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| Verve really "blew the budget" on this cover. |
The title 'Art Tatum, 20th Century Piano Genius' is accurate, and also an understatement.
This is a 2CD set is Art Tatum playing mostly standards live at two different Hollywood parties thrown by composer and songwriter Ray Heindorf on April 16, 1950, and on July 3, 1955. It's believed that the 1955 party was to celebrate wrap up of shooting Jack Webb's film, 'Pete Kelly's Blues'.
Since these are party recordings, you will hear some tape imperfections, such as Art Tatum’s rings on the keyboard, and the clinking of glasses along with the laughter of party guests. But that’s what makes these recordings special—everyone is happy and relaxed, including Art. There’s no studio pressure here; it’s a laid-back, party atmosphere where everyone, including the only performer, is clearly having a great time. A few tunes, such as "Sweet Loraine" and "Body and Soul", were repeated five years apart. Rather than being repetitive, a listen reveals the fluidity of Tatum’s genius.
Art’s technique and profound understanding of music set him apart from other musicians across all genres. In his unique style, he meticulously dissected familiar titles, transforming them into his own original compositions. By reconstructing these tunes with innovative chord progressions and rhythms, he breathed new life into classic standards, giving them a fresh and almost novel sound.
For the freeload pick an (as in one) artist you feel is a musical genius, and say a few words about them.
Milton Nascimento. The voice of god and somehow managed to get an album censored by the military dictatorship and another banned by the catholic church.
ReplyDeleteGreat pick!
DeletePoor man is also reportedly deep in the grips of dementia. What a life he has lived.
DeleteRahsaan Roland Kirk continues to be the single most riveting artist I have encountered in a lifetime absorbed by music. His musical vocabulary was immense, only matched by the ferocity of his performances and his mastery of innumerable. instruments. But he was far more than simply a jazz musician and composer. One night at Howard Rumsey's Concerts by the Sea in Redondo Beach, California, for his final set he tore into "The Old Rugged Cross." And for the next hour, Black spiritual music. poured out of him in a way I had never seen before. At one point, holding a single note with his circular breathing technique, he offered an outstretched hand to be grasped by the audience. I took my turn, going up to the bandstand and when my hand touched his, it was electric. Yeah, I know, it sounds woo-woo, but there it is. I also have a recurring dream in which I'm in a building, an elevator door opens, and there's Rahsaan. Without saying anything, he tips his skull toward me, and I find myself peering into a void. Then I wake up. I continue to ponder that dream and somehow try to live up to it., curious to see where it might take me.
ReplyDeletepmac & apauling have set the bar high, as it should be for genius. And I'm not 100% sure what the word means (non-musically my mother and one of my little brothers are my standards...)...and one makes it tough. Given what's already repped, ima say Prince
ReplyDeleteI'm always cautious about the genius label, especially when it comes to music. No one (I think) has that quality right out of the box, but with a combination of "dues-paying", innate talent, and a willingness to allow conception to drive technique, it can be earned. I'll throw in Julius Hemphill as an example.
ReplyDeleteJulius Hemphill for sure!
Delete~ Jon
Me. But I'm too modest to elaborate...
ReplyDeleteAllow me! Famed internet commenter notBob penned his first symphony at the tender age of two, already enrolled in the prestigious Acme Accordion Correspondence School. In a bold move, he went straight to his Third Symphony, bypassing that "difficult" Second Symphony entirely. His first operatic work, Cap'n Crunch And The Big Dinosaur, was premiered at Mrs. Mungo's Kiddy Center And Carwash, Crab Gulch AK, and was received rapturously by his mother and other relatives present at the glittering soirée. Unfortunately, the pressures of success took their toll and notBob was forced into early retirement at the tender age of five, leaving a legacy that is treasured by music lovers even today.
DeleteA true story! I was forced to interrupt my compositional career at age 6, as the rigors of first grade were too much to handle.
DeleteIn a word: Bird.
ReplyDeleteFor me, learning Algebraic Geometry, Abstract Algebra and Functional Analysis was the proverbial "piece of cake" compared to learning the language of and execution of Bebop.
inarguable (that oughta get an argument going).
DeleteNot going to get one from me, and according to my wife, I live to argue.
Delete"No I don't!"
Delete"Yes you do!"
DeleteDon't make me get up offa this couch...
DeleteJohn Lurie
ReplyDeleteHis unique saxophone phrasing and idiosyncratic guitar playing I can listen to all day. Also, he doesn't sound like anyone else.
He is also just a hilarious person...check out his art books and his autobiography "The History of Bones"
I'm not sure I've ever laughed harder than when I listened to his 2014 live experimental internet radio show/podcast titled VICE After Dark with John Lurie.
One of my favourite song titles of his from the 1993 album "Men With Sticks":
"If I fall asleep the plane will crash"
I met him once before a show, kind of an intimidating experience 'cause he kinda growls when he speaks...
~ Jon
Django.
ReplyDeleteLink
ReplyDeletehttps://workupload.com/file/8DS7nZ34nLK
Agree with Bird! Louis Armstrong. Thanks Babs
ReplyDeleteI can't argue with Louis.
DeleteProbably the closest to genius I can think of in the pop/ rock music space is Brian WIlson and besides that possibly David Bowie and Pete Townshend and before that Chuck Berry, that is, if you don't believe he heard ' that sound' first through hearing Michael J Fox.....
ReplyDeleteDuke Ellington.
ReplyDeleteComposer, pianist, arranger, band leader, and the personification of charm throughout a 50 year career.
BTW, my mother told me about seeing Art Tatum playing in a cocktail lounge in Reno during the war. She said she was thoroughly annoyed by all the heathens chattering away obliviously while he played.
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