This portion of the Art Tatum chronology consists entirely of piano solos. Eight sides recorded for the ARA label in May of 1945 demonstrate Tatum's amazing technique and ever-expanding repertoire. From 1945 until his early passing in 1956, the pianist would gradually expand his use of wild runs,... [+] Expand

This portion of the Art Tatum chronology consists entirely of piano solos. Eight sides recorded for the ARA label in May of 1945 demonstrate Tatum's amazing technique and ever-expanding repertoire. From 1945 until his early passing in 1956, the pianist would gradually expand his use of wild runs, glissandos, and arpeggios. Those tendencies are clearly audible in the recordings included on this compilation. Most of the V-Disc performances heard here are between three and a half and four minutes' duration -- the "Gershwin Medley" runs nearly four and a half minutes. This allowed the pianist to stretch out and improvise more freely than he had been able to when operating within the confines of the three-minute record. Four Victor recordings from January 1947 conclude this fascinating chapter in the life and works of Art Tatum. ~ arwulf arwulf, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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