Art Tatum was an American jazz pianist and musician known for his harmonic and technical innovations. http://www.jalc.org/halloffame/ http://www.enotes.com/topic/Art_Tatum He was born Art Tatum, Jr. on October 13, 1909, in Toledo, Ohio. http://www.enotes.com/topic/Art_Tatum Both of his parents were musically inclined. http://www.enotes.com/topic/Art_Tatum http://www.jalc.org/halloffame/ Tatum started playing the piano at an early age. http://www.jazzonthetube.com/page/502.html He used his ear for melody and perfect pitch to mimic songs on the radio. http://www.jazzonthetube.com/page/502.html The partially blind Tatum attended the School for the Blind in Columbus, Ohio. http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-musicians/tatum-art-biography http://www.jazzonthetube.com/page/502.html He learned to play the accordion, guitar, and violin. http://www.jalc.org/halloffame/ He also learned to read music in Braille. http://www.jalc.org/halloffame/ Tatum studied classical piano at the Toledo School of Music. http://www.jazzonthetube.com/page/502.html

Art Tatum acknowledged Fats Waller as the inspiration to his style of piano. http://www.duke.edu/~njh3/biography.html Tatum explored extended harmonies and is credited as the catalyst for bebop. http://www.npr.org/programs/jazzprofiles/archive/tatum.html http://jazztimes.com/articles/21296-art-tatum-no-greater-art The pianist played with such speed and technical ferocity that listeners often thought they heard several musicians. http://www.loc.gov/rr/record/nrpb/registry/nrpb-2007reg.html Some jazz critics believe Tatum is not a jazz pianist. They say his style was "ornate window-dressing" and non-improvisational. http://www.npr.org/programs/jazzprofiles/archive/tatum.html http://www.loc.gov/rr/record/nrpb/registry/nrpb-2007reg.html Jazz critic Leonard Feather called Tatum "the greatest soloist in jazz history, regardless of instrument." http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-musicians/tatum-art-biography

The jazz pianist died of uremia (a toxic blood disorder) on November 5, 1956 in Los Angeles. http://www.enotes.com/topic/Art_Tatum

In 1929, Art Tatum began his professional career playing the piano for WSPD radio station in Toledo. http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-musicians/tatum-art-biography He also performed in local nightclubs. http://www.npr.org/programs/jazzprofiles/archive/tatum.html In 1932, Vocalist Adelaide Hall hired Tatum and took him to New York City. http://www.enotes.com/topic/Art_Tatum Tatum was a staple in the clubs along 52nd Street and attracted the attention of his peers. http://www.jalc.org/halloffame/ http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-musicians/tatum-art-biography His first recording was one of his signature songs - "Tea for Two" (1933) - for the Brunswick label. http://www.npr.org/programs/jazzprofiles/archive/tatum.html In 1943, Art Tatum, bassist Slam Stewart, and guitarist Tiny Grimes formed a trio. http://www.enotes.com/topic/Art_Tatum In 1953, producer Norman Grantz recorded Tatum 124 solo tracks and 59 tracks with other musicians. http://www.enotes.com/topic/Art_Tatum

Tatum influenced many jazz musicians - pianists and non-pianists. They include Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Herbie Hancock, and Hank Jones. http://web.duke.edu/~njh3/biography.html http://www.thegrio.com/entertainment/grammy-winning-jazz-pianist-hank-jones-dies-at-91.php http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-musicians/tatum-art-biography Tatum also garnered respect from classical pianists. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124286060905541009.html Vladimir Horowitz and Sergei Rachmaninoff visited New York jazz clubs often for his performances. http://jazztimes.com/articles/21296-art-tatum-no-greater-art http://web.media.mit.edu/~mike/music/VanCliburn2000/

Art Tatum appeared in the film The Fabulous Dorseys in 1947. http://www.duke.edu/~njh3/disco.html

Art Tatum won the Esquire Gold Award (1944), Esquire Silver Award (1945), and Metronome poll (1945). http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-musicians/tatum-art-biography He won the Down Beat Critics poll in 1954, 1955, and 1956. http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-musicians/tatum-art-biography The pianist received two Grammys posthumously. In 1973, he won the Best Jazz Performance from a Soloist Award for the album God Is in the House. http://www.super70s.com/Super70s/Music/1973/Grammys.asp In 1989, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. http://www2.grammy.com/recording_academy/awards/lifetime_awards/ The Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame (Jazz at Lincoln Center) inducted Art Tatum in 2004. http://www.jalc.org/halloffame/ In 2007, the Library of Congress chose Tatum's "Sweet Lorraine" (1940) for the 2007 National Recording Registry. The committee chose the song because "its relaxed tempo allows one to hear and follow ... the harmonies and dissonances that give any Tatum performance undisputed originality. http://www.loc.gov/rr/record/nrpb/registry/nrpb-2007reg.html A term commonly used in the computational musicology field gets its name from Art Tatum. A "tatum" is "the smallest perceptual time unit in music". http://web.media.mit.edu/~tristan/phd/dissertation/chapter3.html#x1-390003.4.3 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6434701

• 1940: Solos, Decca

• 1949: An Art Tatum Concert, Columbia

• 1956: The Art Tatum-Ben Webster Quartet, Capitol

• 1982: Giants of Jazz: Art Tatum, Time-Life

• 1982: Piano Starts Here, Columbia

• 1991: The Tatum Group Masterpieces; Volumes 1-8, Pablo, recorded 1954-56

• 1992: The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces; Volumes 1-8, Pablo, recorded 1953-55