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ART TATUM Vol.2
Fine And Dandy
Original Recordings 1937 - 1944
Naxos Jazz Legends 8.120730
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Tracks 1 - 16: Art Tatum,
piano solo
Tracks 17 - 20 ART TATUM TRIO: Art Tatum,
piano; Tiny Grimes, guitar; Slam Stewart;
bass.
1. The Sheik Of Araby
2. Chloe
3. Tea For Two
4. Deep Purple
5. Moonglow
6. Cocktails For Two
7. St. Louis Blues
8. Begin The Beguine
9. Rosetta
10. ( Back Home Again In ) Indiana
11. Fine And Dandy
12. It Had To Be You
13. Ja Da
14. Where Or When
15. Sweet And Lovely
16. Danny Boy
17. Boogie
18. If I Had You
19. Soft Winds
20.Topsy
There has surely never in the history
of Jazz been a finer exponent of solo
piano than Art Tatum. While his style
is rooted in the stride and swing categories
he managed to encompass so much more.
Gifted with a technique that would have
been the envy of any concert pianist and
with an imagination to match he succeeded
in making the addition of a rhythm section
superfluous on the majority of occasions.
That is not to say that Tatum did not
make many fine recordings with his trio,
four of which can be heard at the end
of this disc, but his real genius lay
in his unaccompanied flights of fancy.
It is then that one can hear his ability
to rhapsodise on the slower selections.
Even on the up tempo swingers ( and swing
they most assuredly do e.g. " St.
Louis Blues" ) he is able to give
full rein to his startling arabesques.
The tunes contained here are very much
standard Tatum repertoire - having said
which even such favourites of his as "Tea
For Two" are always new and vibrant
in their treatment. His articulation of
each note, no matter how fast the run,
is always crystal clear. There is no feeling
that he dropped on to a phrase by chance
and yet nothing sounds contrived - brilliance
indeed !
Having started this review by stating
that Art Tatum was the product of a certain
era it must be admitted that his music
is timeless and that this issue is a worthy
addition to his discography.
Dick Stafford
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