Oscar Peterson vs. Art Tatum

while we’re on the subject...I "accidently" picked up a mint, used Japanese pressing of TheGreatJazzTrioDirectFromLA (Hank Jones, Ron Carter, Tony Williams) from a local indy shop.

East Wind EW-10005

$35. I only picked it up because it had a post it note that said "Japanese Pressing" and when I saw Hank Jones’s picture on the inside cover I scooped it.

Otherwise, the cover art is terrible - I never would have picked up it based on that alone.

But it’s fantastic!

Hank Jones is another one of the very great ones.  Let me share something about Art Tatum that is not well known.  He was mostly blind, totally in one eye and had only partial vision in the other.  So while other kids were playing baseball and such he was playing piano.  Another kid in the neighborhood, named Jon Hendricks, became friends and Art taught Jon how to sing musical phrases.  This became very important for two reasons.  Look up Lambert, Hendricks & Ross for one reason you can learn about.  The other less known is that Jon later became friends with a guy named Charlie Parker, who could not believe this young guy could sing musical phrases just like he could play on his saxophone.  How did he learn to do that?  Long story short, Charlie got a job washing dishes in the club where Art was playing so he could learn how the man was doing all those crazy things with harmony.  And now you know where Bird started to launch his ideas that developed into BeBop.  It is a crazy world after all.

I read something recently, don’t remember where, about various Miles Davis groups over the 50s...the article mentioned that Miles didn’t care for Oscar Peterson due to his inability to improvise. He said that Oscar was derivative and played with well worn tricks and techniques, but no improvisation.  ..and with Miles, if you can’t improvise..well..next. 

That said, I have many albums by Miles, Oscar, & Art and love them all. I’m currently on somewhat of a Red Garland binge..we probably know what Miles thought of Red.  Previous to my Red binge, I was on somewhat of a Gene Harris binge..so much great music 

@nogaps 

+1 😊

I recently bought some jazz cd sets on eBay. Most are 8 full albums on 4 discs. Miles, Oscar, Train, Chet, the greats. 13 sets in all. It cost about $2.10 per album. I’m just diving into the Bill Evans set. 12 albums on 6 discs. All great recordings so far too. I’m in heaven. Unfortunately, no Art Tatum offered that I have found yet. As nogaps said, so much music. 

Being a longtime professional pianist, I find this discussion a bit silly. Art Tatum and Oscar were great pianists in different eras with different styles. To imply that Oscar wasn’t the incredible improviser and just played well rehearsed lines is absolutely ludicrous!! Please watch Dick Cavett’s interview with Oscar where he instantly demonstrates different playing styles on the spot brilliantly. This was not rehearsed!! This is widely regarded as the greatest interview of a musician ever! Along with Bill Evans and disciples like Brad Meldhau, please listen to the sophisticated genius of Bill Charlap. A superb touch like a great classical pianist, combined with incredible harmonic voice leading and technical dexterity, always underplayed. Never a wasted note. Whose favorite pianists are favorites in different eras is a very subjective debate. Please don’t try to explain to us who was better than Oscar!! He was truly amazing technically but always played with swing and rhythmic soul.