who the 3 idiots are who pushed the dislike tab. I know you have a right to your opinion but then I have a right to my opinion which is that your opinion is most definitely wrong.
ldad12 11 months ago
@ldad12 ...LOL... I agree..
It's more than too much wax in their ears....they don't have them....
pinkieldred 11 months ago
I'd like to know the 3 idiots who dislikes Art Tatum. I know you have a right to your opinion but then I have a right to my opinion which is that your opinion is most definitely wrong.
ldad12 11 months ago
Who gave God a piano ?
ozzyhendrix15 11 months ago 3
the thing people have to recognize is, that music is all about feeling. it should sound fresh, spontaneous and in case of jazz it needs a good portion of swing, an easy going, underlying self evidence. technic, and virtuosity as one aspect of technic, is just the mediator. that tatum celebrates all those elements on THIS technical level is beyond believe. still his virtuosity wouldnt mean nothing without the feeling..
pearsnockie 11 months ago
Very first time I ever heard Tatum it was his playing of Tea for Two...I still can't believe a human being could actually do this. Beyond virtuosity
jimbomed 1 year ago
maravilloso!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Marvelous!!!! Imelda de Tijuana B.C Mexico
ime916 1 year ago
Left hand rules!
helluvagun 1 year ago
If we're talking about pianists with the best technique, sound and musicianship, I think that Josef Hofmann and Leopold Godowsky should be added to the discussion. There's nothing that those two couldn't do.
binghlcrosby 1 year ago
@binghlcrosby the REAL question is can they still play piano dead drunk like tatum?
blchnick 1 year ago
@blchnick Certainly in Hofmann's case he sadly became an alcoholic after his divorce from his first wife. Initially, the effect wasn't that great, but latter it really ended the career of one of the greatest pianists ever. Rach himself said "Hofmann is still sky high ... the greatest pianist alive if he is sober and in form. Otherwise, it is impossible to recognize the Hofmann of old". Some amazing and some not so great performances are available on CD/youtube from this period.
binghlcrosby 1 year ago
@binghlcrosby ooh interesting
blchnick 1 year ago
Comment removed
binghlcrosby 1 year ago
Genius that has never been matched and is hard to understand but easy to appreciate. Oscar Peterson is close, but very different.
Baruchyoseph8 1 year ago
I love it!!!
filistro 1 year ago
What is it during 1:43-44, it kinda sounds like sloppiness, and yet accurate. Is it just a controled manipulation of tone lengths and ghost notes, or a bit of slop at the end of the day? In case anyone's analysed it.
twooffour 1 year ago
yeah...he's aiight....lol ;-)
keybobrob 1 year ago
Too many notes, some critics say. Mozart endured similar criticism. Sorta like saying "too much gravity" in Einstein. But as Mozart responded (as Tatum would), there are no more notes than needed. Genius can be taxing to most of us because it is so far beyond our learned boundaries of perception. Genius perceives more possibility in a glance than others do in a lifetime. It was Tatum's expansive musical vision, with matching technique, that makes him a "god" to most artists and afficianados.
ltravail 1 year ago
I would be happy just to have a tiny crumb of this man's talent. Gorgeous.
2Lemma 1 year ago
It's like if a player piano could make things up as it went along- the almost machine-like precision coupled with the layer upon layer of ingenious chord, key, and pitch transitions defies comprehension. There is skill there, but it was crafted laboriously upon an immense bedrock of talent. Art Tatum is a legend by the virtue of his craft alone.
ILoveHandles 1 year ago
"All of the trademark Tatum elements are here: the grand melodic flourishes, the harmonic magic tricks, the flirtations with various tempos and musical styles. But what also emerges is Tatum's effervescence, his joy, and his humor. He seems to celebrate and mock these timeless melodies all at once." From Marc Greilsamer's review of 20th Century Piano Genius.
Kolef88 1 year ago
Sounds like he has fscking 15 hands!
Excellent!
I can imitate some of his stuff, with two hands....he does it with one...
Like 2:32 or 2:52....Takes me 2 hands.
He does it with one...
Art was probably the greatest pianist to ever live.
Nobody is even close.
loocee95 1 year ago
LEGEND!!!
carlofos 1 year ago
Awesome!
paulostroff99 1 year ago
I seem to not be able to find the version of this song that how I've heard it.
FrozenGoods101 1 year ago
Ladies and Gentlemen, the absolute master of the instrument he played.
Of all those I wish I could have heard play in person playing any instrument, it is this master.
NorthernPlus 1 year ago
Juega con la melodia, se divierte y nos hace gozar con su talento.
saavedra342 1 year ago
うう～ん中々シャープでムーディーな曲だなあ・・・・
こんな風に弾けたら楽しいな
nyantaraimo 1 year ago
Absolutely right. Great VERSION!
IvanBauza 1 year ago
This guy rocks harder than Motorhead
Cokoholicar 1 year ago 66
Oscar Peterson told a story about Tatum being asked to visit Horowitz' apartment to hear a virtuosic version of Tea for Two VH had spent a week writing, as an encore piece. When Horowitz finished playing it Tatum said something like nice, can I try? He then played something equally virtuosic. Horowitz said, that's amazing Art, when did you write it? And Tatum said, just now.
jonorloff0 1 year ago
@jonorloff0 That is just a story. And a rather stupid one,I might add. First of all it's musical value of arrangement that's important, not how much time one has spend writing it. And second of all Tatum and Horowitz never even met according to all existing sources let alone hang out at Vlad's pad. Please,read some books before spreading slander about great pianists such as Vladimir Horowitz
vova47 1 year ago
Makes Cziffra sound like he's playing with mittens.
The again, it's rarely kind to compare a pianist to Tatum.
polymath7 1 year ago
@polymath7 Cziffra was absolutely great in his own right. At his best he cold stand comparison to anybody, probably even to Liszt himself, let alone Tatum.
vova47 1 year ago
@vova47
You've got me there. I was pretty much talking out of my ass. I only peck around at the piano and really am in no position to assess someone's technique at that level.
I must say I've seen several of your comments elsewhere, and as a non-musician find them invariably perceptive and enlightening.
polymath7 1 year ago
@polymath7 Thank you,I am, of course very flattered. Let me pay you back a compliment in saying that it takes an intelligent man to admit his mistakes. Pleasantries aside,though, there's something in Tatum's music that makes people compare him with other pianists to their disadvantage or sometimes put them down quite crudely instead of being immersed in his music. There's a bit of a horse-race in it that doesn't belong in a truly great art. Just an observation....
vova47 1 year ago
@vova47
How often does it need to be said that there are no recordings of Liszt whatsoever to actually compare him to these two pianists?
twooffour 1 year ago
@twooffour You haven't read my comment very carefully. I said probably. I know very well that there's unfortunately no recordings of Liszt but there's plenty of accounts of his contemporaries about how he played and Cziffra comes very close to these descriptions, especially when playing Liszt.
vova47 1 year ago
@vova47 Cziffra had at least an equivalent technique to Tatum (and I am a huge Tatum fan)...but the way Cziffra toys with the most difficult pieces in the classical repertoire is stunning. He's very idiosyncratic-which is COOL!
Tatum is just amazing. I prefer them both to Horowitz in many ways. In my opinion, Horowitz actually outplays them in lyrical music. I love his Schubert sonatas and Schumann's scenes from childhood. Also incredible.
bennettpiano 1 year ago 3
@bennettpiano Even though the Cziffra supervirtuoso rhetoric is accepted by everyone - and it's right - I find very few of his recordings to be of him "toying" with the most difficult pieces in the repertoire.
e.g. The Liszt transcendental etudes and Hungarian rhapsodies. He does something original, different, and personal in each one - and it just *happens* to bring the tempo down. Even he needed that little cushion for full technical control it seems.
demosj 1 year ago
Thank you...1 for my Americana channel...Maan theres no more romm for improv here i reckon he's filled all the space , he he !
appledecca 1 year ago
yesss
jasonsasa1998 1 year ago
All I can say is "well done" to Norman Granz for this recording. Tea for Two seems to be such a favorite piece for pianists to play, and Art must have played it thousands of times in his life. This is a wonderful version.
brabazon10 2 years ago
What a fantastic player!! Thanks a lot for posting this.
Bobais1 2 years ago
Just me again to say, "Thank you, Credman".
oxybent 2 years ago
Wow!!!
luardesa 2 years ago
veery nice, but i prefer the other version better,..
KidOnTheNet 2 years ago
beautiful
dupapa33 2 years ago
not my cup of tea, but played well
chicoflaco 2 years ago
Seriously?
Seriously?
I wish there were more videos of him playing. It seems impossible.
It is impossible!
oct212006 2 years ago 6
not impossible to play but to actually play it perfectly the first time u play it is practically impossible.
JCruz0587 2 years ago
This must have been how he played after Horowitz played Tatums other version of Tea for Two, the one Horowitz painstakingly transcribed.
"When did you arrange that!?" H
"Right now" T
Morahman7vnNo2 2 years ago 44
@Morahman7vnNo2 Would you mind stating the source of this highly improbable story, please. Art Tatum was a great talent and there's simply no need to put down another great pianist such as Vladimir Horowitz to prove that fact. In reality Tatum arranged many tunes in advance and repeated them note for note. As far as I know Horowitz never transcribed another pianist's arrangement but made himself quite a few fingerbreakers
vova47 1 year ago
@vova47 I'm not putting him down! But I'll go back to the source, and get back to you on this matter.
Morahman7vnNo2 1 year ago
@Morahman7vnNo2 Maybe you don't mean to, but whoever came up with this story surely meant to prove Tatum's superiority over classical pianists and of course they had to choose the most famous one. This story wouldn't work if pianist in question wouldn't be an instantly recognizable name,say, Moiseiwitch, Cortot, Busoni or any other great, but lesser known pianist. Good luck with that research, I've been trying to verify this story for years
vova47 1 year ago
@vova47 Maybe it's just an urban legend, after all, how of those guys are in New York somewhat often? I'm really asking because I don't know. I'd like to think the story pokes fun at the differences of Classical and Jazz music, but that doesn't mean I haven't seen it spun around.
Morahman7vnNo2 1 year ago
@Morahman7vnNo2 You are probably right. And, yes, the story has a long beard.
Seems that people can't resist comparing Art to somebody, always to disadvantage to this poor person. They don't seem to realize there's room for all kinds of pianists.
vova47 1 year ago
@vova47
So the Tatum-Horowitz story is apocryphal? I've seen it repeated many times on several other boards and had more or less supposed it to be true because it always went completely unchallenged.
I should have known; it always had a hyperbolic, fictive ring to it.
polymath7 1 year ago
@polymath7 Let's just say I assume it's apocryphal unless somebody comes up with definite evidence to the contrary. I have studied both Horowitz's and Tatum's existing documents and interviews and even asked personally many people close to Horowitz including Wanda Horowitz-Toscanini and no one could confirm that the two pianists have even met, let alone have this musical encounter showing Horowitz in a very unflattering role of an ignorant admirer.
vova47 1 year ago
@polymath7 There's plenty of arguments against this story: Horowitz famously never went to hear other pianists they had to come to him wearing their best clothes and ties. He knew almost every virtuoso and living composer and never asked THEM the meaningless question of how long did it take them to write, arrange or learn piece of music for everybody is different- it make take 15 hours or indeed 15 years for somebody to write a piece of music and only 15 minutes for someone else.
vova47 1 year ago
@vova47 Horowitz went to hear Rubinstein, there's one example of the adult Horowitz listening to another pianist.
demosj 1 year ago
Dear demosj, I've never claimed that Horowitz wasn't listening to other pianists at his mature age -the opposite is true. He listened to classical channel whenever he could and kept a sharp eye( ear) on competition. And of course he has heard Rubinstein, they have played together at various salons in Paris when they were younger men and later he even came to A.R. concerts but that was an exception rather than a rule - usually the pianists he wanted to hear came to him.
vova47 1 year ago
@polymath7 The answer that Tatum supposedly gave Horowitz " I just made it up!" it's also meaningless, beside being arrogant, for everybody who's playing something worth hearing have thought of it long and hard, no matter how spontaneous it may appear.The correct answer then would be "All my life!" And both men, being great artists that they were, knew it.
vova47 1 year ago 2
@Morahman7vnNo2 Great quotes! My father new Peterson. Story goes: some cat asked me, 'Say man, do you know Tatum?'. I replied, 'Yeah, he calls me Son'"
gingervytis 1 year ago
YIKES !!!!
mrstrings65 2 years ago
Happy birthday Art of music arts. We love you!!! Please come down to earth from time to time and help us play wonderfull music that makes people happy.
loevehjerte 2 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
its his b-day lol HAPPY B-DAY GUY THATS DEAD (he is dead right) ((i know nothing bout this guy)) (((i fail dont i)))
thetruesithis 2 years ago
Happy birthday to a legend!
Allornon 2 years ago 5
Art Tatum was truly an extra special dude. Pure Talent
MarrB08 2 years ago 3
"if liszt played tea for two...", Tatum's skill is most likely beyond that of liszt XD.
mdeonx16 2 years ago 4
I don't know about that, if he was good, he would probably be matched up with Liszt
CBasie2856 2 years ago
do you know what a "Tatum" is?
billydu2u 1 year ago
no, i have no idea what a "Tatum" is.
Why do you ask?
There are tatum poles though, i know that for sure. According to Google, also there is "tatum" plantation.
CBasie2856 1 year ago
A simple but inaccurate definition is 'the shortest note present. More appropriate is it's use to judge the placement of all musical events. Also, the tatum would be the time division that most highly coincides with all note onsets.
The 'tatum' was named after Art. The tatum is still studied and analyzed using complementary and opposing algorithms.
Many of his recordings were made on a single take late in his life. Anyone privileged to hear him would never forget him He was without peer.
billydu2u 1 year ago
I just saw your comment.
This priceless -I had assumed "the Tatum" was only a charming witticism.
polymath7 1 year ago
the tatum is simply the shortest time interval that the human ear can distinguish
Mobyman690 1 year ago 2
I think I ran across that term reading Stephen Hawking:
"..in the very first few Tatums after the big bang...."
polymath7 1 year ago
ha ha ha!!! i see now why Horowitz was impresed by tatum's playing... he was truly one of a kind in jazz.. in history of piano!!
lecheparavaka 2 years ago
thanks credman ! made my day ! have you listened to rkjp58's version ? / improvisation ? pretty damned good too !
fingerscarr 2 years ago
To monkiman. Sad. What could have been an informative and interesting discussion is clearly going nowhere. As you seem to need to resort to personal abuse I suspect you have no faith in your own argument.
transitmen 3 years ago
To MSchm041. Fair comment. Even Tatum acknowledged that his style was influenced by others but I am sure he never copied them note for note. I still feel that your approach is like trying to understand a good wine by carrying out a chemical analysis of it.
transitmen 3 years ago
you just sound retarded. there is value in transcribing, so that people who want to play with his skill can learn from the transcriptions. and with your analogy makes no sense. it's more like trying to play this song after you know what the chords, the notes, and all that other jass first.
monkiman818 3 years ago
I was transcribing today and had a revelation, and that was I didn't get it. Why I was transcribing. I guess it's good for learning or understanding style and learning intervals and stuff but unless you play that solo in every key and reharmonize over different chord changes, it's just like learning a classical tune you might as well be listening to it. I could be wrong, but taking one little lick at a time like 5 - 10 notes and doing all you possibly can with it, I think makes more sense
JaredCS 3 years ago
just enjoying this in conjunction with some Woods 57% ABV overproof Navy Rum - nice! I really like how he choses the right key to play his songs in - can make all the difference i think..... Just got a piano and will get it tuned next week so will experiment to see what key it's being played in... erm hang on a minute think this song has several key changes in it :)
contactMW 3 years ago
I think everyone has different aspects and types of talents. Tatum was obviouslly at an Olympian level with all skills few can ever reach, and he could endlessly improvise on tunes like this one out of the blue while retaining all his stupendous technique and harmonic gifts. Yet those who can trancscribe these phenomenal works and then perform them well, are also exceptionally gifted, as are those with very high levels of sponataneous improvisational skills!
Etude69 3 years ago 2
If tatum played this on three different occasions he would play it three different ways. transcribing is a waste of time. jazz is about IMPROVISATION. Wake up - we all wish we could do it as well as he did. coppying isn't even second best however well it is done.
transitmen 3 years ago
WHAT?? You have never been taught the value of transcription. Poor you. But that's okay, I'll tell you right now: We transcribe as a way of closely studying and copying the masters so that we have the vocabulary to improvise well on our own. Who learns to talk without listening to his parents? We have to listen and regurgitate (transcription process) before we can ever hope to improvise well on our own. And yes, jazz IS about improvisation, but not about crappy/uninformed improvisation.
mschm041 3 years ago 3
It's sad but Tatum is little known outside of the jazz world. He was a true visionary in expanding the jazz idiom in the 30's and 40's.
noahawk07 3 years ago 6
Amazing! There's no one like Tatum
sapoboi 3 years ago
Yeah, I wish the same thing. But just think, how difficult this would be!!! This would take YEARS to transcribe and play!
BRazor78 3 years ago
a friend told me there's a place in london one can go to and play and they transcribe on the spot by computor , but guess this not possible with audio only , too bad !
fingerscarr 3 years ago
well, you don't need to go to that much trouble. if you play a MIDI instrument and use some decent software, you could play and it would be transcribed.
theman2890 3 years ago
thanks
fingerscarr 3 years ago
Man I really wish they made music for this version. I have the other one but I enjoy this one much more
Jesusfreakerik 3 years ago
This is truly phenomenal. What a treat.
tallandhandsome29 3 years ago
Credman, I understand and respect your opinion of Art Tatum's 1933 Tea for Two, however, he was also much younger at the time. During 1933, there were still cutting contests, so I'd like to say that those runs(which fit the chords well) were "thrown" in to impress the listener like in the contests. However, even in his youthful interpetation, you still have to appreciate how he made subtle changes to the melody and the chord structure throughout the piece.
BRazor78 3 years ago
Art es unico!Es sensacional!
KabuklaMiyoleh 3 years ago
I've had to listen to this song at least 20 times to fully appreciate just what Tatum did to this song. The chord changes are unbelievable, especially during his prime when he played this. The ambience he creates during 1:21 to 1:49 is surreal. This version far surpasses his 1933 version(which I'm trying to learn).
BRazor78 3 years ago 8
Yeah, I don't particularly care for that version. Maybe I'm spoiled from hearing this one first. The other one is less focused and coherent, like he was coming up with an arrangement on the spot, and throwing in a lot of runs just to fill time. This one seems much more deliberately planned out. That's also why this reminds me of a classical composition, the way every single note is meaningful and necessary. (Despite the fact that there's a billion of them!)
credman 3 years ago
@credman Lol theres only 12
kevhstn 1 year ago
2:50 to 3:08 is also notable where Tatum puts the melody in the bass, then alters the melody and introduces numerous chord substitutions and modulations . . . it's the stuff of genius.
Kolef88 3 years ago
I agree with you
This version is better
raps2001 3 years ago
@BRazor78 it is truly amazing playing... might be worth nothing though that tatum was and is often criticised for being too busy in his playing... he truly is an amazing player but i do think the piece lacks structure... i think this comes down to tatum probably improvising a lot of it on the spot... don't get me wrong, one of the greatest, but i would agree with some of the critics... less is more and all that... before people comment no i couldnt do better, but no musician is above criticism
slapmyfunkybass 1 year ago
"too many notes"??? Where have I heard that before?
twink1ebug 1 year ago
Check out the dissonance at :47 to :50.
Is that a mistake or did Tatum do that on purpose?
By the way, before anyone jumps on my case, I am a total Tatum fanatic.
Kolef88 3 years ago
on purpose obviously!
framaulo 3 years ago
Yep, on purpose.
You see, Tatum doesn't make mistakes.
CBasie2856 3 years ago
Somebody (it might have been Oscar Peterson) asked Art Tatum how he was able to play so fast without ever hitting a wrong note, and Tatum laughed and asked if he was joking. He said he hit wrong notes all the time, he just covered them up well. I don't think that was a mistake, though. The dissonance makes it sound better, more mysterious and suspenseful.
credman 3 years ago
It's possible the first dissonance was unintended, but he quickly followed it with three more half-tone dissonances and thereby embraced the sound and used it into his improvisation. Schonberg tells a story about virtuoso Franz Liszt playing in concert and striking a wrong note, causing the audience to draw its collective breath, whereupon Liszt immediately improvised a breathtaking cadenza that incorporated the clinker in a harmonious way, and finished the piece in musical triumph.
Kolef88 3 years ago
@Kolef88 That brief sequence is an hommage to Gershwin, grace notes and all. More elaboration on this artistic confection. Tasty!
Gordauch 1 year ago
@Kolef88 I think any kind of dissonance he does is intentional. I'm a Percussionist and my teacher just put me on to Tatum, hes so ahead of his time it's ridicolous
MrSavage51892 1 year ago
@Kolef88 I think you realize as you ask that, it is the QUESTION that is the mistake...
(That said, I think the answer is, yes.)
pignanelli 1 year ago
Liszt playing tea for two would sound much different. He didn't play stride piano, didn't know modern jazz chords.
legamature 3 years ago