Arte

Art Tatum (1909 – 1956): Art Tatum is considered by many to be the greatest, most technically gifted jazz piano player of all time. Born in Toledo, Ohio to a musical family, Tatum eschewed classical training, preferring instead to listen to Fats Waller’s recordings and teach himself to play. His prodigious gifts were quickly recognized, and by the time he was 18, Tatum had his own local radio program and soon after made his first recording, “Tiger Rag,” which featured the blindingly fast tempo and precision, cascading arpeggio work that would become his hallmark (Oscar Peterson famously remarked that when he first heard Tatum play, he thought it was two people.) Tatum’s influence was unprecedented, encompassing not only later piano greats, but legends like John Coltrane and Charlie Parker.