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About Art Tatum
Hometown
Toledo, OH, United States
Born
October 13, 1909
Genre
Jazz
Few pianists in jazz history could match the technical fluidity of Art Tatum, an improviser who brought prodigious virtuosity and ornamental generosity to every solo he played. During his heyday between the mid-1930s and the late 1940s, his ability to blend swing and stride in solo and trio settings left listeners in awe of his liquid runs, chord substitutions, and melodic elaboration. Born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1909, Tatum studied classical music briefly at the Toledo School of Music but was primarily self-taught, fastidiously listening to the recordings of stride greats James P. Johnson and Fats Waller. He was recruited by singer Adelaide Hall, moving to New York City and briefly recording with her in 1932, although he returned to Ohio a couple of years later to work in Cleveland. In the coming years he zigzagged between coasts, with stops in Chicago. He recorded numerous solo sides for Decca between the mid-’30s and 1940, but most of them went unreleased for nearly a decade. By the mid-1940s Tatum had become a major attraction, putting his florid spin on tunes from the standard jazz repertoire. He cut a number of solo and trio sides (with bassist Slam Stewart and guitarist Everett Barksdale) for Capitol between 1949 and 1952, and after partnering with jazz impresario Norman Granz he recorded nearly 14 albums’ worth of material in the mid-1950s. Born with impaired vision, he was nearly blind by the time he died from uremia, driven by alcoholism, in 1956. Tatum never varied his sound or approach during his career, but his staggering facility still remains impressive.
Art Tatum has also released music as a member of Barney Bigard and His Sextet, Art Tatum Trio, Art Tatum And His Band, Art Tatum's All-Stars, and The Art Tatum - Ben Webster Quartet.
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