Art Tatum: Over the Rainbow (1939, 1948, 1953, 1956)

[@crweber3408]

Love that he's never played any song the same way twice.

[@dsthorp]

...or even once.

[@dx7tnt]

He didn't even play the same song twice *in* the same song!

[@mahlonrhoades4509]

So much for the nature versus nurture argument. This man was born for this.

[@klumklum9937]

You have the dark and the light, the big and the small, the ugly and the handsome, but beauty is...... in the ears of the beholder

[@ronwalker4849]

ART TATUM HAS TOTALLY STRETCHED MY EXPERIENCED WITH HARMONIC VARIETY BEYONE ANYTHING I COULD HAVE IMAGENED. YES, A GENIUS.

[@henriettevonschirach3905]

A genius is talking to us. A revolution in harmonics, voicing and rhythm.

[@anthonyhollis476]

A phenomenal pianist whose virtuosity is unmatched.

[@sullivaniam]

Indubitably!

[@calhounbass]

The absolute best I’ve ever heard!❤️🔥🔥🔥

[@earlsabash1841]

His genius and improvisation with phrasing will never be matched again in the history of American Jazz. The greatest of the greats with fingers of magic.

[@sebastianschweigert7117]

Not sure how you can say it will never be matched. Another savant could spontaneously appear at any time. Humanity may still have thousands of more years of history to write...

[@koenraad4618]

The Great Wizard of Jazz

[@denniskriegbaum9353]

I don’t play piano, just brass instruments. But Art Tatum is so good that after listening to him play, I am left exhausted and out of breath!

[@turidemarcodeeustachijs3926]

Grande conoscenza della Musica, non solo grande conoscenza e sapienza pianistica. Siamo oltre le umane possibilità!

[@margaritaresta6390]

Ritrovo in Art Tatum la limpidezza e , direi la giocosita' infantile di un pianista non vedente dei nostri tempi. il giapponese Nobusuji Tsutsii

[@luismantaras6460]

That's a good idea putting together those versions in chronological order! I couldn't choose the best.

[@jimthompson606]

Thanks for putting this together. Art Tatum was amazing at every stage of his career. Harold Arlen, who wrote the music for Over the Rainbow, had a strong affinity to jazz.

[@robertlieberman550]

Im jealous admire this miracle

[@ajpr3404]

On this one, I stopped at the end of the first performance. A break is vital. I must first prepare myself psychologically for what comes next, "over this talent rainbow".

[@jackhenshaw2555]

It doesn’t take much listening to Art Tatum to realize he is the GOAT. Oscar Peterson said to Andre Previn in an interview: “I still listen to Art Tatum, religiously.” There really is no better way to look at it than that as a Jazz Pianist. Art had talent that the world may never experience the likes of again. His sounds inspire me to practice every day.

[@miraclessaint-hilaire4941]

Quennel Gaskin

[@VICTOBERN]

I remember trying to get a handle on ' stride'..... then watched Art a few times and decided to divert to another area of piano!

[@peacegod7337]

​@@miraclessaint-hilaire4941check out Corey Henry.

[@VICTOBERN]

If you actually play the pianoforte you appreciate that both Vladimir Horowitz and Art Tatum reign supreme in terms of extraordinary technical ability but also inventiveness and the latter is probably something you cannot learn in essence. I played at four years, mostly by ear. Later on hearing the likes of Messrs Horowitz and Tatum, knocked the stuffing out of me because one simply knew that such ability was beyond reach.

[@greggreggreggreggreggreggreg1]

Horowitz is overrated

[@rsjmd]

@@greggreggreggreggreggreggreg1 At the time he was one of the best. Too many people forget that a hundred years ago there were not so many extraordinary talents available and he was fortunate to have the advantages of many changes in radio and transportation such that he could become a world sensation.

[@WildBillCox13]

Filed under: "Four things worth doing on that 92 key Bösendorfer in your playroom."

[@coxchandler1]

Reading the form diagram along with the 1939 version made it very entertaining to hear what he was doing.

[@metteholm4833]

My dad - a jazzman - taught me to "know" Art Tatum, when I was 4. I could, actually, distinguish between a number of jazz-pianists at that age - and my mother taught me about the classical piano-music. She was good at Schubert herself.😍

[@base99498]

Art Tatum ❤️

[@EPIGNOSIS777]

The best of all, the one and only Art Tatum. All the rest are too small compared to him. Undoubtedly he is the God of piano.

[@the83rdtrombonist60]

@Carlos Schvartzman the only one who can compare

[@juniperwoodgreen4090]

So is all who dare to

[@coltonmathew6237]

i dont mean to be off topic but does anyone know a way to log back into an instagram account..? I was dumb forgot the password. I would love any help you can give me.

[@freddonahue6420]

Thanks very much Rufus for posting this. I love this song and it's ineresting to see how Art improvises the song over the recordings you've shared

[@jimmybusk]

The amount of energy in the 1956 version doesn't sound like it's from a person who will pass in the same year.

[@barbarabrown3381]

❤

[@jofinsky8400]

I wish I could play as much as Tatum's pinky!

[@raimondorossi9725]

Grandissimo!!!!

[@charlesanderson1220]

1953 is my favorite 🙌🏿

[@anthonyhollis476]

A giant among musicians! Vastly underrated!

[@karlhungus5554]

Underrated?!? That's borderline blasphemous. He is hardly underrated.

[@anthonyhollis476]

@@karlhungus5554 My comment had no intention to diminish such a genius as Art. Maybe I should have said that he is under appreciated.

[@liammcooper]

The GOAT

[@Chesterton7]

Thank you, Chris. Amazing. Hi Mike Rosenberg! :)

[@sebastianschweigert7117]

One of my favorite recordings is the 1953. After listening to the four, I still feel that one is the best, but that could just be my bias after listening to it first. Also, the recording quality seems noticeably better.

[@juniperwoodgreen4090]

Tatum was a one off. But there are a lot of one offs going about, you just have to find them, before they find you...

[@tadl.4196]

Vladimir Horovitz once said that if Art Tatum had started playing classical piano music he would have quitted piano :)

[@dkj4183]

Yes. Horowitz meant Tatum would have quit piano because he would have totally mastered everything in the piano universe that was remaining?

[@123spleege]

quitted???????? nice.

[@spencernewking3965]

wow

[@teresabendanarodriguez1745]

Quitted horowitz..?

[@macvoutie]

@@teresabendanarodriguez1745 Quisling Horror sits. It's a Danish exercise.

[@steveloguercio4594]

I hear Peterson in his playing. I always wondered where OP got some of his ideas from! Both are the absolute best !

[@paulrobertz8491]

I hear lots of ideas that Bud Powell used, too. Both Powell and Peterson credited Art Tatum as a huge influence on their playing.

[@AdrianMartinez-en1nb]

Someone once said," i could of sworn that was two people playing".😊

[@mikelewis2608]

Geez! Yes, the others are small compared to Tatum.

[@pablomoyasolano1561]

What a PIANIST!!!!!!!

[@hellopeople5451]

Right?!

[@talibanmx]

Solo voy a decir era un genio

[@jacqui494]

What a joyous morning. Bless you, Art. Actually, God did that.

[@Benjiroyoface]

he blessed himself?

[@amog849]

I think 1939 is my favorite rendition

[@Scorpio3002]

An amazing recording, made all the more remarkable by the fact that he recorded it only three days after he first heard the tune. The way he takes it apart and puts it back together, you would think he'd been fooling around with it for years.

[@briannicepianoworship8944]

1948 for me

[@bigdick3228]

@@Scorpio3002 How do you know he recorded it three days after?

[@Scorpio3002]

@@bigdick3228 it was in my music history textbook. I can only assume their is documentation for the recording session date

[@bigdick3228]

@@Scorpio3002 interesting

[@765lbsquat]

🐐

[@sonofYah7]

I like the 1948 version the best

[@adrianruiz7137]

None other…ever!

[@thomgeo8073]

The Happiest Pianist from GOD ❤

[@ПоросёнокизЧелябинска]

крутяк, ништяк!

[@OGRE_HATES_NERDS]

is this AI

[@hostlangr]

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[@jensblling-ladegaard1839]

Ed Algra! Of course I’m not “the only one”! And I’m glad there was / is a Tatum, an Oscar Peterson, an Erroll Garner and so on. But I like Fatsy Watsy.Waller most and think he’s the Best. Sorry, But you cannot discuss taste.

[@jensblling-ladegaard1839]

As Fats Waller once said: “That Tatum, he`s just too good !!” I really like Art, But I prefer Fats. Technically Fats only reaches Art`s anchels. But the rhythm, the drive, the swing: Waller, Waller, Waller !! So What is Best ?? Deside for your self. Well: “It don`t mean a thing if you don`t have that Swing !!”

[@spikehofmann]

I agree. Waller is the better more more charming more charismatic musician. Glad so someone else thinks so :)

[@edalgra1714]

You are not the only one.. Fats was a top player. Nobody else had such a left hand when playing stride. Nevertheless. I’m glad there also was a Tatum, a Wilson, Garner, Peterson, Shearing, Hyman, Evans and so many others. Oh, sorry, Hyman is still living, hopelijk many years.

[@darrylschultz6479]

@@edalgra1714 And of course-up there with the greatest but relatively unknown-Phineas Newborn jnr.

[@skierpage]

Art Tatum swings hard several times in 1953 here, but blink and you'll miss it. He's just too restlessly inventive to settle in like Fats or Oscar Peterson. Also I wonder how much he was conditioned to cram all his musical ideas into a 3 minute side of a 10-inch 78.

[@andrewcasey472]

All that followed by a few pathetic claps at the end

[@the83rdtrombonist60]

They were still in shock

[@null8295]

good, I hate claps

[@paulcummings5107]

great talent limited scope the song structivre couldn''t read. should studied classical short life I heard he was an alcolholic.died at 46 too bad the most talented amateur there ever was pianowiser

[@hostlangr]

*Amateur?*

[@musical_lolu4811]

​@@hostlangrignore the ignorant.

[@kylerR-b5l]

Couldn't read ? Uh , he was for all measures blind ....