TRANSCRIPT:
Hi, I am Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
Art Tatum Jr. was born in 1909. Blind from a young age, Tatum overcame obstacles to become a virtuoso pianist whose technical brilliance and harmonic innovations left an indelible mark on jazz.
His awe-inspiring performances of standards like Tea for Two exhibited his lightning-fast runs and intricate reharmonizations. His musical vocabulary extended beyond his initial stride influences, allowing him to blend classical influences with jazz improvisation seamlessly.
His popularity diminished towards the end of the decade as he continued to play in his style, ignoring the rise. He died at the age of 47. His music continues to inspire pianists across generations.
This has been Rapp On Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and SC Public Radio, made possible in part by Layman Poupard Publishers, producers of the Literary Criticism Series and the Dictionary of Literary Biography.