Showing posts with label Art Tatum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Art Tatum. Show all posts

Monday, March 15, 2021

Art Tatum, Ben Webster - The Album (Remastered + Bonus Tracks)

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1956/2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:42
Size: 150,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:12) 1. All the Things You Are
(4:45) 2. Gone with The Wind
(4:46) 3. Have You Met Miss Jones?
(5:27) 4. Night and Day
(6:24) 5. Where or When
(7:14) 6. My Ideal
(6:15) 7. My One and Only Love
(6:04) 8. All The Things You Are
(3:04) 9. Gone with The Wind
(4:51) 10. Have You Met Miss Jones?
(3:17) 11. Night and Day
(5:17) 12. Where or When

The only album-length collaboration between pianist Art Tatum and tenor saxophonist Ben Webster (accompanied by a rhythm section of Red Callender, bass, and Bill Douglass, drums) was this September 11, 1956, session under the auspices of Norman Granz's Verve Records label. (It was also Tatum's last recording session before his death.) Granz probably suggested the repertoire of standards by the likes of Kern and Hammerstein, Rodgers & Hart, and Cole Porter, but the melodies, of course, only provide a framework. On each track, Tatum leads things off, with Callender and Douglass coming in discreetly (and low in the mix). Then, at a certain point, Webster appears in the foreground, playing comparatively few notes and sticking much more to the melody than his partner. This is a good approach, since Tatum never subsides to simple comping; he just keeps soloing away under Webster's rich tenor tones until Webster stops playing, and then keeps on to the end. So, although this is billed as a group effort, it's not a group of equals or really one in which the players are cooperating with each other. Tatum might as well be playing solo, since he takes very little account of what's happening around him. Granz makes it work by varying the volume of the different instruments in the mix, and the result is a fascinating study in contrasts.
~ William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/album/art-tatum-ben-webster-quartet-mw0000660477

Personnel: Art Tatum (p), Ben Webster (ts), Red Callender (b), Bill Douglass (d)

The Album

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Art Tatum - God Is In The House

Styles: Vocal, Piano Jazz
Year: 1973
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:42
Size: 108,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:21)  1. Georgia on My Mind
(1:44)  2. Beautiful Love
(1:05)  3. Laughing at Life
(3:07)  4. Sweet Lorraine
(4:10)  5. Fine and Dandy
(3:56)  6. Begin the Beguine
(3:37)  7. Mighty Lak a Rose
(4:05)  8. Knockin' Myself Out
(3:36)  9. Toledo Blues
(3:34) 10. Body and Soul
(3:30) 11. There'll Be Some Changes Made
(4:33) 12. Lady Be Good
(7:18) 13. Sweet Georgia Brown

Originally released in 1973, God Is in the House features live performances from the Jerry Newman collection of acetate discs and are fortunately in better technical quality than most of the music from Newman's archives. The remarkable Art Tatum is heard playing three brief, unaccompanied piano solos in 1940, three other numbers in which he is accompanied by Reuben Harris (beating out some quiet rhythms with whiskbrooms on a suitcase), and four duets with bassist-vocalist Chocolate Williams; Tatum has a brief vocal on "Knockin' Myself Out" and a more extensive one on "Toledo Blues," the only times he ever sang on record. In addition, Tatum and Williams back Ollie Potter (a pretty good if completely unknown singer) on "There'll Be Some Changes Made." Best of all are a pair of exciting trio numbers ("Lady Be Good" and a very memorable "Sweet Georgia Brown") in which Tatum stretches out with bassist Ebenezer Paul and the great, underrated trumpeter Frankie Newton. It is fascinating to hear Newton's playing on "Sweet Georgia Brown," which is fairly simple and calm, while Tatum sounds like a volcano behind him. Highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/god-is-in-the-house-mw0000601802

Personnel:  Art Tatum – piano, vocals; Reuben Harris – percussion; Chocolate Williams – bass, vocals; Ollie Potter – vocals; Frankie Newton – trumpet; Ebenezer Paul – bass

God Is In The House

Friday, April 13, 2018

Art Tatum - The Best Of The Pablo Group Masterpieces (Remastered)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:57
Size: 160.1 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2003/2006
Art: Front

[5:03] 1. Perdido
[7:07] 2. Memories Of You
[3:34] 3. You Took Advantage Of Me
[7:12] 4. All The Things You Are
[5:22] 5. Body And Soul
[6:13] 6. Under A Blanket Of Blue
[4:11] 7. The Moon Is Low
[7:11] 8. Just One Of Those Things
[3:49] 9. Street Of Dreams
[7:11] 10. Somebody Loves Me
[7:14] 11. My Ideal
[5:45] 12. Deep Night

Alto Saxophone – Benny Carter (tracks: 6, 9); Bass – John Simmons (tracks: 3, 7), Red Callender (tracks: 2, 4, 8, 11, 12); Drums – Alvin Stoller (tracks: 3, 7), Bill Douglass (2) (tracks: 2, 4, 11, 12), Buddy Rich (tracks: 1, 5, 10), Jo Jones (tracks: 8), Louis Bellson (tracks: 6, 9); Guitar – Barney Kessel (tracks: 10); Piano – Art Tatum; Tenor Saxophone – Ben Webster (tracks: 4, 11); Trumpet – Harry "Sweets" Edison (tracks: 10), Roy Eldridge (tracks: 3, 7); Vibraphone [Vibes] – Lionel Hampton (tracks: 1, 5, 10).

A rich and rewarding core sample, selected from one of Norman Granz's deepest gold mines. The full set of Tatum ensemble master takes was released on eight vinyl records in 1975, appearing with alternate takes as a box of seven compact discs in 1990. Since then, each separate session has been issued on a single, affordable CD. With the release of this best-of, the only remaining untried reissue format stratagem could almost be conducted according to the laws of chance. If someone were to divide up the existing 59 master takes (saving the alternate takes for a "Best of the Tatum Alternates" compilation), the entire body of work could be issued as a numbered best-of series, the titles carefully shuffled at random. But each volume would possibly still omit something that could be considered essential. This is the insoluble problem with anything calling itself a best-of. Fortunately, the Tatum group recordings produced by Norman Granz during the years 1954, 1955, and 1956 actually deserve the word "masterpieces." While Tatum himself is honored as one of the very most gifted and influential of all jazz musicians, without exception every musician who participated in these sessions was adept, inspired, and, in many cases, masterful. (There are those who would suggest that the Art Tatum/Ben Webster date could stand by itself as the best of the group masterpieces.) Here, for once, is a package worthy of its title. A bit of the best of some of the very best jazz ever recorded. ~arwulf arwulf

The Best Of The Pablo Group Masterpieces (Remastered) mc
The Best Of The Pablo Group Masterpieces (Remastered) zippy

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Various - The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (3-Disc Set)

This is not and cannot be the Complete Cole Porter Songbooks, but it's a marvelous collection of 48 timeless jazz interpretations drawn from the Verve catalog. Recorded between 1951 and 1988, these standards, ballads and show tunes are rendered by some 15 vocalists, many of whom appear twice, and about 13 instrumental groups. In addition to the usual suspects (Ella, Louis, Sarah, Dinah, and Lady Day) there are fine performances by Abbey Lincoln, Anita O'Day, Billy Eckstine, Mel Tormé, Blossom Dearie, Shirley Horn, Betty Carter, Helen Merrill, Morgana King and Fred Astaire. The instrumentalists -- and this is most fulfilling because Cole Porter's music is an essential strand in the DNA of swing, bop, and mainstream jazz -- include Ben Webster, Sonny Stitt, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Clifford Brown, Stan Getz, Al Cohn, Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Bud Powell, Bill Evans, Tal Farlow, and Jim Hall. That makes this a portable jazz library of considerable potency, pungency and depth. Also quite valuable as a tool for learning and appreciating some of Porter's very best songs. First prize for both artistic magnitude and friendly intimacy goes to Louis Armstrong and Oscar Peterson for their fabulously relaxed, nearly nine-minute rendition of "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love." ~arwulf arwulf

Album: The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:04
Size: 153.6 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Jazz
Year: 1990

[5:26] 1. Dinah Washington - I've Got You Under My Skin
[3:50] 2. Shirley Horn - Love For Sale
[8:41] 3. Louis Armstrong - Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)
[3:20] 4. Ella Fitzgerald - Anything Goes
[2:54] 5. Mel Tormé - What Is This Thing Called Love
[4:17] 6. Helen Merrill - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[2:27] 7. Oscar Peterson Trio - At Long Last Love
[1:57] 8. Anita O'day - I Love You
[4:01] 9. Louis Armstrong - Just One Of Those Things
[2:42] 10. Sarah Vaughan - It's De-Lovely
[2:48] 11. The Russell Garcia Orchestra - Always True To You In My Fashion
[2:42] 12. Fred Astaire - I Concentrate On You
[6:17] 13. Dinah Washington - I Get A Kick Out Of You
[3:47] 14. Billy Eckstine - In The Still Of The Night
[2:59] 15. Billie Holiday - Easy To Love
[3:03] 16. Ella Fitzgerald - Night And Day
[5:47] 17. Betty Carter - Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Disc 1)

Album: The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:41
Size: 127.5 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Jazz
Year: 1990

[4:16] 1. Louis Armstrong - I Get A Kick Out Of You
[2:52] 2. Anita O'day - My Heart Belongs To Daddy
[3:10] 3. Ella Fitzgerald - I've Got You Under My Skin
[3:02] 4. Helen Merrill - How's The World Treating You
[4:23] 5. Dinah Washington - So In Love
[2:44] 6. Mel Tormé - Too Darn Hot
[2:29] 7. Sarah Vaughan - Just One Of Those Things
[2:49] 8. Shirley Horn - Get Out Of Town
[2:55] 9. Billie Holiday - Love For Sale
[3:09] 10. Anita O'day - From This Moment On
[4:56] 11. Fred Astaire - Night And Day
[2:37] 12. Blossom Dearie - Give Him The Ooh-La-La
[3:14] 13. Morgana King - Ev'rything I Love
[3:53] 14. Ella Fitzgerald - Miss Otis Regrets
[3:29] 15. Helen Merrill - All Of You
[2:29] 16. Louis Armstrong - You're The Top
[3:04] 17. Betty Carter - Most Gentlemen Don't Like Love

The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Disc 2)

Album: The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Disc 3)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:08
Size: 146.8 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Jazz
Year: 1990
Art: Front

[2:35] 1. Charlie Parker - What Is This Thing Called Love
[4:57] 2. Al Cohn - Love For Sale
[2:53] 3. Art Tatum - Begin The Beguine
[5:58] 4. Dizzy Gillespie - My Heart Belongs To Daddy
[4:49] 5. Max Roach Sextet - Get Out Of Town
[4:43] 6. Sonny Stitt - Easy To Love
[7:36] 7. Max Roach Quintet - I Get A Kick Out Of You
[6:44] 8. Stan Getz - Night And Day
[3:48] 9. Bud Powell - Just One Of Those Things
[4:15] 10. Coleman Hawkins - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[5:08] 11. Tal Farlow Trio - Anything Goes
[2:35] 12. All Star Big Band - I Love You
[3:21] 13. Jim Hall - I've Got You Under My Skin
[4:41] 14. Max Roach Sextet - I Concentrate On You

The Complete Cole Porter Songbooks (Disc 3)

Sunday, December 4, 2016

Art Tatum - The Tatum Group Masterpieces, Vol. 8

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:15
Size: 132,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:48)  1. Gone With The Wind
(7:15)  2. All The Things You Are
(4:49)  3. Have You Met Miss Jones?
(6:15)  4. My One And Only Love
(5:31)  5. Night And Day
(7:18)  6. My Ideal
(6:28)  7. Where Or When
(4:53)  8. Gone With The Wind [alternate take 1]
(4:51)  9. Gone With The Wind [alternate take 2]
(5:02) 10. Have You Met Miss Jones? [alternate take]

The final volume in this very worthy series is a comparatively relaxed affair, a quartet set with tenor-saxophonist Ben Webster. Webster lets Tatum fill the background with an infinite number of notes while emphasizing his warm tenor tone in the forefront on a variety of melodic ballads and standards. The combination works very well. 
~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-tatum-group-masterpieces-vol-8-mw0000614266

Personnel: Art Tatum (piano); Ben Webster (tenor saxophone); Red Callender (bass); Bill Douglass (drums).

The Tatum Group Masterpieces Vol. 8

Saturday, October 1, 2016

Art Tatum - The Complete Capitol Recordings Of Art Tatum (2-Disc Set)

Previously released as two separate volumes, The Complete Capitol Recordings of Art Tatum is a two-disc collection that presents everything the pianist recorded for Capitol Records in chronlogical order. There's 20 solo sides from 1949 and a 1952 session with a trio of guitarist Everett Barksdale and bassist Slam Stewart. Throughout the collection, Tatum sounds wonderful -- he was a rare player that was extremely technically advanced and also very lyrical. For any Tatum fan, this set is a necessity. ~Leo Stanley

Album: The Complete Capitol Recordings Of Art Tatum (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:12
Size: 101.2 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1997

[2:52] 1. Willow Weep For Me
[2:30] 2. I Cover The Waterfront
[2:43] 3. Aunt Hagar's Blues
[2:45] 4. Nice Work If You Can Get It
[2:48] 5. Someone To Watch Over Me
[2:47] 6. Dardanella
[3:05] 7. Time On My Hands (You In My Arms)
[2:36] 8. Sweet Lorraine
[2:44] 9. Somebody Loves Me
[2:52] 10. Don't Blame Me
[5:18] 11. My Heart Stood Still
[3:11] 12. You Took Advantage Of Me
[2:53] 13. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
[3:00] 14. How High The Moon
[2:01] 15. Promotional Interview With Art Tatum, Paul Weston And You

The Complete Capitol Recordings Of Art Tatum (Disc 1)

Album: The Complete Capitol Recordings Of Art Tatum (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:57
Size: 100.6 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[2:41] 1. Makin' Whoopee
[3:07] 2. Goin' Home
[2:49] 3. Blue Skies
[3:17] 4. It's The Talk Of The Town
[2:55] 5. Dancing In The Dark
[3:06] 6. Tenderly
[3:18] 7. September Song
[3:19] 8. Melody In F, Opus 3, No. 1
[3:07] 9. Tea For Two
[2:46] 10. Out Of Nowhere
[3:15] 11. Just One Of Those Things
[3:27] 12. Indiana (Back Home Again In Indiana)
[3:34] 13. Would You Like To Take A Little Walk
[3:10] 14. Lover

The Complete Capitol Recordings Of Art Tatum (Disc 2)

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Art Tatum - In Private

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:57
Size: 77.8 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2004/2010
Art: Front

[2:58] 1. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)
[2:44] 2. Sittin' And A-Rockin'
[2:22] 3. You're Driving Me Crazy
[3:00] 4. Tenderly
[3:26] 5. Over The Rainbow
[3:18] 6. In A Sentimental Mood
[2:57] 7. You Took Advantage Of Me
[3:25] 8. It's The Talk Of The Town
[2:55] 9. She's Funny That Way
[3:21] 10. I'll Never Be The Same
[3:27] 11. Night And Day

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. ~Ken Dryden

In Private

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Art Tatum - Solos (1940)

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:16
Size: 104,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:16)  1. Elegie
(3:05)  2. Humoresque
(3:01)  3. Sweet Lorraine
(2:45)  4. Get Happy
(3:06)  5. Lullaby Of The Leaves
(2:15)  6. Tiger Rag
(2:59)  7. Sweet Emalina, My Gal (Take A)
(2:52)  8. Sweet Emalina, My Gal (Take B)
(2:21)  9. Emaline
(3:00) 10. Moonglow
(2:43) 11. Love Me
(2:50) 12. Cocktails For Two
(2:31) 13. St. Louis Blues
(2:42) 14. Begin The Beguine
(2:49) 15. Rosetta
(2:53) 16. (Back Home Again In) Indiana

MCA's short-lived Decca cd-reissue program put out this gem, all of Tatum's piano solos from 1940, including two versions of the previously unknown "Sweet Emalina, My Gal." Some of the routines on these standards were a bit familiar by now (this "Tiger Rag" pales next to his 1933 version) but are no less exciting and still sound seemingly impossible to play.~Scott Yanow 
http://www.allmusic.com/album/solos-1940-mw0000203005

Solos (1940)

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Art Tatum & Buddy DeFranco - The Art Tatum-Buddy DeFranco Quartet

Styles: Piano And Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:52
Size: 165,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:49)  1. Deep Night
(4:40)  2. This Can't Be Love
(7:12)  3. Memories Of You
(5:15)  4. Once In A While
(3:26)  5. A Foggy Day
(3:36)  6. Makin' Whoopee
(7:03)  7. You're Mine You
(6:40)  8. Lover Man
(5:52)  9. Deep Night [alt. take] (bonus track)
(4:31) 10. This Can't Be Love [alt. take] (bonus track)
(5:07) 11. Once In A While [alt. take] (bonus track)
(2:40) 12. This Can't Be Love (bonus track)
(5:03) 13. Memories Of You (bonus track)
(4:51) 14. You're Mine You (bonus track)

This release contains the complete original quartet session showcasing the brilliant Art Tatum with clarinet player Buddy DeFranco, plus Red Callender on bass, and Bill Douglass on drums. It was the only collaborative recording date by Tatum and DeFranco. The master takes were originally issued as The Art Tatum-Buddy DeFranco Quartet on Verve MGV-8213. For this edition, it was added all three existing alternate takes, as well as unaccompanied piano versions by Tatum of three of the album's tunes. This music constitutes one of the various pairings of Tatum with other jazz greats produced by Norman Granz in the last years of the pianist's life. Tatum was seriously ill at that time and neglected by record companies due to stylistic changes in the music industry. 

He would die on November 5, 1956 at the age of 47.  http://www.jazzmessengers.com/en/69207/art-tatum/art-tatum-buddy-defranco-quartet-6-bonus

Personnel:  Art Tatum (piano);  Buddy DeFranco (clarinet);  Red Callender (bass);  Bill Douglass (drums)

The Art Tatum-Buddy DeFranco Quartet

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Art Tatum - The Collection

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:59
Size: 100.7 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[2:49] 1. Blue Skies
[3:07] 2. Tea For Two
[2:29] 3. I Cover The Waterfront
[3:17] 4. In A Sentimental Mood
[3:09] 5. Stormy Weather
[2:12] 6. Tiger Rag
[3:06] 7. Tenderly
[2:14] 8. I Got Rhythm
[2:47] 9. Dardanella
[2:39] 10. Begin The Beguine
[2:44] 11. Somebody Loves Me
[3:34] 12. Body And Soul
[3:15] 13. Deep Purple
[3:55] 14. Mine
[2:34] 15. Sweet Lorraine

Art Tatum was a highly influential 20th century jazz pianist known for his ornate arrangements and radical reinventions of pop standards.

Born on October 13, 1909, in Toledo, Ohio, Art Tatum was largely self-taught as a pianist despite being legally blind. He became a star in New York City in the 1930s, winning fans with his versions of pop favorites and wowing peers with his technique. After cutting a series of solo and group recordings late in his career, Tatum died from kidney disease in Los Angeles, California, on November 5, 1956.

The Collection