Art Tatum was an enigma. Partially sighted, largely self-taught, yet one of the most technically accomplished piano players of the 20th Century (admired by classical composers and pianists as well by jazz audiences), he was not universally embraced by the jazz fraternity, some critics considering him too clever by half to be a real jazzman! On the other hand, fellow jazz pianist Teddy Wilson said of him, ""You get all the finest jazz pianists in the world and let them play in the presence of Tatum. Then let Tatum play. Everyone (else) there will sound like an amateur"". Such was Tatum's unrivalled dexterity and polyrhythmic inventiveness, the majority of his recordings during his 1932-1951 prime years covered by this 99-track, 4-CD set were unaccompanied solo performances, each a unique display of virtuosity without need of further embellishment. But he also recorded with a small band fronted by blues shouter Big Joe Turner, with an all-star line-up of jazz greats at a Metropolitan Opera House concert, and as the Art Tatum Trio with his regular club date accompanists, Tiny Grimes (guitar) and Slam Stewart (bass), all included here. This is the definitive anthology of an artistic genius.
 

Piano Grand Master - Tatum, Art  

Disc 1

1. Tiger Rag 1:57
2. Tea For Two 3:11
3. St. Louis Blues 2:36
4. Tiger Rag 2:17
5. Sophisticated Lady 3:14
6. Moonglow 2:39
7. I Would Do Anything For You 2:54
8. When A Woman Loves A Man 3:01
9. Emaline 2:35
10. Love Me 2:53
11. Cocktails For Two 2:46
12. After You've Gone 2:59
13. Stardust 3:14
14. Ill Wind 2:54
15. The Shout 2:45
16. Beautiful Love 3:11
17. Liza 2:55
18. I Ain't Got Nobody 3:20
19. Stay As Sweet As You Are 2:38
20. I Wish I Were Twins 2:17
21. Gone With The Wind 2:50
22. Stormy Weather 3:10
23. Chloe 3:23
24. The Sheik Of Araby 2:43
25. Tea For Two 2:36
26. Deep Purple 3:15
27. It Had To Be You 2:28

Disc 2

1. Oh, You Crazy Moon 2:24
2. Over The Rainbow 3:48
3. Day In Day Out 3:27
4. All God's Chillun Got Rhythm 1:55
5. Elegie 3:14
6. Humoresque 3:03
7. Sweet Lorraine 2:59
8. Get Happy 2:44
9. Lullaby Of The Leaves 3:04
10. Tiger Rag 2:13
11. Sweet Emaline, My Gal 2:58
12. Love Me 2:41
13. Begin The Beguine 2:42
14. Rosetta 2:50
15. Indiana 2:58
16. Wee Baby Blues 2:51
17. Stompin' At The Savoy 3:13
18. Last Goodbye Blues 3:10
19. Battery Bounce 2:29
20. Lucille 3:24
21. Rock Me, Mama 2:55
22. Corrine Corrina 2:27
23. Lonesome Graveyard Blues 3:09
24. I Got Rhythm 2:16
25. Mop, Mop 5:02
26. Esquire Bounce 2:01

Disc 3

1. My Ideal 3:20
2. Exactly Like You 5:05
3. Flying Home 4:14
4. Dark Eyes 4:41
5. Body And Soul 4:36
6. I Know That You Know 4:18
7. Hallelujah 2:38
8. Yesterdays 3:04
9. Tatum Pole Boogie 2:22
10. Willow Weep For Me 2:51
11. I Cover The Waterfront 2:29
12. Aunt Hagar's Blues 2:40
13. Nice Work If You Can Get It 2:45
14. Someone To Watch Over Me 2:47
15. Dardanella 2:47
16. Time On My Hands 3:02
17. Sweet Lorraine 2:36
18. Somebody Loves Me 2:44
19. Don't Blame Me 2:53
20. My Heart Stood Still 3:08
21. You Took Advantage Of Me 3:12
22. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues 2:53

Disc 4

1. Goin' Home 3:06
2. Blue Skies 2:49
3. It's The Talk Of The Town 3:18
4. Dancing In The Dark 2:54
5. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams 2:58
6. Just-A-Sittin' And A-Rockin' 2:45
7. You're Driving Me Crazy 2:22
8. In A Sentimental Mood 3:18
9. She's Funny That Way 2:55
10. I'll Never Be The Same 3:22
11. Night And Day 3:27
12. It's Only A Paper Moon 2:53
13. Three Little Words 2:24
14. On The Sunny Side Of The Street 2:37
15. Why Was I Born? 2:45
16. If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight) 2:47
17. Mean To Me 2:42
18. I Guess I Have To Change My Plans 2:26
19. Can't We Be Friends? 2:34
20. What Is This Thing Called Love? 2:36
21. Crazy Rhythm 2:20
22. Limehouse Blues 2:24
23. I'm Coming Virginia 2:44
24. The Man I Love 5:01 DISCOGRAPHY

DISC ONE - TEA FOR TWO


Art Tatum, p
New York, August 5, 1932

TO-1192 TIGER RAG CBS 26550

Art Tatum, p
New York, March 21, 1933

13162-A TEA FOR TWO Brunswick 6553
13163-A ST. LOUIS BLUES Brunswick 6543
13164-A TIGER RAG Brunswick 6543
13165-A SOPHISTICATED LADY Brunswick 6553

Art Tatum, p
New York, August 22, 1934

38387-A MOONGLOW Decca 155
38388-A I WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR YOU Brunswick 02015
38389-A WHEN A WOMAN LOVES A MAN Decca 741
38390-A EMALINE Decca 155
38391-A LOVE ME Decca 156
38392-A COCKTAILS FOR TWO Decca 156
Art Tatum, p
New York, August 24, 1934
38426-A AFTER YOUâ??RE GONE Brunswick 01862
38427-C STARDUST Decca 306
38429-A ILL WIND Brunswick 02051
38430-A THE SHOUT Decca 468
38431-C BEAUTIFUL LOVE Decca 306
38432-A LIZA Decca 1373

Art Tatum, p
New York, October 9, 1934

38428-C I AINâ??T GOT NOBODY Decca 741
Art Tatum, p
Hollywood, December 1936

STAY AS SWEET AS YOU ARE Jazz Panorama LP 15
I WISH I WERE TWINS Jazz Panorama LP 15
Art Tatum, p
New York, November 29, 1937

62822-A GONE WITH THE WIND Decca 1603
62823-A STORMY WEATHER Decca 1603
62824-A CHLOE Decca 2052
62825-A THE SHEIK OF ARABY Decca 2052

Art Tatum, p
Los Angeles, April 12, 1939

DLA- 1759-A TEA FOR TWO Decca 2456
DLA -1760-A DEEP PURPLE Decca 2456

Art Tatum, p
Hollywood, circa August 1939

IT HAD TO BE YOU Smithsonian 2029

DISC TWO - ELEGIE

Art Tatum, p
Hollywood, circa August 1939

OH YOU CRAZY MOON Smithsonian R 029
OVER THE RAINBOWSmithsonian R 029

Art Tatum, p
Hollywood, August 1939

DAY IN-DAY OUT Smithsonian R 029
ALL GODâ??S CHILLUN GOT RHYTHM Jazz Panorama LP 15


Art Tatum, p
Los Angeles, February 22, 1940

DLA-1936-A ELEGIE Decca 18049
DLA-1937-A HUMORESQUE Decca 18049
DLA-1938-A SWEET LORRAINE Decca 18050
DLA-1939-A GET HAPPY Decca 18050
DLA - 1940 - A LULLABY OF THE LEAVES Decca 18051
DLA - 1941 - A TIGER RAG Decca 18051
DLA - 1942 - A SWEET EMALINE,

MY GAL Decca rejected

DLA - 1945 - A LOVE ME Decca 156
Art Tatum, p
Los Angeles, July 26, 1940

DLA - 2069 - A BEGIN THE BEGUINE Decca 8552
DLA - 2070 - A ROSETTA Decca 8552
DLA - 2071 - A INDIANA Decca 8550

Art Tatum and his Band : Joe Thomas, tp; Edmond Hall, cl; Art Tatum, p; John Collins, g; Billy Taylor, b; Eddie Dougherty, d; Joe Turner, voc (-1)
New York, January 21, 1941

68605-A WEE BABY BLUES (-1) Decca 8526
68606-A STOMPINâ?? AT THE SAVOY Decca 8536
68607-A LAST GOODBYE BLUES (-1) Decca 8536
68608-A BATTERY BOUNCE Decca 8526

Art Tatum and his Band : Joe Thomas, tp; Art Tatum, p; Oscar Moore, g; Billy Taylor, b; Yank Porter, d; Joe Turner, voc.
New York, June 13, 1941

69356-B LUCILLE Decca 8577
69357-B ROCK ME, MAMA Decca 8563
69358-A CORRINA CORRINA Decca 8577
69359-B LONESOME

GRAVEYARD BLUES Decca 8563

Art Tatum Trio : Art Tatum, p; Tiny Grimes, g; Slam Stewart, b.
New York, January 5, 1944

WN 1360-A I GOT RHYTHM Brunswick BL 58013

Esquire Metropolitan Opera House Jam Session: Louis Armstrong, Roy Eldridge, tp; Jack Teagarden, tb; Barney Bigard, d; Coleman Hawkins, ts; Art Tatum, p; Al Casey, g; Oscar Pettiford, b; Sid Catlett, d.
Metropolitan Opera House, New York, January 18, 1944

VP 467 MOP MOP V-Disc 152
Same Date, omit Louis Armstrong

VP 469 ESQUIRE BOUNCE V-Disc 163

DISC THREE - WILLOW WEEP FOR ME

Esquire Metropolitan Opera House Jam Session: Louis Armstrong, Roy Eldridge, tp; Coleman Hawkins, ts; Art Tatum, p.
Metropolitan Opera House, New York, January 18, 1944 JDB-91


MY IDEAL V-Disc 655
Art Tatum Trio : Art Tatum, p; Tiny Grimes, g; Slam Stewart, b. Milwaukee, March 11, 1944

EXACTLY LIKE YOU Shoestring SS105
Art Tatum Trio : Art Tatum, p; Tiny Grimes, g;
Slam Stewart, b
New York, May 1, 1944

T3-B-3 FLYING HOME Comet T3
T1-B-3 DARK EYES Comet T1
T2-A-4 BODY AND SOUL Comet T2
T2-B-3 I KNOW THAT YOU

KNOW Comet T2
Art Tatum, p Los Angeles, May 1945 1040-1

HALLELUJAH ARA 4501
1046-1

YESTERDAYS ARA 4503
Art Tatum, p
"Just Jazz", Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, April 2, 1949
JJ82 TATUM POLE BOOGIE Columbia CL 6301
Art Tatum, p Los Angeles, July 13, 1949

5039 WILLOW WEEP FOR ME Capitol 15520
5040 I COVER THE WATERFRONT Capitol 15518
5041 AUNT HAGARâ??S BLUES Capitol 15520
5042 NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT Capitol 15519
5043 SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME Capitol 15714
5044 DARDANELLA Capitol H 216

Art Tatum, p
Los Angeles, July 25, 1949

5045 TIME ON MY HANDS Capitol 15712
5046 SWEET LORRAINE Capitol 15713
5047 SOMEBODY LOVES ME Capitol 15714
5048 DONâ??T BLAME ME Capitol 15713

Art Tatum, p
Los Angeles, September 29, 1949

5049 MY HEART STOOD STILL Capitol 15712
5050 YOU TOOK ADVANTAGE OF ME Capitol 15841
5051 I GOTTA RIGHT TO SING THE BLUES Capitol H 216


DISC FOUR - GOINâ?? HOME

Art Tatum, p
Los Angeles, September 29, 1949

5054 GOINâ?? HOME Capitol H 269
5055 BLUE SKIES Capitol H 216
5056 ITâ??S THE TALK OF THE TOWN Capitol H 269
5057 DANCING IN THE DARK Capitol H 216

Art Tatum,
Hollywood, circa 1949-50

WRAP YOUR TROUBLES IN DREAMS Jazz Chronicles
JCS 101

JUST-A-SITTINâ?? AND A-ROCKINâ?? Jazz Chronicles
jcs 101

YOUâ??RE DRIVINâ?? ME CRAZY Jazz Chronicles
jcs 101

IN A SENTIMENTAL MOOD Jazz Chronicles
jcs 101

SHEâ??S FUNNY THAT WAY Jazz Chronicles
jcs 101

Iâ??LL NEVER BE THE SAME Jazz Chronicles
jcs 101


NIGHT AND DAY JazzChronicles
jcs 101
Art Tatum, p
Crescendo Club, Hollywood, early 1950

ITâ??S ONLY A PAPER MOON Gene Norman Presents GNP 9025

THREE LITTLE WORDS Gene Norman Presents GNP 9025

ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET Gene Norman Presents GNP 9025

WHY WAS I BORN ? Gene Norman Presents GNP 9025

IF I COULD BE WITH YOU Gene Norman Presents GNP 9025

MEAN TO ME Gene Norman Presents GNP 9025

I GUESS I HAVE TO CHANGE MY PLANS Gene Norman Presents GNP 9025

CANâ??T WE BE FRIENDS ? Gene Norman Presents GNP 9026

WHAT IS THIS THING

CALLED LOVE ? Gene Norman Presents GNP 9026

CRAZY RHYTHM Gene Norman Presents GNP 9026

LIMEHOUSE BLUES Gene Norman Presents GNP 9026

Iâ??M COMING VIRGINIA Gene Norman Presents GNP 9026

Art Tatum Trio: Art Tatum, p; Everett Barksdale, g; Slam Stewart, b.
Cafe Society, New York, circa 1951

THE MAN I LOVE Broadcast "Voice of America"