Critic's Review
Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
According to legend, Art Tatum recorded a series of piano solos in the home of pianist Buddy Cole on state-of-the-art equipment for Cole's enjoyment, though the location of these dates has never been conclusively verified. Left to his own devices, with a superb, well-tuned piano and minus the noisy distractions he found in nightclubs, Tatum rolls out one gem after another. Fans will delight in his playful romp through "Sittin' and Rockin'," while the pianist can be heard humming quietly along during his inventive take of "You're Driving Me Crazy." Chime-like chords introduce Tatum's showstopping rendition of "Over the Rainbow," while "Night and Day" is filled with lots of the breathtaking runs that dazzled audiences (and other pianists) throughout his career. The sound quality exceeds Tatum's commercial recordings of the period (though he wasn't recording very much at the time). True Art Tatum fanatics will want to acquire this music, but the Storyville CD Complete Jazz Chronicle: Solo Sessions + is a better investment, as it adds eight alternate takes from these sessions, plus a previously unissued 1955 recording made in New York for Radio Sweden.
