Actually he didn't do that union. Art Tatum and especially Earl Hines pioneered the idea long before him. By the time he recorded this, Thelonious Monk and Erroll Garner had played quite a lot of Stride Bebop already and Bud Powell also had his own entries in the genre (check out Jubilee and The Last Time I Saw Paris). Of course none of that changed the fact that this is an awesome piece of music!
I'm trying to hold back the tears... something about the way he plays this song and the sound and the way it swings makes me want to say Hallelujah...HALLELUJAH!!!
Hi Todd from 2012. I feel exactly the same. Have seen him a few times in concert (ok, I am bragging 😁, two times with Ella Fitzgerald). My first reaction hearing him was "Ok , playing just 30% of what he plays, I WILL BE PROFESSIONAL JAZZ PIANIST". All best Todd from the past
Apart from me wanting to listen to this all night long,I would definately agree with you that this is a brilliant peice of coordination,insanely masterful.
I think it's a good thing that most jazz of this time was never transcribed. I feel like we should go about finding out our own ways in a similar style, not trying to imitate these performers/composers, rather learn from them and enjoy figuring them out by ourselves.
He lived not far from my neighborhood (Montreal , Petite Bourgogne, QC) many years ago but I never got a chance to see him play live. What a virtuoso he was!
This man is unbelievable; the reason why Oscar's transcriptions were never put to paper is the fact that along with the busy schedule he had (which also caused his music school to close),his solos are too difficult for the average pianist to play
The elegance and power in his fingers is simply UNmatched.. Nobody has ever come within a mile of Oscar.. Ray Brown told Oscar to really practice before going to play SOLO concerts... HAHA!! I guess he did!!
@shelim23 Actually Oscar was 35 when Tatum died and they were very good friends but Oscar was so terrified by Tatum through listening to the infamous "Tiger Rag" by Tatum as a child that he wouldn't dare challenge Tatum. Its all in an interview between Oscar and Andre Previn were they sit down for a good 40 minutes discussing music it is beautiful search it up!
This performance is truly one of Oscar's Best just hearing it for the first and MAN is it SICK...check out the independence of is hands you would think he has two brains...WOW! oh my God listen to his right hand go while his left hand just mind its own business..LOL.. i feel butterflys in my stomach every time i hear it...it always make me smile...
I've listened to lots of Art Tatum -- he is a giant. I understand that after hearing Tatum for the first time Oscar was willing to give up. But I find Oscar just as technically adept and harmonically more interesting than Tatum. Tatum is a giant.
@@josetato Peterson could swing harder and faster than anyone, but that's only one factor that makes Oscar great. I could say Tatum was the best, for his insanely fast stride and the harmonic substance he had at dizzying levels. I could say Bill Evans for incredible voice leading with his block chords. I could say Keith Jarrett for his incredibly beautiful voice leading and imaginative linear improve. I could say Bud Powell for combining "melodic" with "virtuosic" better than anyone else. I could even say Thelonious Monk for applying space in his music better than anyone else.
Jas yes there are definitely hints of the Nica’s Dream melody in some parts! I love how jazz players do that -doing a little run or a bar that hints at another piece. So cool!!
You took two months to reply to my comment and I have taken a month to replay to yours (I've only just seen it). I apologize for my "hasty generalization". Comments tend to temporarily disappear from view and drift apart and consequently often appear misleadingly out of context. I have been a victim of this many times myself, and it is most annoying. I should have known better.
It's a matter of preference but I feel Oscar was the greatest even above Art Tatum. Tatum, in my opinion, never swung as hard as Oscar and that makes all the difference to me.
