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Arthur “Art” Tatum

Nick Clark MUSC 1040 MWF 10:00. Arthur “Art” Tatum. Art Tatum. Born on October 13, 1909 in Toledo, Ohio Died at the young age of 47 on November 5, 1956 due to euremia , stemming from his heavy alcohol consumption

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Arthur “Art” Tatum

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  1. Nick Clark MUSC 1040 MWF 10:00 Arthur “Art” Tatum

  2. Art Tatum • Born on October 13, 1909 in Toledo, Ohio • Died at the young age of 47 on November 5, 1956 due to euremia, stemming from his heavy alcohol consumption • Suffering from cataracts from birth, by age 4 Art Tatum had lost the majority of his vision and became blind. • Virtuostic jazz pianist revered for his incredible speed and technical abilities

  3. Education • Art Tatum was a primarily self-taught pianist. • With the use of glasses and braille, was able to learn sheet music. • Taught himself by copying piano rolls, phonograph recordings, radio, etc. • Eventually spent some time being formally trained on the piano at the Toledo School of Music

  4. Achievements • “God is in the House” won a Grammy for “Best Jazz Instrumental Performance” in 1973 • Was awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement award in 1989 • Inducted into the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame

  5. Career • At 19 years old, Art began playing alongside vocalist Jon Hendricks at a Toledo jazz club which also hosted popular national acts. Here, he was noticed by artists such as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, etc. • Tatum spent a brief amount of time in New York in 1932 with female vocalist Adelaide Hall.

  6. Career Cont. • Recorded his first sides on the Brunswick label in 1933 • In 1943, Art formed a trio with bassist Slam Stewart and guitarist Tiny Grimes • Tatum spent some time in 1953 recording for producer Norman Granz. The 124 solos that he recorded became apart of 13 different albums

  7. Musical Style and Technique • Tatum’s piano style was heavily based upon stride. • Well known from using the entire keyboard of the piano • Was able to play songs at an incredibly fast pace, while still remaining very accurate. Many of his songs sounded as if there were more than one pianist at a time. • Had a very calm demeanor while playing, refraining from the bit more theatrical playing of many other jazz musicians. • Innovative improvisational style

  8. Tea for Two/Tiger Rag • Two of his more well known songs. • Both played at a cutting contest against Fats Waller and James Johnson, immediately catching their attention. • Both songs are excellent examples of his virtuosic abilities. The incredible speed he played with, the accuracy and clarity of each note, and his profound stride technique • Tea for Two (1933) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxadblDT6zI • Tiger Rag • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaPeks0H3_s

  9. Trio Example • The trio that Art Tatum formed was modeled after the successful trio headed by Nat “King” Cole • Even within a trio, Art’s ability shines through. In this piece, his incredible speed, use of syncopation, and clear notation really stick out, even with accompniment. • “I Know That You Know” • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnur0jLOoAc

  10. References • “Art Tatum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 May 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Tatum#Style>. • Lester, James. Too marvelous for words: the life and genius of Art Tatum. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994. Print. • "NPR's Jazz Profiles: Art Tatum." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 May 2013. <http://www.npr.org/programs/jazzprofiles/archive/tatum.html>. • Yanow, Scott. "Art Tatum - Music Biography, Credits and Discography : AllMusic." AllMusic : Music Search, Recommendations, Videos and Reviews. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 May 2013. <http://www.allmusic.com/artist/art-tatum-mn0000505770>.

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