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.
Oscar Peterson is my favorite jazz pianist. I not a big fan of bee bop or hard bop. There are exceptions (Hank Mobley, Sonny Clark, Lee Morgan and Miles Davis etc. Art Tatum is probably considered the greatest Jazz pianist of all time. I believe Beethoven is the greatest classical composer but some people like Mozart more. There’s no right or wrong preference. Tatum and Peterson play differently as Beethoven and Mozart composed differently.
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@niodari The Art Tatum recordings done by Norman Granz issued on Pablo are actually quite well recorded and it was a good piano. |
@vinylrestingplace The use of "vs." is a recognized and legitimate device used for comparison purposes in writing and speech. It is not silly, it is simply a tool. I will not apologize for using it. If you listen to "Kind Of Blue" it is possible to hear Miles turn around, away from the mic on several spots. There was no audience in the recording studio. I point this out to explain that he did this for effect. Turning around changed the sound of his trumpet. He did not turn his back on the audience out of distain for his audience, frequently he was misunderstood in that regard, rather he did it for the change in sound. He explained this in at least one interview, saying essentially- just listen to my playing. Even though he mostly used a mute, he was an extremely assertive player and turning away from the mic made a distinct difference sonically. With all that said, I have to agree with you concerning his "artistry" in his late career. I believe his health was bad, he was playing crap that he did not care about, he knew it was crap and he was only in it for the money. I couldn't listen to him starting with Bitches Brew. Note for others: This Miles conversation has no bearing on the main topic of this thread. |
Nobody -- not Oscar, not anyone -- can rival the virtuosity and harmonic genius of Art Tatum. But having said that, I find Art’s playing to often veer into exhaust-the-listener excess. Too much genius in a 3 minute tune can be exhausting. I’ve heard Oscar play live (not in person, but concert footage or talk show appearances). I never heard one bar of canned/practiced notes. He, too, was a harmonic genius, but one more fluid and audience-attuned. One of the great jazz pianists of the 20th century IMO. My favorite, though, particularly adjusting for era, is Teddy Wilson. Many similiarities between Oscar, Art and Teddy, but TW played the fewest notes to reach the harmonic sweet spot, at least to my ears. He also absolutely excelled at accompanying singers (so many great recordings with Billie Holiday), which is something Art didn’t do as well. Then again, it’s kind of stupid to compare great pianists like this. Each one is a generational talent, and once they’re gone, there’s not direct replacement. |
