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Too Marvelous for Words: The Life and Genius of Art Tatum
Art Tatum defined the limits of the possible in jazz piano. Gunther Schuller called Tatum's playing "a marvel of perfection.... His deep-in-the-keys full piano sonority, the tone and touch control in pyrotechnical passages...are miracles of performance." Whitney Balliett wrote "no pianist has ever hit notes more beautifully. Each one--no matter how fast the tempo--was light and complete and resonant, like the letters on a finely printed page." His famous runs have been compared to the arc left against the night sky by a Fourth-of-July sparkler. And to have heard him play, one musician said, "was as awe-inspiring as to have seen the Grand Canyon or Halley's Comet."
Now, in Too Marvelous For Words, James Lester provides the first full-length biography of the greatest virtuoso performer in the history of jazz. Before this volume, little was known about Tatum, even among jazz afficionados. What were his origins, who taught him and who provided early pianistic influences, how did he break into the jazz field, what role did he play in the development of other jazz players, and what was he like when he wasn't playing? To answer these questions, Lester has conducted almost a hundred interviews for this book, with surviving family, childhood friends, schoolteachers, and the famous jazz musicians who played with him or knew him. Lester creates a memorable portrait of this unique musician and of the vibrant jazz world of the 1930s and 1940s, capturing the complexity and vitality of this remarkable performer. Tatum, who was virtually blind, suffering between 70% and 90% visual impairment, emerges as cheerful, fun-loving, energetic and out-going, with none of the demonic self-destructiveness that seemed to haunt such jazz greats as Charlie Parker or Billie Holiday. He often joked about his blindness, but did not like it mentioned as a handicap and preferred to pre-plan his entrance to the piano in a club, rather than have someone lead him there. He was simply inexhaustible and had a life-long habit of staying up all night after a gig, usually seeking an after-hours club in which to listen and play until daybreak. Lester also reveals that Tatum was generous with younger players, but his extraordinary technical brilliance often devastated them. No less a talent than Oscar Peterson remembers that after first hearing Tatum, "I gave up the piano for two solid months, and I had crying fits at night." And Les Paul remarked that after hearing Tatum for the first time, he quit piano completely and began playing guitar. Perhaps most important, Lester provides a thorough, knowledgeable discussion of Tatum's music, from his early influences, such as stride pianist Fats Waller, to his mature style in which Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Waller, and Earl Hines all became grist for his harmonic mill.
From unexceptional origins in Toledo, Ohio, Art Tatum evolved into a world-class musician whose importance in jazz is comparable to Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker and whose command of the piano captured the admiration of Horowitz and Paderewski. Too Marvelous For Words is the first full portrait of this extraordinary musical genius.
Now, in Too Marvelous For Words, James Lester provides the first full-length biography of the greatest virtuoso performer in the history of jazz. Before this volume, little was known about Tatum, even among jazz afficionados. What were his origins, who taught him and who provided early pianistic influences, how did he break into the jazz field, what role did he play in the development of other jazz players, and what was he like when he wasn't playing? To answer these questions, Lester has conducted almost a hundred interviews for this book, with surviving family, childhood friends, schoolteachers, and the famous jazz musicians who played with him or knew him. Lester creates a memorable portrait of this unique musician and of the vibrant jazz world of the 1930s and 1940s, capturing the complexity and vitality of this remarkable performer. Tatum, who was virtually blind, suffering between 70% and 90% visual impairment, emerges as cheerful, fun-loving, energetic and out-going, with none of the demonic self-destructiveness that seemed to haunt such jazz greats as Charlie Parker or Billie Holiday. He often joked about his blindness, but did not like it mentioned as a handicap and preferred to pre-plan his entrance to the piano in a club, rather than have someone lead him there. He was simply inexhaustible and had a life-long habit of staying up all night after a gig, usually seeking an after-hours club in which to listen and play until daybreak. Lester also reveals that Tatum was generous with younger players, but his extraordinary technical brilliance often devastated them. No less a talent than Oscar Peterson remembers that after first hearing Tatum, "I gave up the piano for two solid months, and I had crying fits at night." And Les Paul remarked that after hearing Tatum for the first time, he quit piano completely and began playing guitar. Perhaps most important, Lester provides a thorough, knowledgeable discussion of Tatum's music, from his early influences, such as stride pianist Fats Waller, to his mature style in which Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Waller, and Earl Hines all became grist for his harmonic mill.
From unexceptional origins in Toledo, Ohio, Art Tatum evolved into a world-class musician whose importance in jazz is comparable to Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker and whose command of the piano captured the admiration of Horowitz and Paderewski. Too Marvelous For Words is the first full portrait of this extraordinary musical genius.
340 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 3, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 1, 2018
Probably the best biography that can be written about Tatum given our agonizing lack of information about him.
Lester's biography appears as comprehensive as it could be, but inevitably leaves us wanting to know more about this enigmatic genius who awed almost all the musicians he met, and continues to awe us today with his recordings.
Lester's biography appears as comprehensive as it could be, but inevitably leaves us wanting to know more about this enigmatic genius who awed almost all the musicians he met, and continues to awe us today with his recordings.
July 10, 2015
This short, but action packed, biography of the greatest piano player of the 20th century (arguably) was a thorough education on the history of jazz from stride/ragtime to be-bop.
So many of the stories and superlatives about Art Tatum brought to mind other innovators in other music genres. Eddie Van Halen came to mind most often.
For fans of music, history, music history, and geniuses.
So many of the stories and superlatives about Art Tatum brought to mind other innovators in other music genres. Eddie Van Halen came to mind most often.
For fans of music, history, music history, and geniuses.
May 5, 2023
like anyone else, art tatum makes me wanna drink pbr all day and never play piano again. the mark of a true genius
December 10, 2023
Art Tatum is a miracle in human form. I am glad this biography was written about him.
This book is a solid in-depth survey of Art Tatum's life. It provides interviews with people who knew Art Tatum including quotes about him, but there isn't much from Tatum himself, since he was apparently a soft-spoken person. It talks a lot about people who were discouraged to continue as pianists after hearing him play.
The drawback is that it reads a bit like a research project that was grouped chronologically by sections of Art Tatum's life. There is no strong thread which pulls you forward throughout the book. Each section provides insight into his life, but many of the stories are underwhelming. It seems like a journalist's unbiased presentation of research.
Since I was looking for more information about Art Tatum's life, this was a great choice. However, I had to motivate myself to read further, since the writing did not inspire me to move forward.
This book is a solid in-depth survey of Art Tatum's life. It provides interviews with people who knew Art Tatum including quotes about him, but there isn't much from Tatum himself, since he was apparently a soft-spoken person. It talks a lot about people who were discouraged to continue as pianists after hearing him play.
The drawback is that it reads a bit like a research project that was grouped chronologically by sections of Art Tatum's life. There is no strong thread which pulls you forward throughout the book. Each section provides insight into his life, but many of the stories are underwhelming. It seems like a journalist's unbiased presentation of research.
Since I was looking for more information about Art Tatum's life, this was a great choice. However, I had to motivate myself to read further, since the writing did not inspire me to move forward.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews