Limited Edition 2 CD Set / 32 Performances - Post 1945. "Art Tatum was the greatest soloist in Jazz History, regardless of the instrument." - Leonard Feather. "First you speak of Art Tatum, then take a long deep breath, and you speak of the other pianists." - Dizzy Gillespie. "If you put a piano in a room, just a bare piano. Then you get all the finest jazz pianists in the world and let them play in the presence of Art Tatum. Then let Art Tatum play... everyone there will sound like an amateur." -Teddy Wilson. Art Tatum was among the most extraordinary of all jazz musicians, a pianist with wondrous technique who could not only play ridiculously rapid lines with both hands (his 1933 solo version of "Tiger Rag" sounds as if there were three pianists jamming together) but was harmonically 30 years ahead of his time; all pianists have to deal to a certain extent with Tatum's innovations in order to be taken seriously. Able to play stride, swing, and boogie-woogie with speed and complexity that could only previously be imagined, Tatum's quick reflexes and boundless imagination kept his improvisations filled with fresh (and sometimes futuristic) ideas that put him way ahead of his contemporaries. This collection of post 1945 performances is culled from unreleased studio sessions, Radio & Television appearance and private home recordings.

There can be no argument among music aficionados around the world - Art Tatum was a bona fide genius when it came to jazz. Legally blind from birth but born to set the world alight, Tatum spent his life mastering the piano and proving his talent at every possible occasion. In this collection of rare performances, Art's crazy skills and 'Crazy Rhythm' are on full display with tracks including 'Fine and Dandy', 'Day in Day Out' and 'All God's Children Got Rhythm'.

Three CDs. Jewels in the Treasure Box: The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings is a previously unissued collection of recordings from jazz icon and virtuosic pianist, Art Tatum, captured live at the Blue Note jazz club in Chicago in March of 1953 with guitarist Everett Barksdale and bassist Slam Stewart. These recordings were transferred from the original tape reels and mastered for LP and CD by engineer Matthew Lutthans (who also worked on Resonance's Grammy-nominated 2019 Nat King Cole release Hittin' the Ramp). Containing a whopping nearly 3 hours of never-before-heard Art Tatum captured in an intimate setting at the height of his powers with his longtime trio.

Restock inventory available. Jewels in the Treasure Box: The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings is a previously unissued 3-LP collection of recordings from jazz icon and virtuosic pianist, Art Tatum, captured live at the Blue Note jazz club in Chicago in March of 1953 with guitarist Everett Barksdale and bassist Slam Stewart. These recordings were transferred from the original tape reels and mastered for LP and CD by engineer Matthew Lutthans (who also worked on Resonance's Grammy-nominated 2019 Nat King Cole release Hittin' the Ramp). Containing a whopping nearly 3 hours of never-before-heard Art Tatum captured in an intimate setting at the height of his powers with his longtime trio, the deluxe, limited-edition 180-gram 3-LP gatefold set (and 3-CD set) includes rare photos and memorabilia from Herman Leonard, Bob Parent and the Holzfeind family archives (owners of the Blue Note jazz club in Chicago); plus liner notes from Columbia University professor and author, Brent Hayes Edwards; as well as statements from Ahmad Jamal, Sonny Rollins, Monty Alexander, ELEW, Spike Wilner, Johnny O'Neal, Michael Weiss and Terry Gibbs. Limited Edition.

Of all the pianists in the annals of jazz, Art Tatum is the one who is most often cited by the great pianists of the post-war era as a key influence and inspiration, his remarkable speed, dexterity, fluency and sheer relaxed mastery of the keyboard in his prolific interpretations of the standards from the Great American Songbook setting him apart from just about all of his peers. Developing his skill despite his blindness, he astounded observers, who marvelled at his technique, often saying that he sounded like two people playing. This great-value 93-track 4-CD set comprises a significant proportion of his recordings from his studio debut in 1932 through to 1947 - at that point he began recording for Capitol, and after that had a second substantial career phase recording for Norman Granz's labels during the '50s. It primarily features solo recordings on the Brunswick, Decca, Asch and ARA labels as well as V-Disc recordings, plus trio and small band recordings for those labels as well as Comet, and recordings with the Barney Bigard Sextet for Black & White and other bonus offerings. It does not purport to be a complete or definitive cross-section of this first significant era of his career, but it's certainly a substantial and representative showcase for one of the great piano stylists of the genre.

On the eve of his centenary, the pianist/composer Cy Walter is commemorated with the 2 CD retrospective collection 'Sublimities' that honors his remarkable career and talents. Volume 1 focuses on rare recordings, radio appearances and solo performances remastered from original '78s of this dean of cocktail piano players. Considered one of the premier interpreters of the Great American Songbook, Walter considered himself a "stylist of show tunes" and the first volume presents a rare ringside seat to the many classic performances of Walters' early career. Bringing deserved attention to Walters' near 40 year career, the collection includes a 24 page booklet with essays by contemporary pianists and music historians including Michael Feinstein, Peter Mintun, Maggie Perrin, Richard Behrens, and more.

On the eve of his centenary, the pianist/composer Cy Walter's 2 CD retrospective commemoration continues with Volume 2 celebrating his remarkable career and talents focusing on Walter as accompanist and composer. Considered one of the premier interpreters of the Great American Songbook, Walter considered himself a "stylist of show tunes" and this second volume presents another rare collection of classic song performances with a staggering roster of guest performers attesting to the respect Walters' held among his peers including Hoagy Carmichael, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Mabel Mercer, Benny Goodman, Art Tatum, and more, Sublimities brings deserved attention to Walters' near 40 year career. With a 24 page booklet with essays by contemporary pianists and music historians including Michael Feinstein, Peter Mintun, Maggie Perrin, Richard Behrens, and more.

The life of jazz is in it's playing-in unrehearsed sessions in front of audiences or microphones, ears corporeal or mechanical that gauge the passing of time not by hands on a watch but by the birth and development of new musical ideas. Footnotes to Jazz, Volume 2 captures this process in a set of previously unreleased rehearsals by the Art Tatum Trio in 1944.

Featuring: Art Tatum Trio, Art Tatum, pno, Tiny Grimes, gtr, Slam Stewart, bs, Herman Chittison Trio, Herman Chittison, pno, James Chirley, gtr, Cedric Wallace, bass, 1944. Track Listing: Deep Purple, Anything for You, Liza, Tea for Two, Honeysuckle Rose, Moonglow, I Got Rhythm, Cocktails for Two, I Ain't Got Nobody, After You've Gone, How High the Moon, Just One of Those Things, Schubert's Serenade, As Time Goes By, Frasquita Serenade, My Old Flame, Lover, Persian Rug, the Song Is Ended, 53:32.

Art Tatum-Improvisations is a clever and completely appropriate bit of artist and repertoire marketing. Art Tatum (1909-1956) possessed perhaps the most complete and thorough knowledge of the Great American Songbook (and traditional classical music) and the most commanding piano technique of any American jazz artist. Anecdotal stories of his near-supernatural playing abound. With Art Tatum-Improvisations, the focus is not on the artist's original compositions, but his interpretations of other's compositions. This approach correctly casts improvisation as composition in real time, giving improvisation equal billing with composition.