20th Century Piano Genius

Art Tatum | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 30, 1996)
• Original Release Date: July 30, 1996
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B00000473S
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #67,075 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #27 in Music > Jazz > Traditional Jazz & Ragtime > Stride Piano
  • #35 in Music > Jazz > Traditional Jazz & Ragtime > Boogie-Woogie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Look out !!!..., March 12, 2002

By 

JEAN-MARIE JUIF (BESANCON France) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 20th Century Piano Genius (Audio CD)

Outstanding.Amazing.Stupendous.Miraculous.Extraordinary.Majestuous.Imperial.This is Art Tatum (1910-1956) at his highest level.THis is simply piano playing at its highest level,wether it is jazz,classical,or any kind of music.NOBODY never reached,or just approached Tatum's incredible technique.Born blind,Tatum arrived in NYC in 1933 with Adelaide Hall,an ex-Ellington singer and quickly became the King.It is said that Fats Waller,playing one night in a club,and seeing Tatum in the hall,said "I'm playing here but God is in the house tonight";masters like Toscanini,Rubinstein and Horowitz used to listen to him and were fascinated by his talents.Tatum could play improbable chords progressions at the highest speed,and the swing was always here.He was one of the greatest geniuses in the history of music,and this record may be the most beautiful introduction to his world.
Most of the tunes were recorded July3,1955 in Beverly Hills,at Ray Heindorf's home,who was Musical Director for Warner Bros.EVERY tune is a masterpiece.You can't believe your ears when you listen to these treasuries."Sweet Lorraine",for example,is one of the most magnificent piece of music ever recorded.Or "begin the beguine",played at an infernal tempo;or George Gershwin's "someone to watch over me".Or "you took advantage of me",in which shades of Teddy Wilson appear.By the way,Tatum once said that he would have loved to BE ABLE to play like Wilson.The great Teddy never received a better hommage."yesterdays" is another gem,and Bud Powell could have played the ad-lib introduction;then,every classical pianist must have been terrified by what's coming.The somptuous "I'll never be the same" makes me think of the masterpiece Billie Holiday and Lester Young made of this tune,some 17 years earlier.The rare "little man,you've had a busy day" finds here its greatest interpretation."My heart stood still" again makes me think to Bud Powell,and also to Dinah Washington's gorgeous version.Tatum played the blues very rarely;of course,he waxed a couple of boogies that were real nightmares for every tickler;his version of Freddie Shayne's "Mr Freddie's blues" is a masterpiece of swing,sometimes remembering another mad man,Fats Waller.Sometimes,I wondered why Bud Powell played "there will never be another you";now,I know why.Once again,after an improbable introduction,Tatum goes into the tune with his very personnal,relaxed tempo that swings like mad.Same thing for "wrap your troubles in dreams",a tune Louis Armstrong made popular many many years before.And,to me,one of the most beautiful compositions in the jazz history,"memories of you",written by the immense pianist,Mr Eubie Blake (1883-1983).The fact is,that each musician who recorded this tune made a masterpiece of it: Armstrong,Monk,Pee Wee Russell,Doc Cheatham,Dollar Brand among others.
This two cd set is a magnificent introduction to Art Tatum's music,but more than this,it ranks among the greatest milestones in the music of the 20th century.Please,don't miss these hours of pure joy.

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ART TATUM is GOD, May 24, 2002

By 

Iris M. Harlan (Pittsburgh, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 20th Century Piano Genius (Audio CD)

There is simply nothing else like this 2 CD set of Art Tatum. Even other Tatum discs dont compare to the tracks he laid down on these two evenings, one of them in 1950 and one in 1955.
In my opinion the sound quality here is better than any other Tatum CD. That is besides the point though. The fact is that on these two CDs you will here the great genius Tatum playing with more FEELING than ever before or after. That is all there is to it.
We are lucky to have 2 hours and 17 minutes of beautiful solos from Artur T! He plays many of the great standards. Tatum offers two version of each of the following songs: Love For Sale, Sweet Lorraine, Yesterdays, Body and Soul, Someone To Watch Over Me. Hearing the differences in those versions gives us a greater understanding of Tatum's genius...that is- how much can be varied within a given song.
Every song is a gem- but my absolute favorites include....wait, they are all so good, i could make a case for any one of them. One track, however, does stick in my mind unlike any other. It is Mr. Freddie Blues. Tatum plays half-jokingly, becuase he tells his friends that they like the "simple" stuff. So Tatum plays a blues in the key of C with no fancy runs at all. The result is spectacular, and you must hear it.
There is also a virtuoso fast performance of Begin the Beguine, amazing harmonies in Someone To Watch Over Me, constant key changes in Honeysuckle Rose, and the performance of After You've Gone which is both sad and humorous. And there are the two versions of Love For Sale that seem impossible to execute at that speed, but I am thankful that Tatum could execute his ideas. His ideas are endless and brilliant.
I must mention again that the FEELING on this album is beyond any other Tatum disc.
As far as solo piano goes, this ranks right up at the top with Glenn Gould's recording of the Goldberg Variations and Arthur Rubinstein's recording of Chopin Ballades.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent, August 1, 2002

By 

"tatumhead" (Fairfield, CT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 20th Century Piano Genius (Audio CD)

This two-CD set is a great introduction to the greatest pianist who ever lived. Personal favorites on these CDs are Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams, Body and Soul, I Cover the Waterfront, Some Other Spring, Moon Song, Don't Blame Me. In my opinion, his versions of Just Like a Butterfly (That's Caught in the Rain) and Without a Song are better on the Pablo Solo Masterpieces. Tatum was a genius, not only because of his incredible technique, but also his taste and his sense of harmony and rhythm. His playing is complex and deep and can only be appreciated by close and repeated listenings. I've been listening to AT for more than 20 years, and this two-CD set ranks at the top of my list.
Anyone who doubts that Tatum's genius extended beyond technique and into harmony should listen to the response from one of Ray Heindorf's guests after Tatum finishes playing "Some Other Spring." Tatum didn't play the song fast or include any technical fireworks, but the song was played with such emotion that the guest said, "Geez, Art. Jesus."
Tatum was phenomenal and should have been recorded much more often.