Blue Skies

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.