[Dixielandjazz] Art Tatum Still King

[Charlie Hooks]

on 6/22/03 12:32 AM, John Farrell at stridepiano at tesco.net wrote:

 Tatum was a unique phenomenon in the history of jazz piano, nothing stumped
him - he could handle any popular tune of the day in any key, in any
company, at any tempo. Whatever musical idea popped into his head, no
matter how complicated, he could
execute it with ease, he was acknowledged by all his peers as being the
very
best at the physical act of playing jazz piano. No other
pianist possessed such a breathtakingly impressive store of pianistic
 ammunition.


   Dead right, John.  There's a great story I've heard Oscar Peterson tell
more than once about hearing Tatum for the first time in his young life and
at first finding himself unable to believe it was only one guy playing.

   When finally convinced it was one lone pianist, Peterson quite playing.

   He was so demoralized that he didn't play again for a year.  Luckily for
us all, he did come back; yet he never considered himself the equal of
Tatum.  But the last time I heard Oscar Peterson play, he was "crippled" by
arthritis (so he said) but he still sounded to me as close to Tatum as a
mortal is likely to get.

   And by the way: you ain't no slouch yourself!

Charlie