ART TATUM Vol.2

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1. The Sheik Of Araby 2:41 9. Rosetta 2:53 17. Boogie 3:52 20. Topsy 4:17 (Ted Snyder–H. B. Smith–Francis Wheeler) (Earl Hines–Henry Woode) (Art Tatum) (Edgar Battle–Eddie Durham) Decca 2052, mx 62825-A Decca 8502, mx DLA 2070-A Asch 452-1, mx MA 1251 Asch 452-2, mx MA 1255-1 Recorded 29 Novemnber 1937, New York Recorded 26 July 1940, Los Angeles Recorded 21 June 1944, New York Recorded 21 June 1944, New York 2. Chlo-e 3:22 10. (Back Home Again In) Indiana 2:57 18. If I Had You 3:31 Tracks 1-16: Art Tatum, piano solo (Gus Kahn–Neil Moret) (James F. Hanley–Ballard MacDonald) (Ted Shapiro–Jimmy Connelly–Reginald Tracks 17-20: ART TATUM TRIO: Art Tatum, Decca 2052, mx 62824-A Decca 8550, mx DLA 2071-A Campbell) piano; Tiny Grimes, guitar; Slam Stewart, bass Recorded 29 November 1937, New York Recorded 26 July 1940, Los Angeles Asch 452-1, mx MA 1256-1 Transfers & Production: David Lennick 3. Tea For Two 2:39 11. Fine And Dandy 2:52 Recorded 21 June 1944, New York Digital Noise Reduction: K&A Productions Ltd (Vincent Youmans–Irving Caesar) (Paul James–Kay Swift) 19. Soft Winds 3:57 Decca 2456, mx DLA 1759-A Asch 356-1, mx Tatum 1-1 (Benny Goodman–Fred Royal) Original 78s from the collections of David Recorded 12 April 1939, Los Angeles Recorded 21 December 1944, New York Asch 452-2, mx MA 1257-1 Lennick & John Rutherford 4. Deep Purple 3:12 12. It Had To Be You 2:41 Recorded 21 June 1944, New York (Peter DeRose–Mitchell Parish) (Isham Jones–Gus Kahn) Decca 2456, mx DLA 1760-A Asch 356-1, mx Tatum 2-1 Recorded 12 April 1939, Los Angeles Recorded 21 December 1944, New York Also available in the Naxos Jazz Legends series ... 5. Moonglow 3:02 13. Ja Da 2:35 (Will Hudson–Eddie DeLange–Irving Mills) (Bob Carleton) Decca 155, mx DLA 1944-A Asch 356-2, mx Tatum 3-1 Recorded 22 February 1940, Los Angeles Recorded 21 December 1944, New York 6. Cocktails For Two 2:53 14. Where Or When 2:51 (Arthur Johnston–Sam Coslow) (Richard Rodgers–Lorenz Hart) Decca 156, mx DLA 1946-A Asch 356-2, mx Tatum 4-1 Recorded 22 February 1940, Los Angeles Recorded 21 December 1944, New York 7. St Louis Blues 2:33 15. Sweet And Lovely 3:00 (W. C. Handy) (Gus Arnheim–Harry Tobias–Jules Lemare) Decca 8550, mx DLA 2068-A Asch 356-3, mx Tatum 5-1 Recorded 26 July 1940, Los Angeles Recorded 21 December 1944, New York 8.120610* 8.120665* 8.120760 8. Begin The Beguine 2:46 16. Danny Boy 2:55 * Not available in the USA (Cole Porter) (Traditional) Decca 8502, mx DLA 2069-A Asch 356-3, mx Tatum 6-1 Recorded 26 July 1940, Los Angeles Recorded 21 December 1944, New York NAXOS RADIO Over 50 Channels of Classical Music • Jazz, Folk/World, Nostalgia www.naxosradio.com Accessible Anywhere, Anytime • Near-CD Quality 5 8.120730 6 8.120730 120730bk ArtTatum2 9/7/04 5:52 PM Page 1

ART TATUM transcription dates) before April 1939. Among Moonglow, immortalized by the Benny suspending and implying time rather than Christian, and bassist Slam Stewart (who Vol.2 the four songs that he recorded on Goodman Quartet in 1936, receives an stating it on every beat. Rosetta is one of his contributed hummed solos that were sung in ‘Fine And Dandy’ Original Recordings 1937-1944 29 November 1937 were “The Sheik Of Araby” interpretation by Tatum in 1940 that is just as most famous compositions and there are spots conjunction with his bowed bass) worked quite and “Chlo-e”. The Sheik Of Araby is a good timeless. The theme moves slowly, so the in this complex rendition where Tatum pays well with Tatum and the venture lasted on and example of Tatum’s approach. He plays the pianist has plenty of room even in the first direct tribute to Hines. Indiana, a dixieland off for a couple years. Boogie is a blues romp Art Tatum is one of the few musicians for whom first solo recordings in 1933 are particularly first chorus and the verse fairly straight and melody chorus to toss in dazzling ideas. And standard by the mid-1920s, is taken at a slower that finds Grimes and Stewart matching the word “incredible” truly fits. Tatum’s astounding, particularly a version of “Tiger Rag” throughout the performance always keeps the even when he is playing at his most rapid or tempo than usual, giving Tatum an opportunity Tatum’s wit if not his virtuosity. If I Had You technique on the piano was so wondrous that it that finds him sounding like three pianists. melody close by. And yet, his variations are full most harmonically adventurous, the to bring out some of the hidden beauty in the shows that, although Tatum had to stick to one amazed classical pianists, his speed could be Art Tatum spent most of his career playing of surprises, his left hand is continually changing performance sounds relaxed. Cocktails For song. tempo and one key during performances with blinding and his musical vocabulary, especially solo in dives. It was said by some that he could patterns, there is some heated striding, and Two, which like “Chlo-e” would become The remainder of ‘Fine And Dandy’ dates his trio, he was still free to thrown in constant harmonically, was three decades ahead of his not play with other musicians due to his many each chorus is hotter than the previous one. infamous due to Spike Jones’ version, is revealed from 1944. Tatum handles six standards in a curveballs that challenged his sidemen. The contemporaries in the 1930s. key and tempo changes and his speedy runs, but The final minute shows listeners why one night by Tatum to be a sentimental and sweet melody similar but never predictable fashion, stating swinging blues Soft Winds and the minor-key Tatum was born 13 October 1909 in Toledo, the opposite was true; most musicians were when Fats Waller spotted Tatum in the audience that he treats with affection. the theme prominently in the first chorus and romp Topsy show just how tight yet Ohio. Nearly blind from birth (just having a scared to play with him! Tatum’s command of he said “God is in the house.” On 13 February 1940, Earl Hines and his then taking wild departures without wandering spontaneous the group could be. slight amount of vision in one eye), he was self- the piano and his ability to play stride piano, Chlo-e has been interpreted as both a big band recorded their hit “Boogie Woogie On far from the theme no matter how much he After the trio broke up (with Slam Stewart taught on the piano initially before gaining some swing and boogie-woogie with remarkable sentimental ballad and, in Spike Jones’ case, as St Louis Blues”. Although that catchy recording twists and turns the chord structure or sprinkles joining Benny Goodman), Tatum went back to formal training at the Toledo School of Music. speed and complexity meant that anyone an easy song to satirize. Tatum takes “Chlo-e” is memorable, Tatum cuts it to shreds during his his improvisations with stunning outbursts. performing solo for much of the remainder of Tatum also briefly played guitar, violin and performing with him would have to have a great on its own merits, reharmonizing it in spots, boogie-woogie treatment of W. C. Handy’s song Fine And Dandy is quite a tour-de-force (listen his career. He was an inspiration for Oscar accordion but soon stuck exclusively to piano. deal of self-confidence and be extremely alert. tossing in some surprising double-time runs and from five months later. Boogie-woogie was the to how it ends!), It Had To Be You is Peterson and the bebop generation that He later stated that his main influences were In the 1930s Tatum worked for extended adding some of his subtle wit but mostly playing rage at the time, and Tatum shows that he transformed from a romantic ballad into a followed while not feeling compelled to Fats Waller and some of the semi-classical periods in New York, Cleveland, Chicago and the tune with warmth. could hold his own with the pianists who remarkable journey and Ja-Da is given a playful modernize his style since he was already so far pianists of the 1920s but there is no explanation Los Angeles, visiting England in 1938. Although Moving to 1939, the 29-year old pianist specialized in that infectious form of 12-bar treatment that turns the simple song into high ahead of everyone else. for his genius or where he originated many of he did not receive the publicity of Fats Waller begins Tea For Two with the last part of the blues (Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson and art. Where Or When and Sweet And Lovely Art Tatum passed away from uremia on his more startling musical ideas. (whose humorous vocals were very accessible), chorus and a melodic out-of-tempo stanza Meade Lux Lewis). Cole Porter’s Begin The are relatively relaxed and thoughtful while 5 November 1956 when he was just 47, having Tatum began playing professionally as a Teddy Wilson (due to his exposure with Benny before jumping into a cooking tempo that Beguine in 1938 was the song that made Artie Danny Boy has a few unexpected moments set a standard for jazz pianists that has never teenager in 1926 and had his own radio show in Goodman) and (in the 1940s) Nat King Cole, all features him coming up with some miraculous Shaw famous. Tatum developed his own fresh where the pianist plays out of key for a been surpassed. Toledo during 1929-30. Although visiting of the pianists were in awe of his abilities. ideas for the next two choruses. He concludes approach to the standard and performed a moment, adding suspense to the performance. musicians raved about the pianist and urged After his initial recording date as a soloist in the piece in the same mood as it had begun. similar arrangement for the piece throughout his In late 1943, Art Tatum surprised the jazz – Scott Yanow him to come to New York, Tatum did not make 1933, Tatum recorded fairly extensively during Deep Purple begins ironically, with Tatum career. This 26 July 1940 version was Tatum’s world by forming a trio. Electric guitarist Tiny author of 7 jazz books including Swing, Bebop, the move until 1932 when he was hired by August–October 1934 and then did not have almost sounding as if he is just discovering the first on record and remains one of his most Grimes, who was most influenced by Charlie Trumpet Kings and Jazz On Record 1917-76 singer Adelaide Hall as one of two pianists to any other commercial record dates until cutting beauty of the piece as he plays it; the second beloved recordings. back her vocals. Tatum relocated to New York, four numbers with a band in February 1937. chorus shows that he had long since mastered Earl Hines, who preceded Tatum, was the made his recording debut with Hall and began Otherwise he had made only one other visit to the song and could do anything with it that first jazz pianist to break up the metronomic playing piano in after-hours clubs and bars. His the recording studios (not counting radio came to mind. role of the left hand of stride pianists, often Original monochrome photo of Art Tatum from Michael Ochs Archives / Redferns

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ART TATUM Fine and Dandy and Fine TATUM ART 8.120730