Art Tatum

Art Tatum,
originally uploaded by cuyahogabend.

I got curious and looked up Art Tatum on the advice of a friend who was a great lover of this jazz pianist. Art (a Buckeye) was born in Toledo, OH October 13, 1909. Even though nearly blind, his main influences were Fats Waller & Earl Hines.

He began playing professionally as a teenager in 1926; had his own radio show during 1929-1930 and only moved to New York when hired by singer Adelaide Hall as one of her two pianists. He also played in many bars, dives & halls in NYC, Cleveland, Chicago & Los Angeles, visiting England in 1938. He began his initial recording as a soloist in 1933.

Due to his irregular playing with changes of keys and tempos, Art generally played alone. He did however, organize a trio of Tiny Grimes (electric guitarist) and Slam Stewart (bassist) who later joined Benny Goodman after the trio broke up.

Art was admired in awe by most all in the jazz world including Nat King Cole. He was an inspiration for the late Oscar Peterson and the bebop generation that followed.
Art Tatum passed on November 5, 1956 at age 47 from uremia.
Listen to him on Gershwin's Greats and Volume 2, Jazz Pianists.