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."
I Know That You Know
Art Tatum Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ev'ry chap should hold a heart that's all his own
Love may come at first sight, they told me
When I saw you, I knew
That I had found my only love
When I found you
So, darling, I know that you know
I choose you, won't lose you
I wish you knew how much I long to hold you in my arms
This time is my time
T'will soon be goodbye time
Then in the star light, hold me tight
With one more little kiss say nighty night
So, darling, I know that you know
That I'll go where you go
I choose you, won't lose you
I wish you knew how much I long to hold you in my arms
The lyrics of the song "I Know That You Know" by Art Tatum Trio delve into the universal theme of love and companionship. The opening lines, "Life's a game, but who can play it all alone, Every chap should hold a heart that's all his own," reflect the idea that life is incomplete without a significant other. The lyrics go on to describe how love can happen at first sight and how the singer knew their love was true upon first seeing their partner. The chorus reinforces this idea with the line "I choose you, won't lose you," expressing the singer's commitment to their partner.
The second part of the song describes how their time together is fleeting and that they are aware of its impermanence. However, the singer wishes to make the best of the time they have together and savor every moment. The last few lines express the singer's longing to hold their partner in their arms, and they wish for one more little kiss before saying goodnight.
Overall, the lyrics of "I Know That You Know" are a declaration of love and devotion, expressing the desire to share life with another person and to make the most of the time they have together.
Line by Line Meaning
Life's a game, but who can play it all alone
Life is unpredictable and can be challenging, therefore one needs a partner to support and share it with.
Ev'ry chap should hold a heart that's all his own
Every person should have their own heartfelt feelings and emotions towards someone special.
Love may come at first sight, they told me
People believe that love can happen instantly or at the first meeting.
When I saw you, I knew
When I met you, I felt an instant connection and knew that you were the one for me.
That I had found my only love
I believed that I had found the one true love of my life with you.
So, darling, I know that you know
My beloved, I am aware that you are aware of my love and my intentions.
That I'll go where you go
I am devoted to you and wherever you go, I will follow.
I choose you, won't lose you
I have chosen you as my partner and will never let you go.
I wish you knew how much I long to hold you in my arms
I desire to hold you close and express my affection through physical contact.
This time is my time
The present moment belongs to me and my feelings towards you.
T'will soon be goodbye time
Our time together is limited and will come to an end.
Then in the star light, hold me tight
In the moonlight, embrace me with all your love and passion.
With one more little kiss say nighty night
End our night together with one last kiss before departure.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANNE CALDWELL, VINCENT YOUMANS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ron E
Tatum is a total beast, you had to love Slams' uniqueness. This here is classic.
Bruce Davies
I think this is my favourite Art recording at the moment. He and Slam sound like they are having so much fun together.
Peter Ashford
if you ever doubted Art's ability at the piano, just listen to this. fantastic playing
Mrphilharmonic
Is the bass player singing along with himself or is he bowing in octaves? Pretty willd. What a staggering version of this classic. I don't think Tatum repeats himself once!! I like the "London Bridge is Falling Down" quote! (being a Brit myself)
MOTO B
Slam Stewart is the bassist, he is singing in along with his bass playing yeah! He sang an octave higher
n3wrx
Only other rendition I've heard other than a '33 concert. Wish the production values were better, but still glad this treasure exists.
Piotr Barcz
You should check out the 1949 live performance, definitely one of his best recordings ever
Lu
His clarity is so impeccable.
Yoayts ben Yoatys
Catch Art's quote of Chopin's Prelude in C sharp minor @1:36-1:38. He's living my dream: being able to instantaneously interweave absolutely ANY piece of music with any other. This, my friends, is the absolutely extremity of human imagination.
Bruce Davies
I am sure it is his c sharp minor waltz but good shout anyway.