Oscar Peterson vs. Art Tatum
Mosaic recently released a compilation of CDs entitled The Classic Oscar Peterson Trio Studio Sessions With Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen. In the opening notes Bob Blumenthal correctly writes that Peterson had "technique and harmonic fluidity to rival Art Tatum" and yet that fact has troubled me for years. Everything the trio played was well rehearsed. Nothing was left to chance. Anyone who ever went to hear the group live commented on how they played the same tunes, the same riffs, same everything night after night. This was a well staged act. I heard Stanley Turrentine in Chicago years ago and he covered some Coltrane things. It was uncanny and when I spoke with him he said "Oh yes, once someone shows me how to play a piece, I can play just about anything. The difference is that John can stand up there and think that shit up as he goes along. The difference between true genius and the rest of us mere mortals." And that is the difference between Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum. Don't get me wrong, Peterson is terrific and this set is well worth hearing. In my youth I wanted to be a drummer and learned to play brushes from Ed Thigpen. Wonderful stuff. Truly. Just keep it all in perspective. With total respect for everyone involved including Bob Blumenthal, who I grew up reading while I was a student at Berklee, when it comes to INVENTIVENESS, harmonic and otherwise, there is Art Tatum without equal. Oscar Peterson definitely had the chops, but he could not think that shit up as he went along. It has only taken me 60 years to figure this out, but then I am also a mere mortal.
Ray Brown is awesome. I listen to "Soular Energy" and "Some Of My Best Friends Are...Guitarists" often. Space has been mentioned here at least once...I sometimes point out the "patience" in a recording to my wife when we listen together, which is often. For me, patience is the single most important quality of any enjoyable piece of music / song. You can't have patience without space, or constraint I suppose. Great artists can do so much with so little.
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@billstevenson I found “The Best Of The Complete Solo Masterpieces” on Tidal. I will listen to some of Tatum’s band recordings. . |
@audphile1 You are doing great. I haven't admitted it here, but neither one of these guys is even close to me favorite pianist. Both play too many notes for my taste. Early in the thread Bud Powell was mentioned. Monk is another. Somewhere in the full Previn - Peterson interview they talked about Basie. Bill Basie could move the whole band with one finger. And there are many others. Too many to mention here. We need another discussion. Who is your favorite pianist? Or who is your favorite accompanist? That could make for an interesting discussion all by itself. I'll drop a couple of names on that last one: Jimmy Rowles, and Jimmy Jones. |
@billstevenson it is Bill Evans for me. I’m currently listening to Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Paul Motian live album “The Old Country” on Tidal and I’m digging it a lot. I can’t say that I’m a huge fan of Keith Jarrett but this album is excellent. |
@audphile1 Jarrett, Peacock, and DeJohnette Tro recordings are sublime. “Wisper Not” “Standards V 1&2” and “At The Blue Note” all beloved by me. Esbjörn Svensson Trio “Plays Monk” is another treat. What might of Peterson or Tatum thought of them? |
