Art Tatum
Those who were closest to Art Tatum during his life shared one
secret with the great jazz pianist--the knowledge that he played
best in the "After Hours" before friends and fellow
musicians at informal get-togethers. "Not just anyone could
get to hear Tatum at his best," wrote Orrin Keepnews in The
Jazz Makers. "It is generally accepted ... that his most
formidable playing was displayed only in circumstances and before
audiences largely of his own choosing. After hours a man played
strictly as he pleased (when you're not being paid for your services,
there are, after all, certain privileges you can expect). He played
as long and as late as he pleased ... And the after-hours that
Tatum really came to life."
This is the way it was on that evening in Hollywood in 1956 at
a private house party where Tatum was present as a guest. As the
evening wore on, and after several other guests had performed
informally, Tatum was asked if he would like to play. Art was
obviously feeling relaxed and ready to play, for when he was not
ready or felt that he was being pushed he could be extremely unaccommodating
when such a request was made. But on this night he sat down willingly
at the piano and played for hours with obvious relish and pleasure.
Here was Tatum playing for a group of friends, playing whatever
he pleased, playing as long as he pleased--this was the completely
spontaneous, untrammeled, magnificently creative Tatum who could
never be caught in a recording studio.
He sat at the piano that night swinging through his enormous repertoire
of tunes, reaching back to songs he had recorded early in his
career, adding new dimensions to others which remained an active
part of his programming throughout his life. His playing, with
its richly elaborate fill-ins, its sweeping runs it's changes
of tempo and key and its constant intensely swinging rhythm, made
him as his protege, Dr. Billy Taylor, has
said, "a whole band, complete in himself".
Tatum's creative genius was at white heat as he played through
that California evening. We know that this was so because the
host, a musical director at one of the Hollywood studios, had
almost as much recording equipment at home as he had at the studio.
And, unknown to Tatum, his host made a superb high fidelity tape
of the entire performance. Afterwards he told Tatum what he had
done and asked if the pianist had any objections. Tatum, flushed
with the pleasures of his playing, said that he didn't mind at
all.
The above paragraphs are from liner notes of an Lp set now
available on a Verve CD.
Anything can be ordered by email by clicking here
All of the midi selections have been abbreviated (samples) on the server.
Approximately twenty measures of each. Most of the Mp3 selections
are complete.
mp3 At Sundown
(Piano Solo) my synths
mp3 At Sundown
(midi orchestrated) my synths
mp3 Aunt Hagar's Blues
(Piano Solo Version 1) my synths
mp3 Blue Moon (Piano Solo) my synths
mp3 Blue Skies (Piano Solo) my synths
mp3 Blues In Bb (Piano Solo) my synths
midi Body And Soul
version one (1 Chorus)
mp3 Body And Soul
version one (1 Chorus) my synths
midi Body And Soul (complete
Version II)
mp3 Body And Soul
(complete Version II) my synths
midi Caravan (Piano Solo)
mp3 Caravan (Piano Solo)
midi Cherokee (Piano Solo)
mp3 Cherokee (Piano Solo)
my synths
mp3 China Boy (Piano Solo) my synths
midi Emaline
(Piano Solo) Transcribed By Nigel Moxom
mp3 Emaline
(Piano Solo) Transcribed By Nigel Moxom
my synths
mp3 Fine And Dandy
(orchestrated) my synths
midi Hot Lips (Piano Solo)
mp3 Hot Lips
(Piano Solo)
my synths
mp3 Humoresque (Piano Solo) my synths
midi I Got It Bad And That Aint Good (Piano Solo)
mp3 I Got It Bad And That Aint Good (Piano Solo) my synths
mp3 I Got Rhythm (Piano Solo) my synths
mp3 If I Had You (Piano Solo) my synths
midi Back Home Again In Indiana
(Piano Solo)
mp3 Back Home Again In Indiana
(Piano Solo) my synths
mp3 Back Home Again In Indiana
(midi orchestrated) my synths
One of my first attempts to add a bass, some strings and other parts as background to an Art Tatum solo.
midi Jada (Piano Solo)
mp3 Jada (Piano Solo)
my synths
mp3 Just You, Just Me
(midi orchestrated using my synths)
I very sparingly added midi strings, bass, cello and percussion to the piano solo.
mp3 Live Jive (Piano Solo) my synths
midi Moonglow Short Version (Piano Solo)
midi Moonglow Long Version (Piano Solo)
mp3 Moonglow Long Version (Piano Solo) my synths
mp3 Night Scene (Piano Solo)
my synths
mp3 Over The Rainbow (Piano Solo) 1 Chorus
my synths
mp3 Pagan Love Song
(midi orchestrated background) Piano + strings ..
mp3 Runnin' Wild
(Piano Solo) my synths
midi Should I (Solo Piano)
mp3 Should I
(Solo Piano) my synths
Note"Someone To Watch Over Me" is only a sample. I'll send it free of charge with any order."
midi Stardust (Piano Solo) snip
mp3 Stardust (Piano Solo) snip
coming soon
mp3
Stormy Weather (Nigel Moxom's Score) my synths
midi Stormy Weather Version
II (Piano Solo)
mp3 Stormy Weather Version
II (Piano Solo) my synths
midi Sunday (Piano Solo)
mp3 Sunday (Piano Solo) my synths
So far as I know this was never published.
mp3 Swanee River
(piano solo) using my synths
mp3 Swanee River
midi orchestrated and recorded using my synths
mp3 Sweet & Lovely
midi orchestrated using my synths
mp3 Sweet Lorraine Version
1 (Piano Solo) my synths
mp3 Sweet Lorraine Version
1 (midi orchestrated) my synths
mp3 Sweet Lorraine Version
2 (Piano Solo) my synths
mp3 Sweet Lorraine Version
2 my synths
midi orchestrated with a string background
mp3 Sweet Lorraine Version
3 (Piano Solo) my synths
mp3 Tea For Two (Piano Solo) my synths
midi Tenderly
(Piano Solo)
mp3 Tenderly
(Piano Solo) my synths
mp3 The Man I Love Version I (Piano Solo) my synths
midi The Man I Love Version II (Piano Solo)
mp3 The Man I Love Version II (Piano Solo) my synths
mp3 Tiger Rag
(Piano Solo) my synths
mp3 Wabash Blues
(Piano Solo) my synths
mp3 Wabash Blues
(midi orchestrated) my synths
midi What Can I Say Dear After I Say I'm Sorry? (Piano Solo)
mp3 What Can I Say Dear After I Say I'm Sorry? (Piano Solo) my synths
It may not be common knowledge but this one time I know that Art Tatum
"borrowed" an idea from his student "Billy Taylor." How do I know?
Easy, Billy told me. If you are the least bit curious, give the next mp3
a listen. Pay special attention to the introduction. Then go back and compare it with Art Tatum's intro.
