The Art Tatum Centennial Celebration

It is no stretch to state that Art Tatum was the jazz world's first, and arguably greatest, virtuoso. His seemingly effortless abilities on the keyboard placed him far above the most accomplished of his contemporaries.

Art Tatum played beyond the pull of trends, creating music that defied categorization.

He 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 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.

Concord Records "Art Tatum Centennial Celebration" features performances by Louis Bellson, Red Callender, Benny Carter, Buddy DeFranco, Bill Douglass, Harry Edison, Roy Eldridge, Lionel Hampton, Jo Jones, Barney Kessel, Buddy Rich, John Simmons, Alvin Stoller and Ben Webster.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Art
• Tatum
• Jazz
• Piano
• Concord
• Records
• Bret
• Primack

[ImaniHekima]

To listen to Art Tatum is humbling, inspiring and intimidating (in a nice way). :-)

[MICHAELDEVINE100]

its only when you TRY to play or imitate him , you realise its like trying to imitate GOD.....  Not possible but worth trying to shoot for the impossible... the greatest pianist EVER..... wonder what Mozart would say about Tatum...really...??

[Urbino237]

A giant to be sure, but the speed of his playing quickly loses me. Two recordings later and I'm coming up for air.

[ridingroy]

It's fitting two dominant geniuses of jazz and their instruments (Buddy and Art) played together. Fabulous.

[Tampapix]

Hello, do any of your videos show Alvin Stoller?

[KawhackitaRag]

@KawhackitaRag Both Lee Sims and Fats Waller each had a pristine, crystal-clear, beautiful touch on the piano, and since Tatum bridged the two, his own touch was otherworldly and in a class by itself.

This is why classical pianists were awed by him. It wasn't just those fast runs (which, to be fair, are faultlessly executed), but that TOUCH, that beautiful SOUND he got out the piano, that is so hard for anybody to get, no matter how good. And his IDEAS, combined with the touch, were IT, man!

[KawhackitaRag]

@KawhackitaRag Tatum's fantastic sense of harmony really didn't sound much like any other jazz musician of the day, although Tatum was influenced by the forward-looking popular pianist Lee Sims. If you listen to Sims' recordings and piano rolls, you can hear where Tatum got a couple of his fast runs and harmonic tricks, plus some of his great touch.

[KawhackitaRag]

It's more than speed... Art Tatum's magic was his touch and beautiful ideas. In-between all the fast runs and harmonic changes and stuff (which ARE good) lies the soul of a great musician.

In fact, you could argue that these runs and things were part of this soul, since when you slow them down, they often sound just as good slow as they do fast!

[polymath7]

@CKYZZIE Oh nevermind; it's on the screen.

Thanks anyway.

[polymath7]

@CKYZZIE I can't tell you who that drummer is, but could you please tell *me*, if you know, what piece Art is playing from 4:22?

I fucking have to hear that in full.