Tatum, Art

Arthur “Art” Tatum, Jr. was an American jazz pianist and virtuoso who played with phenomenal facility despite being nearly blind since birth.
Tatum is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time and he was a major influence on later generations of jazz pianists. He was noted for the complexity and speed of his performances, which set a new standard for jazz piano virtuosity. Critic Scott Yanow wrote, “Tatum’s quick reflexes and boundless imagination kept his improvisations filled with fresh (and sometimes futuristic) ideas that put him way ahead of his contemporaries … Art Tatum’s recordings still have the ability to scare modern pianists.”