Search - Art Tatum :: Live 1934-1944 1

Tatum Rarities

B. D. Tutt | London, UK. | 09/20/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This 73 minute CD is the first of what promises to be an eight volume set which collects together the available radio broadcasts and previously unreleased recordings made by jazz piano giant Art Tatum. The first five tracks date from a 1934 radio broadcast and show Tatum at the height of his early period virtuosity - there is a youthful exuberance in the cascades of arpeggios and breakneck tempos, the keyboard athleticism taking priority over musical content at times. "Young and Healthy" and "Chinatown" demonstrates Tatum's version of stride piano, while "Stardust" hints at the more subtle style to emerge later in the 1930s.Tracks 6 - 8 are from 1938-39 Standard transcription recordings, and reveal a more mature and controlled artistry. The remaining tracks date from 1943-44 and feature either the Tatum / Grimes / Stewart trio or Tatum with the Les Paul trio (with the exception of extended readings of "Humoresque" and "It Had to Be You" which are solos). Most are drawn from US Armed Forces Radio Service broadcasts.The sound quality is variable, which is hardly surprising given the rarity of much of this material, but is perfectly acceptable to anyone used to hearing performances from this era. There are useful sleeve notes by Tatum expert Arnold Laubich.This would not be a first choice CD for newcomers to Tatum. However, for those who cherish his Brunswick, Decca, Standard, Capitol and "Solo Masterpieces" recordings, this disc is an important release of fascinating Tatum obscurities."