Art Tatum (Arthur Tatum, Jr., October 13, 1909, Toledo, Ohio, USA - Novembe… Read Full Bio ↴Art Tatum (Arthur Tatum, Jr., October 13, 1909, Toledo, Ohio, USA - November 5, 1956, Los Angeles, California) was an American jazz pianist and virtuoso who played with phenomenal facility despite being nearly blind since birth.
Tatum is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time. He was noted for the complexity and speed of his performances, which set a new standard for jazz piano virtuosity.
Tatum drew inspiration from his contemporaries James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, and had a great influence on other famous jazz pianists, such as Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Chick Corea, and Oscar Peterson. Saxophonist Charlie Parker took his first job in New York as a dishwasher where Tatum played, just for the experience of hearing Tatum's harmonic inventions.
Tatum identified Fats Waller as his main influence, but according to pianist Teddy Wilson and saxophonist Eddie Barefield, "Art Tatum's favorite jazz piano player was Earl Hines. He used to buy all of Earl's records and would improvise on them. He'd play the record but he'd improvise over what Earl was doing ..... 'course, when you heard Art play you didn't hear nothing of anybody but Art. But he got his ideas from Earl's style of playing – but Earl never knew that."
A major event in his meteoric rise to success was his appearance at a cutting contest in 1933 at Morgan's bar in New York City that included Waller, Johnson and Willie "The Lion" Smith. Standard contest pieces included Johnson's "Harlem Strut" and "Carolina Shout" and Fats Waller's "Handful of Keys." Tatum triumphed with his arrangements of "Tea for Two" and "Tiger Rag", in a performance that was considered to be the last word in stride piano. James P. Johnson, reminiscing about Tatum's debut afterward, simply said, "When Tatum played Tea For Two that night I guess that was the first time I ever heard it really played." Tatum's debut was historic because he outplayed the elite competition and heralded the demise of the stride era. He was not challenged further until stride specialist Donald Lambert initiated a half-serious rivalry with him.
Tatum worked first around Toledo and Cleveland and then later in New York at the Onyx Club for a few months; he recorded his first four solo sides on the Brunswick label in March, 1933. He returned to Ohio and played around the American midwest - Toledo, Cleveland, Detroit, Saint Louis and Chicago - in the mid-1930s and played on the Fleischman Hour radio program hosted by Rudy Vallee in 1935. He also played stints at the Three Deuces in Chicago and in Los Angeles he played at The Trocadero, the Paramount and the Club Alabam. In 1937 he returned to New York where he appeared at clubs and played on national radio programs. The following year he embarked on the Queen Mary for England where he toured, playing for three months at Ciro's Club owned by bandleader Ambrose. In the late 1930s he returned to play and record in Los Angeles and New York.
In 1941, Tatum recorded two sessions for Decca Records with singer Big Joe Turner, the first of which included "Wee Wee Baby Blues", which attained national popularity. Two years later Tatum won Esquire Magazine's first jazz popularity poll. Perhaps believing there was a limited audience for solo piano, Tatum formed a trio in 1943 with guitarist Tiny Grimes and bassist Slam Stewart, whose perfect pitch enabled him to follow Tatum's excursions. Tatum recorded exclusively with the trio for almost two years, but abandoned the trio format in 1945 and returned to solo piano work. Although Tatum was idolized by many jazz musicians, his popularity faded in the mid to late forties with the advent of bebop - a movement which Tatum did not embrace.
The last two years of his life, Tatum regularly played at Baker's Keyboard Lounge in Detroit, including his final public performance in April 1956. Earlier, Tatum had personally selected and purchased for Clarence Baker the Steinway piano at Baker's, finding it in a New York showroom, and shipping it to Detroit.
Tatum was widely recognized among his colleagues as the most gifted jazz pianist alive, some going so far as to say he was one of the greatest pianists of any genre. Such classical luminaries as Vladimir Horowitz and Sergei Rachmaninov greatly admired his technique. Unusually for a jazz musician, Tatum rarely abandoned the original melodic lines of the songs he played, preferring innovative reharmonization (changing the chord progressions that supported the melodies). He also had a penchant for filling spaces within melodies with his trademark runs and other embellishments, which some critics considered gratuitous and "unjazzlike."
Tatum is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time. He was noted for the complexity and speed of his performances, which set a new standard for jazz piano virtuosity.
Tatum drew inspiration from his contemporaries James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, and had a great influence on other famous jazz pianists, such as Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Chick Corea, and Oscar Peterson. Saxophonist Charlie Parker took his first job in New York as a dishwasher where Tatum played, just for the experience of hearing Tatum's harmonic inventions.
Tatum identified Fats Waller as his main influence, but according to pianist Teddy Wilson and saxophonist Eddie Barefield, "Art Tatum's favorite jazz piano player was Earl Hines. He used to buy all of Earl's records and would improvise on them. He'd play the record but he'd improvise over what Earl was doing ..... 'course, when you heard Art play you didn't hear nothing of anybody but Art. But he got his ideas from Earl's style of playing – but Earl never knew that."
A major event in his meteoric rise to success was his appearance at a cutting contest in 1933 at Morgan's bar in New York City that included Waller, Johnson and Willie "The Lion" Smith. Standard contest pieces included Johnson's "Harlem Strut" and "Carolina Shout" and Fats Waller's "Handful of Keys." Tatum triumphed with his arrangements of "Tea for Two" and "Tiger Rag", in a performance that was considered to be the last word in stride piano. James P. Johnson, reminiscing about Tatum's debut afterward, simply said, "When Tatum played Tea For Two that night I guess that was the first time I ever heard it really played." Tatum's debut was historic because he outplayed the elite competition and heralded the demise of the stride era. He was not challenged further until stride specialist Donald Lambert initiated a half-serious rivalry with him.
Tatum worked first around Toledo and Cleveland and then later in New York at the Onyx Club for a few months; he recorded his first four solo sides on the Brunswick label in March, 1933. He returned to Ohio and played around the American midwest - Toledo, Cleveland, Detroit, Saint Louis and Chicago - in the mid-1930s and played on the Fleischman Hour radio program hosted by Rudy Vallee in 1935. He also played stints at the Three Deuces in Chicago and in Los Angeles he played at The Trocadero, the Paramount and the Club Alabam. In 1937 he returned to New York where he appeared at clubs and played on national radio programs. The following year he embarked on the Queen Mary for England where he toured, playing for three months at Ciro's Club owned by bandleader Ambrose. In the late 1930s he returned to play and record in Los Angeles and New York.
In 1941, Tatum recorded two sessions for Decca Records with singer Big Joe Turner, the first of which included "Wee Wee Baby Blues", which attained national popularity. Two years later Tatum won Esquire Magazine's first jazz popularity poll. Perhaps believing there was a limited audience for solo piano, Tatum formed a trio in 1943 with guitarist Tiny Grimes and bassist Slam Stewart, whose perfect pitch enabled him to follow Tatum's excursions. Tatum recorded exclusively with the trio for almost two years, but abandoned the trio format in 1945 and returned to solo piano work. Although Tatum was idolized by many jazz musicians, his popularity faded in the mid to late forties with the advent of bebop - a movement which Tatum did not embrace.
The last two years of his life, Tatum regularly played at Baker's Keyboard Lounge in Detroit, including his final public performance in April 1956. Earlier, Tatum had personally selected and purchased for Clarence Baker the Steinway piano at Baker's, finding it in a New York showroom, and shipping it to Detroit.
Tatum was widely recognized among his colleagues as the most gifted jazz pianist alive, some going so far as to say he was one of the greatest pianists of any genre. Such classical luminaries as Vladimir Horowitz and Sergei Rachmaninov greatly admired his technique. Unusually for a jazz musician, Tatum rarely abandoned the original melodic lines of the songs he played, preferring innovative reharmonization (changing the chord progressions that supported the melodies). He also had a penchant for filling spaces within melodies with his trademark runs and other embellishments, which some critics considered gratuitous and "unjazzlike."
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130 Most Beautiful Jazz Standards Ever (Instrumental Version for Jazz Lovers)
Art Tatum Lyrics
A Foggy Day I was a stranger in the city Out of town were…
After You've Gone Now won't you listen honey, while I say, How could…
Ain't Misbehavin' No one to talk with All by myself No one to walk…
All the Things You Are Tea For Two Tony Bennett (Irving Caesar/Vincent Youmans) …
Begin the Beguine When they begin the beguine It brings back the sound of…
Blue Moon Blue moon you saw me standing alone Without a dream in…
Body and Soul Hm What have you done to me I can't eat, I cannot…
Boulevard Of Broken Dreams I walk along the street of sorrow The boulevard of broken…
Can't We Be Friends Took each word she said as gospel truth the way…
Caravan Night and stars above that shine so bright The myst'ry…
Dancing in the Dark I get up in the evening And I ain't got…
Danny Boy Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling From glen…
Deep Purple Woo, Wo-o-oo-wo-wo, Wo-o-oo-wo-wo, Wo-o-oo-wo-wo When the…
Dixieland Band I smoke the whole damn pound I'm a need another one,…
Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me Someone told someone and someone told you But they wouldn't …
Don't Worry 'Bout Me Don't worry 'bout me I'll get along Forget about me Just …
Embraceable You Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you! Embrace me, you irrepl…
Fine and Dandy Please forgive this platitude But I like your attitude You a…
Humoresque Please forgive this platitude But I like your attitude You…
I Cover the Waterfront I cover the waterfront, I'm watching the sea,, Will the one …
I Didn't Know What Time It Was Once I was young Yesterday, perhaps Danced with Jim and Pa…
I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You I need your love so badly, I love you, oh,…
I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
I Hadn't Anyone Till You I hadn't anyone till you, I was a lonely one 'til…
I Only Have Eyes For You My love must be a kind of blind love I can't…
I'm In The Mood For Love I'm in the mood for love Simply because you're near me. Funn…
I've Got a Crush on You How glad the many millions Of Annabelle's and Lilian's Wou…
I've Got the World I've got the world on a string, sittin' on a…
If Had You I could show the world how to smile I could be…
In a Sentimental Mood In A Sentimental Mood I can see the stars come…
Isn't This A Lovely Day The weather is frightening. The thunder and lightning Seem t…
It's Only a Paper Moon Say, it's only a paper moon Sailing over a cardboard sea But…
It's the Talk of the Town We were more than lovers, We were more than sweethearts, It'…
Jitterbug Waltz The night is getting on, the band is getting show The…
Just Like a Butterfly Here I am, lonely, Tired and lonely, Crying for home in va…
Love For Sale I'm in the mood for love Simply because you're near me. Funn…
Love Me or Leave Me Love me or leave me and let me be lonely You…
Lover Come Back To Me You went away I let you We broke the ties that bind I…
Mean to Me In A Sentimental Mood I can see the stars come…
Memories Of You Waking skies at sunrise Every sunset too Seems to be bring…
Moonglow It must have been moonglow, way up in the blue It…
On the Sunny Side of the Street Walked with no one and talked with no one And I…
Over the Rainbow Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high There's a land that…
Please Be Kind Well, this is my first affair, please be kind Handle my…
Prisoner of Love Someone that I belong to Doesn't belong to me Someone who ca…
September Song Oh, it's a long, long while from May to December But…
She's Funny That Way Once she dressed in silks and lace, Owned a Rolls…
So Beats My Heart For You You're the only reason for my happiness You're the one I'm…
Somebody Loves Me Love me or leave me and let me be lonely You…
Someone to Watch over Me There's a saying old says that love is blind Still were…
Sophisticated Lady Sophisticated lady tryin' to change my ways Just because you…
Stardust And now the purple dusk of twilight time Steals across the…
Stars Fell On Alabama Moonlight and magnolia, starlight in your hair All the worl…
Stay As Sweet As You Are The song a robin sings, Through years of endless springs, …
Sweet Lorraine Everything is set, skies are blue, Can't believe it yet, but…
Tea for two I'm discontented with homes that are rented so I have…
That Old Feeling Last night I started out happy Last night my heart was…
The Man I Love I'm in the mood for love Simply because you're near me. Funn…
There's a Small Hotel I'd like to get away, Junior Somewhere alone with you It cou…
These Foolish Things Oh! Will you never let me be? Oh! Will you never…
This Can't Be Love This can't be love Because I feel so well No sobs, no…
Too Marvelous for Words You're just too marvelous, too marvelous for words Like glor…
What Is Thing Called Love? I was a hum-drum person Leading a life apart When love flew…
When A Woman Loves A Man I'm in the mood for love Simply because you're near me. Funn…
When You Lover Has Gone What good is the scheming, the planning and dreaming That c…
Where or When It seems we stood and talked like this before We looked…
Willow Weep For Me Three little words Oh, what I'd give for that wonderful phr…
Without a Song Without a song the day would never end Without a song…
Would You Like to Take a Walk Mm-Mm-Mm Would you like to take a walk? Mm-Mm-Mm Do you…
Yesterdays Yesterdays, yesterdays Days I knew as happy Sweet sequeste…
You Go to My Head You go to my head And you linger like a haunting…
You Took Advantage Of Me When a girl has the heart of a mother It must…