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Too Marvelous for Words: The Life and Genius of Art Tatum
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Art Tatum (1909-1965) was an extraordinary jazz piano player, legendary for his speed, accuracy and imagination. Oscar Peterson once stopped playing the piano for two months after hearing Tatum; Les Paul gave up playing piano altogether and switched to guitar. For this first full-length biography of the pianist, Lester, a musician, writer and photographer, interviewed more than 100 of Tatum's relatives, friends, teachers and fellow musicians to investigate the origins of his unique style, the nature of his elusive character and the people and events of his life. Tatum was born in Toledo, Ohio, and had very limited sight as a child. Although it was improved by a series of cataract operations, his eyesight worsened in his early 20s, leaving the young pianist to develop further his already keen hearing and ability to remember music. In his first book, Lester carefully separates verifiable information from the abundant fancy about Tatum's relationships and early career; he also excitingly depicts the New York City jazz scene during the rise of be-bop and the enormously rich activity of the 1930s and '40s. A discography would have been a welcome addition to this notable biography. Photos not seen by PW .
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
The music of jazz piano virtuoso Art Tatum is admired by musicians of all kinds, yet relatively little has been published about his life. In fact, though Tatum died in 1956, this account, compiled by a self-professed "amateur historian," is the first full-length biography. It is as if Tatum, whose keyboard wizardry alternately inspired and intimidated generations of piano players, is viewed more as a mythic figure than a flesh-and-blood man. Lester's collection of remembrances by Tatum's friends and family attempts to ground some of the myth in reality. We learn of Tatum's rather ordinary upbringing in a lower-middle-class black neighborhood in Toledo; of his near blindness and the conflicting stories about its cause; and, of course, we hear the accounts of his marvelous musical gift: observers claimed Tatum could "identify the dominant note in a flushing toilet." Lester also provides a competent review of Tatum's magisterial music, offering enlightening analysis of his unique style of improvising, which involved not altering a tune's melody but varying its harmonic progressions. Though more a strung-together collection of quotes than a true biography, this is still an extremely valuable addition to jazz studies. Bill Ott --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
See all Editorial Reviews
Art Tatum (1909-1965) was an extraordinary jazz piano player, legendary for his speed, accuracy and imagination. Oscar Peterson once stopped playing the piano for two months after hearing Tatum; Les Paul gave up playing piano altogether and switched to guitar. For this first full-length biography of the pianist, Lester, a musician, writer and photographer, interviewed more than 100 of Tatum's relatives, friends, teachers and fellow musicians to investigate the origins of his unique style, the nature of his elusive character and the people and events of his life. Tatum was born in Toledo, Ohio, and had very limited sight as a child. Although it was improved by a series of cataract operations, his eyesight worsened in his early 20s, leaving the young pianist to develop further his already keen hearing and ability to remember music. In his first book, Lester carefully separates verifiable information from the abundant fancy about Tatum's relationships and early career; he also excitingly depicts the New York City jazz scene during the rise of be-bop and the enormously rich activity of the 1930s and '40s. A discography would have been a welcome addition to this notable biography. Photos not seen by PW .
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
The music of jazz piano virtuoso Art Tatum is admired by musicians of all kinds, yet relatively little has been published about his life. In fact, though Tatum died in 1956, this account, compiled by a self-professed "amateur historian," is the first full-length biography. It is as if Tatum, whose keyboard wizardry alternately inspired and intimidated generations of piano players, is viewed more as a mythic figure than a flesh-and-blood man. Lester's collection of remembrances by Tatum's friends and family attempts to ground some of the myth in reality. We learn of Tatum's rather ordinary upbringing in a lower-middle-class black neighborhood in Toledo; of his near blindness and the conflicting stories about its cause; and, of course, we hear the accounts of his marvelous musical gift: observers claimed Tatum could "identify the dominant note in a flushing toilet." Lester also provides a competent review of Tatum's magisterial music, offering enlightening analysis of his unique style of improvising, which involved not altering a tune's melody but varying its harmonic progressions. Though more a strung-together collection of quotes than a true biography, this is still an extremely valuable addition to jazz studies. Bill Ott --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
See all Editorial Reviews
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