Happy heavenly birthday, Art Tatum, born on this day in 1909

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Happy heavenly birthday, Art Tatum, born on this day in 1909.

Art Tatum: The Virtuoso of Velocity and Harmony

In the pantheon of musical geniuses, few figures command the universal, awestruck reverence afforded to Art Tatum. He was not merely a jazz pianist; he was a force of nature, a revolutionary who redefined the very possibilities of the instrument. Born in Toledo, Ohio, on October 13, 1909, Tatum emerged with a style so advanced, so technically formidable, and so harmonically rich that it remains, decades after his death, a benchmark of pianistic excellence. To speak of Art Tatum is to speak of a musician who could transform a popular standard into a sprawling, intricate tone poem, a whirlwind of improvisational ingenuity that left both audiences and fellow musicians in a state of bewildered admiration.

Biography: The Toledo Titan

Arthur Tatum Jr. was born to a mechanic father and a mother who worked in domestic service. From birth, he was visually impaired, a condition that developed into total blindness in one eye and only minimal vision in the other. This physical challenge did not hinder his musical development; in fact, many speculate it heightened his other senses, particularly his preternatural aural acuity.

He received some formal training at the Toledo School of Music, learning Braille music and developing a formidable foundation in classical piano. His influences, however, were distinctly popular and jazz-oriented. He devoured the piano rolls of Fats Waller, whose “stride” style became a cornerstone of his own technique, and he was deeply influenced by the harmonic sensibilities of composers like Debussy and Ravel, whose impressionistic colors he would later weave into the fabric of jazz.

Tatum began his professional career playing in Toledo clubs and on the local radio station WSPD. His reputation grew rapidly, fueled by word-of-mouth tales of a blind pianist who could play anything and everything with impossible speed and complexity. By the early 1930s, he had moved to New York City, the epicenter of the jazz world. His first recordings in 1933 for the Brunswick label, including the stunning “Tiger Rag,” sent shockwaves through the music community. Here was a musician who was not just playing jazz; he was re-engineering it.

For the next two decades, Tatum was a relentless performer, dominating the nightclub circuit, particularly as a solo pianist. He led a small group for a time, the Art Tatum Trio, which featured the innovative guitarist Tiny Grimes and bassist Slam Stewart, whose humming-along-an-octave-higher became a signature sound. This group was one of the first commercially successful piano-guitar-bass trios in jazz, setting a precedent for decades to come.

Tatum’s life was one dedicated to music, often fueled by a fondness for nightlife and a prodigious capacity for alcohol. Despite his failing health due to uremia, he continued to perform with undiminished power almost until his death. Art Tatum passed away on November 5, 1956, in Los Angeles, California, leaving behind a discography that continues to serve as a masterclass for pianists of all genres.

Music Style and Improvisational Licks: Deconstructing the Impossible

Describing Tatum’s style is an exercise in listing superlatives. It was a breathtaking synthesis of several key elements:

1. Stride Piano Foundation: Tatum’s left hand was a marvel of independence and power. He built upon the Harlem stride tradition of James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, where the left hand alternates between a low bass note or octave on beats one and three and a mid-range chord on beats two and four. But Tatum supercharged this pattern, often interpolating dazzling runs, counter-melodies, and harmonic substitutions within the left-hand part itself, making it a lead voice rather than mere accompaniment.
2. Harmonic Reharmonization: This is the heart of Tatum’s genius. He rarely played a song’s harmony as written. Instead, he would instantly reharmonize standard progressions, substituting basic chords with a tapestry of passing chords, altered dominants (flat-ninths, sharp-ninths, thirteenths), diminished and augmented chords, and chromatic movements. A simple C major chord could become a C6, then an E diminished, then an A7alt, before resolving to a D minor 7. This created a constantly shifting, kaleidoscopic harmonic landscape that made even the most familiar tune sound new and sophisticated.
3. Orchestral Approach and Velocity: Tatum treated the piano as an orchestra. His right hand would often play lines of incredible velocity and clarity, reminiscent of a saxophone or trumpet, while simultaneously dropping in lush chordal fills. He was a master of arpeggios that would cascade across the keyboard, covering the entire range of the instrument in a single phrase. His use of tremolo and glissando added dramatic, orchestral flair.

Improvisational Licks and Techniques:
While Tatum’s improvisations were famously spontaneous and complex, certain licks and devices were part of his vocabulary:

• The “Tatum Run”: A lightning-fast, scale-based run, often chromatic or using the harmonic minor scale, that would connect two phrases or ascend to a dramatic high-note climax.
• Diminished Chord Embellishments: He used diminished seventh chords extensively as passing harmonies. A classic Tatum move was to approach a target note from a half-step above or below, often framed within a diminished arpeggio.
• Right-Hand Trills and Tremolos: While the left hand maintained the stride rhythm, Tatum’s right hand would execute a delicate trill or a powerful tremolo, creating a thrilling textural contrast.
• Quoting Other Melodies: He was a master of musical wit, seamlessly weaving fragments of other songs (“quotes”) into his improvisations, creating a delightful game of recognition for the listener.

Cooperation with Other Artists

Despite often being a solitary titan, Tatum’s collaborations were significant. His most famous and enduring partnership was in the Art Tatum Trio with guitarist Tiny Grimes and bassist Slam Stewart. The trio format allowed Tatum to anchor his flights of fancy with a steady pulse, and the interplay was remarkably cohesive. Grimes’ single-note lines complemented Tatum’s density, while Stewart’s bowed and hummed bass provided a unique melodic foundation.

Tatum also participated in the legendary “Piano Wars” of the 1930s, engaging in cutting contests with other greats like Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, and Willie “The Lion” Smith. These were not hostile affairs but displays of mutual respect and one-upmanship, where Tatum’s technical arsenal usually left his competitors in a state of stunned admiration.

In the 1950s, he undertook an ambitious and highly acclaimed project for Norman Granz’s Clef Records: a series of albums collectively known as “The Tatum Group Masterpieces.” These recordings paired him with other jazz luminaries, including Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge, Lionel Hampton, and Buddy Rich. The sessions with the warm-toned tenor saxophonist Ben Webster are particularly cherished, as Tatum uncharacteristically restrained his dense style to provide sublime, sympathetic accompaniment, proving his profound sensitivity as an ensemble player.

Chord Progressions and Music Harmony: The Architect of Sound

To analyze Tatum’s harmony is to enter a master’s workshop. He operated on a level of harmonic sophistication that was decades ahead of his time, anticipating the chordal language of bebop and beyond.

• Chord Substitution: This was his primary tool. He would replace standard chords with more colorful alternatives. For example, in the progression II-V-I (Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7), Tatum might play:
  • Dm7 becomes F#dim7 (a passing diminished chord).
  • G7 becomes G7b9 or Db7 (a tritone substitution, as Db7 shares the same guide tones, F and B, as G7).
  • Cmaj7 becomes C6/9 or is approached by an E7alt (a secondary dominant of the VI chord, Am).
• Voice Leading: His chord changes were not just substitutions; they were masterclasses in voice leading. Each note in a chord would move smoothly, often chromatically, to a note in the next chord. This created a fluid, seamless progression where even the most complex harmonic shifts sounded natural and inevitable.
• Use of Extended and Altered Harmony: Tatum routinely used 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths as consonant colors. He was a pioneer in the use of altered tensions (b9, #9, #11, b13) on dominant chords, which created tension and a powerful sense of resolution.
• Reharmonizing Standards: His versions of songs like “Tea for Two,” “All the Things You Are,” and “Someone to Watch Over Me” are essentially new compositions built on the original’s skeleton. He would add entire new sections, modulations, and harmonic detours, transforming simple 32-bar songs into epic, through-composed works.

Influences and Legacy

Influences: Tatum’s style was a melting pot of his early influences: the robust stride of Fats Waller and James P. Johnson, the lyrical touch of Earl Hines, and the formal elegance of European classical composers like Sergei Rachmaninoff and Claude Debussy.

Legacy: Art Tatum’s legacy is immeasurable. He is the direct harmonic forefather of the bebop movement. Pianists like Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk internalized Tatum’s advanced harmony, streamlining his ornate style into the angular, rhythmically driving language of bop. Oscar Peterson openly worshipped Tatum and modeled his own virtuosic style after him. Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and McCoy Tyner all stand on the foundation Tatum built.

Beyond jazz, his influence touches every genre that values piano virtuosity, from the rock and roll of Jerry Lee Lewis to the classical adaptations of John Lewis. He is the gold standard, the musician to whom all others are compared. As the critic Leonard Feather once said, “Tatum’s chief handicap was that he had no contemporaries. He was a class by himself.”

Works, Filmography, and Discography

Most Known Compositions and Performances:
While Tatum was primarily an interpreter of the Great American Songbook, he did compose a few original pieces. His most famous performance is undoubtedly his 1933 recording of “Tiger Rag,” a blistering deconstruction of the Dixieland standard that left listeners questioning how one pianist could produce so much sound. Other landmark performances include:

• “Tea for Two” (1933) – A masterpiece of reharmonization and velocity.
• “Willow Weep for Me” (1949) – A stunning display of depth and lyrical feeling.
• “Yesterdays” (from the “Group Masterpieces” with Ben Webster) – A perfect blend of passion and restraint.
• “Over the Rainbow” – A sublime, harmonically rich ballad interpretation.
• “Elegy” – One of his few original compositions, a beautiful and melancholic piece.

Filmography:
Tatum made a few film appearances, though his cinematic legacy is not extensive. He appeared in The Fabulous Dorseys (1947), a Hollywood biopic, and the jazz short “Boogie-Woogie Dream” (1944). These films provide precious visual documentation of his effortless, almost nonchalant technique at the keyboard.

Discography (Selected):
Tatum recorded prolifically, primarily for the Decca, Capitol, and Clef/Verve labels.

• Early Landmarks:
  • Art Tatum, Piano Solos (1934-1940, Brunswick/Decca)
  • The Standard Transcriptions (1935-1943) – A treasure trove of solo performances for radio.
• The Trio Era:
  • The Art Tatum Trio (1944, Asch/Disc) – Featuring Tiny Grimes and Slam Stewart.
• The Capitol Solo Masterpieces:
  • The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces, Vol. 1-8 (1953-55) – Perhaps the definitive collection of his mature solo work, recorded in a relaxed home setting. Essential listening.
• The Group Masterpieces:
  • The Tatum Group Masterpieces (1954-56, Pablo) – A multi-volume set with Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge, Lionel Hampton, etc.
• Posthumous Collections:
  • The Complete Capitol Recordings (1997) – A comprehensive box set of his seminal solo work.
  • The Complete Pablo Group Masterpieces (1990) – Collects all the small group sessions.

Art Tatum: The Eternal Standard

Art Tatum was more than a musician; he was a phenomenon. In a blind man from Toledo, the world witnessed the ultimate triumph of ear over eye, of imagination over limitation. He did not just play the piano; he liberated it, demonstrating that the keyboard was a universe of harmonic and rhythmic potential waiting to be explored. His recordings are not mere historical artifacts; they are living, breathing lessons in creativity, daring, and technical command. To listen to Art Tatum is to hear the sound of genius, a whirlwind of notes that, against all odds, coalesces into a thing of sublime and enduring beauty. He remains, as he was in life, peerless.

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