garymd Posted September 27, 2003 Share Posted September 27, 2003 Looking through some more of my lps that I bought over the past few months and I found this Art Tatum lp called "Art Tatum" of all things. Columbia records Clef Series with cuts recorded between '53 and '56 . It's got a picture of him on the cover in purple. Side 1) This Can't Be Love, All The Things You Are, Trio Blues, Judy, Idaho Side 2) I won't Dance, If, Dixieland Band, Body and Soul, What Is This Thing Called Love It's a British import. I haven't listened yet. Looks brand new although the cover is pretty flimsy. Feels like vinyl. Others on the lp include Benny Carter, Roy Eldridge, Lionel Hampton, Harry Edison, Buddy Rich, Jo Jones, Ben Webster, and more. Allan or Kelly? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audio Flynn Posted September 27, 2003 Share Posted September 27, 2003 Speaking of Lionel Hampton. My daughter played the vibes. If you have some vibes on vinyl and it is not interesting for you; I would make a deal. There is another old vibes guy i cannot remember right now. It was a nasty rough week at work. Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted September 27, 2003 Share Posted September 27, 2003 Sounds like a compilation of some of the Norman Granz Clef recodings--Granz went to unreal lengths to record Tatum in the last few years of his life--about 20 LPs worth of material in solo, trio and group performances. For me Tatum was an acquired taste--all that flashiness and runs at the end of every statment used to get on my nerves when I was a youngster, but now I revere him. I have all of the Graz Tatum recodings on vinyl and listen to quite a few of them regularly. My favoirite is the group LP with Ben Webster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted September 28, 2003 Share Posted September 28, 2003 I agree with Allan's assessment of Art here. I like him but he is not one of the ones I end up listening to, mainly because of the era and a bit of the style. Still, some GREAT stuff. Allan brings up another all-time great with perhaps some of the best tone of any of the sax players. Ben Webster. Between the two of us, I know we can come up with some great recs. He was perhaps one of my Dad's all time favorites and his distinctive breathy quality and soulful ballads were second to none. He spawned many imitators but few with his depth. Man, a Ben Webster ballad is about as good as it gets in many ways. I was just listening to "Chelsea Bridge" with Ben Webster and Gerry Mulligan. This is one of the ALL TIME great recordings. Lo and behold, I happen to have it in MP3 form from a music project my wife did for her students. Ben Webster's tenor and Mulligan's baritone are in just rare form together. I advise any here to give this version of "Chelsea Bridge" a listen. It is one of my FAVORITE recordings of a soulful ballad (MP3 doesnt do it justice but gives you the tune - the actual recording is EXCELLENT). The pace/timing dont come off great via this MP3 dub for some reason. But take my word, it's an epic piece with amazing tone from both Webster and Mulligan - The taste here is extraordinary (from ALL). Please try to listen to all 7 minutes. It's worth it. Crank up the volume a bit to hear. Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster - Hear Chelsea Bridge.MP3 This was recorded in 1959 - Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs recording is excellent - LP even better kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted September 28, 2003 Author Share Posted September 28, 2003 That's definitely on my short list. Great recording, even on my PC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted September 28, 2003 Author Share Posted September 28, 2003 ---------------- On 9/27/2003 11:43:15 PM Allan Songer wrote: Sounds like a compilation of some of the Norman Granz Clef recodings--Granz went to unreal lengths to record Tatum in the last few years of his life--about 20 LPs worth of material in solo, trio and group performances. For me Tatum was an acquired taste--all that flashiness and runs at the end of every statment used to get on my nerves when I was a youngster, but now I revere him. I have all of the Graz Tatum recodings on vinyl and listen to quite a few of them regularly. My favoirite is the group LP with Ben Webster. ---------------- Allan, This must be one of those since it was "supervised by Norman Granz." Also, a 9 paragraph bio of the history of all the recordings is on the back, written by Alun Morgan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnm Posted September 28, 2003 Share Posted September 28, 2003 Thanks Kelly ! That is one lovely recording. I greatly appreciate the effort you are putting into this project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted September 28, 2003 Share Posted September 28, 2003 Thanks. That is an amazing recording. For any that dont have vinyl capability, the Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs master of GERRY MULLIGAN MEETS BEN WEBSTER is very good. It's worth seeking out and you see it pop up every now and then. I am going to throw up some of the better stuff on MP3 as I now have a system and the sonics arent too bad that you cant get a good feel for it. The low level detail/resolution is a little lacking but it still comes across for what it is; a great take on a classic. I love Mulligan and Webster both, but Webster is special. No one like him. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshnich Posted September 28, 2003 Share Posted September 28, 2003 The legend goes, Fats Waller once said at a club where Tatum was in the audience, " ladies and Gentleman, I play the piano but tonight god is in the house" He is indeed a god. In my mind one of the greatest pianists ever. He does not get his due as I dont think many lay people ( non pianists) understand or appreciate what he is doing. Indeed you have to work a little to appreciate all he has to offer. This is not knock on people that do not like or appreciate him, I have just found that people who play tend to place him higher or at the top of their list, than people who do not have as intimate of a relationship with a keyboard josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted September 28, 2003 Share Posted September 28, 2003 Dont get me wrong. I think Art Tatum was an amazing genius with the piano, to use an oft stated cliche. His skill is rivaled by very few (in any genre) and his inventive lines were never really equaled in the jazz world. But I have never been in love with his style particularly, this coming from a lifelong musician (drums, guitar, bass). I always felt Tatum was just too flowery with too many runs, not letting the silence or space between the notes breathe more. There is NO arguing his skill with the instrument, however. And he has AMAZING phrasing, fitting in small fills and runs in places that no one would imagine. In addition, I feel his phrases and shifts in structure are almost unconcious in their delivery, this in a positive way. Still, if I were to hear a piano player with a group, I would side with a Bill Evans' touch over Art. But as amazing as Bill was, I dont think he could pull off the moves that Tatum does with his eyes closed. Yet for some reason, I gravite to the Bill Evans and Red Garlands over the Tatum style. I generally feel the same way about many guitarists and drummers as well, so your statement is slightly misleading. There is huge appreciation for Tatum, and I probably own 20 LPs with Tatum aboard, often highlighted, but my pull remains as stated above. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Songer Posted September 28, 2003 Share Posted September 28, 2003 The only jazz piano player that came close to Tatum for sheer mastery of the keyboard was Phinneas Newborn Jr. Again, jaw-dropping dexterity, but not a player I listen to over and over again and again. I'll take Carl Perkins, Hampton Hawes, Red Garland, Bud Powell . . . But NONE of these guys could do the things Tatum could do--I doubt anyone could. He was truly a god at the keyboard, but the flip-side is that I don't think Tatum could play like Carl Perkins!! No reason to go into "who was better"--all these guys were gods in their own way. I'd rather listen to Perkins but that doesn't take ANYTHING away from Art Tatum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisK Posted September 29, 2003 Share Posted September 29, 2003 The best technical piano player I've ever seen has been Chucho Valdes. Saw him with the BVSC boys 2 years ago and twice as a headliner since then. Every time I've seen him, it sounds as though he can do absolutely anything he wants on a piano. Keep in mind my technical knowlege of piano players ends when I write the check to Fumi, my son's teacher. BTW, it was very surprising to see him walk onstage. He's gotta be 6'5" or more with fingers as long as ET. I've been recommended to give his father, Bebo a listen. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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