Art Tatum Live 1951 Vol. 5

This 72 minute (21 tunes) live CD was recorded at the newly-opened Embers Club in N.Y.C. in 1951. The first four tunes are trio numbers with Everett Barksdale on guitar and Slam Stewart on bass; the rest are solo piano. Pianist Art Tatum is a true, unique genius of jazz; his lightening speed, his dynamics, nuances and complex ideas on the keyboard have never been equaled. The repertoire consists mostly of "crowd pleasers", including compositions by Duke Ellington, the Gershwin Brothers, Benny Goodman, Rogers and Hart, Harold Arlen and of course Art Tatum's mentor, Fats Waller. In spite of the noisy audience on these live sessions, Tatum succeeds in showing the audience – and CD listener – why he deserves his staus at the father of all jazz pianists. While Tatum plays mostly tunes – and quotes of tunes – that the live audience recognizes, it doesn't diminish the quality of his playing. These never-before-released live sessions include an interesting three-minute interview with jazz journalist Leonard Feather.