The fifth of eight
Art Tatum CDs that is comprised of previously unreleased material, this enjoyable program features the remarkable pianist during three appearances in 1951 at the Embers and on a radio show. The first four selections have
Tatum leading a trio that also includes guitarist
Everett Barksdale and bassist
Slam Stewart while the other numbers are all piano solos. While some of the performances are set pieces, there are also a few selections not often recorded by
Tatum, including a brief and rapid "Flying Home," "Honeysuckle Rose," "Just a-Sittin' and a-Rockin'," and a medley of
Gershwin songs. This disc also gives one an opportunity to hear
Tatum's voice, in his comments to
Willis Conover during the radio broadcast and in a three-minute interview with
Leonard Feather.
Tatum collectors will want all of the discs in this very valuable series for even on the most familiar treatments (such as "Begin the Beguine"),
Tatum's playing still comes across as miraculous.