Art Tatum: Tea for Two (1939)
Buy Track
Recorded: Los Angeles, CA, April 12, 1939
Rating: 96/100 (learn more)
Listening to the first half of Tatum's 2½-minute "Tea For Two," you might think you're hearing a cocktail pianist with the fleetest right hand in history, but still a cocktail pianist. When he shifts from rubato to up-tempo stride, however, hold onto your hats! To say this man could play jazz is like saying Aristotle could philosophize, Euclid was good at math, Rembrandt had a gift for portraiture, or Nixon could lie. Tatum's rapid-fire modulations require a mind as quick as his right hand, which was faster than a cardsharp anxious to catch the next riverboat. Dazzling.
Reviewer: Alan Kurtz
If you liked this track, also check out
Tags: solo piano · tea for two · vincent youmans covers
Comments are closed.