[Dixielandjazz] Tatum is not crap

Wed, 10 Jul 2002 18:24:38 EDT

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In a message dated 7/10/02 1:12:19 PM Central Daylight Time, 
Jazzjerry@aol.com writes:

> . I must  admit that I feel that Art Tatum ruined more decent melodies than 
> almost any other 'famous' pianist and his piano playing was hopelessly 
> over-rated 
> relying as it did on an over flowery technique at the expence of any 
> emotional expression and feeling.  And that is my opinion which can be 
> abbreviated into 'Tatum was Crap'.
> 
> Jerry

   Oh, oh...Jerry, the American Jazz Piano Police will put you right at the 
top of their hit list for this desecration.  Art Tatum has been elevated to 
the same status as the Prophet, Mohammed...no one dares ever to cast a 
disparaging word.

   I must secretly admit that I sort of agree with you.  Tatum often played 
like a broken record, endlessly fingering his fabulous runs.  No matter what 
the tune Art would rattle off the same runs.  But no one else was able to 
play them with the same flexibility and velocity.   In my youth I took some 
years of piano lessons and in my teens became interested in Dixieland jazz, 
ragtime etc. and at one point I discovered Art Tatum and was completely 
dazzled by his fabulous technique.  I acquired a book with some of his 
recorded solos written out, complete with fingering for his classic runs.  In 
1953, while in the military and still youthful and naive, I caught Tatum at 
the Blackhawk in San Francisco.  Would you believe that I had the nerve to go 
up and ask him about his fingering?  And, honest to God, he took a few 
minutes and showed me a bit about his runs.  I couldn't do them, of course, 
but I could appreciate their brilliance and how he worked out the fingering 
and worked them into the way that he played particular tunes.  He was a 
classy guy and very approachable.

Now take back that "Tatum was crap" remark.

JIm beebe

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<HTML>In a message dated 7/10/02 1:12:19 PM Central Daylight Time, Jazzjerry@aol.com writes: 
 
 
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">. I must&nbsp; admit that I feel that Art Tatum ruined more decent melodies than almost any other 'famous' pianist and his piano playing was hopelessly over-rated 
relying as it did on an over flowery technique at the expence of any 
emotional expression and feeling.&nbsp; And that is my opinion which can be 
abbreviated into 'Tatum was Crap'. 
 
Jerry</BLOCKQUOTE> 
 
&nbsp;&nbsp; Oh, oh...Jerry, the American Jazz Piano Police will put you right at the top of their hit list for this desecration.&nbsp; Art Tatum has been elevated to the same status as the Prophet, Mohammed...no one dares ever to cast a disparaging word. 
 
&nbsp;&nbsp; I must secretly admit that I sort of agree with you.&nbsp; Tatum often played like a broken record, endlessly fingering his fabulous runs.&nbsp; No matter what the tune Art would rattle off the same runs.&nbsp; But no one else was able to play them with the same flexibility and velocity.&nbsp;&nbsp; In my youth I took some years of piano lessons and in my teens became interested in Dixieland jazz, ragtime etc. and at one point I discovered Art Tatum and was completely dazzled by his fabulous technique.&nbsp; I acquired a book with some of his recorded solos written out, complete with fingering for his classic runs.&nbsp; In 1953, while in the military and still youthful and naive, I caught Tatum at the Blackhawk in San Francisco.&nbsp; Would you believe that I had the nerve to go up and ask him about his fingering?&nbsp; And, honest to God, he took a few minutes and showed me a bit about his runs.&nbsp; I couldn't do them, of course, but I could appreciate their brilliance and how he worked out the fingering and worked them into the way that he played particular tunes.&nbsp; He was a classy guy and very approachable. 
 
Now take back that "Tatum was crap" remark. 
 
JIm beebe 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;&nbsp; </HTML>

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