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9780195096408

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In the wonderful continuance of African-American musical expression in the United States, Art Tatum's story is one of the rarest gems of them all....Lester, a former Louisan, has done us all a favor in exposing this great American saga. His book details the joyful journey of a soul lurking in the shadows, awaiting the moment to whip the melody into a frenzy. --St. Louis Post-Dispatch Well documented, full of interesting anecdotes, and will give readers valuable insight into the life of this incredible musician. --The Japan Times Lester carefully separates verifiable information from the abundant fancy about Tatum's relationships and early career; he also excitingly depicts the New York City jazz scene during the rise of be-bop and the enormously rich activity of the 1930s and '40s. --Publishers Weekly A welcome addition to the canon of jazz biographies. --Quarterly Black Review of Books An extremely valuable addition to jazz studies. --Booklist The only major biography about jazz pianist Art Tatum, one of the most important keyboardists of the twentieth century....Full of eyewitness accounts of Tatum's superhuman command of the piano by many jazz legends, including Oscar Peterson, Fats Waller Les Paul, and Teddy Wilson....A welcome addition to the canon of jazz biographies. --Quarterly Black Review of Books Besides impressions of Tatum, readers will absorb a sense of the times in which he grew, when the jazz scene was so very different from today's glitzy, academic, and often manicured world....What a relief to finally have it, this readable, personable work. --Toledo Blade Lester is perceptive and original....Among the spate of jazz biographies that have been inflicted upon us in recent years, Too Marvelous for Words stands out from the crowd. Just like Art Tatum. --The Washington Post Mr. Lester has wrtten not only a detailed study of his subject's career and musical influence but a vivid portrayal of the American jazz ferment of the 1930s and '40s....Well-organized and written with clarity, sensitivity and humor. --The Baltimore Sun Too Marvelous for Words is an important work. It is a much-needed reminder of what a Mount Everest Tatum was, is and always will be on the jazz scene. --The Hartford Courant In the wonderful continuance of African-American musical expression in the United States, Art Tatum's story is one of the rarest gems of them all....Lester, a former Louisan, has done us all a favor in exposing this great American saga. His book details the joyful journey of a soul lurking in the shadows, awaiting the moment to whip the melody into a frenzy. --St. Louis Post-Dispatch Well documented, full of interesting anecdotes, and will give readers valuable insight into the life of this incredible musician. --The Japan Times Lester carefully separates verifiable information from the abundant fancy about Tatum's relationships and early career; he also excitingly depicts the New York City jazz scene during the rise of be-bop and the enormously rich activity of the 1930s and '40s. --Publishers Weekly A welcome addition to the canon of jazz biographies. --Quarterly Black Review of Books An extremely valuable addition to jazz studies. --Booklist The only major biography about jazz pianist Art Tatum, one of the most important keyboardists of the twentieth century....Full of eyewitness accounts of Tatum's superhuman command of the piano by many jazz legends, including Oscar Peterson, Fats Waller Les Paul, and Teddy Wilson....A welcome addition to the canon of jazz biographies. --Quarterly Black Review of Books Besides impressions of Tatum, readers will absorb a sense of the times in which he grew, when the jazz scene was so very different from today's glitzy, academic, and often manicured world....What a relief to finally have it, this readable, personable work. --Toledo Blade Lester is perceptive and original....Among the spate of jazz biographies that have been inflicted upon us in recent years, Too Marvelous for Words stands out from the crowd. Just like Art Tatum. --The Washington Post Mr. Lester has wrtten not only a detailed study of his subject's career and musical influence but a vivid portrayal of the American jazz ferment of the 1930s and '40s....Well-organized and written with clarity, sensitivity and humor. --The Baltimore Sun Too Marvelous for Words is an important work. It is a much-needed reminder of what a Mount Everest Tatum was, is and always will be on the jazz scene. --The Hartford Courant Beautifully balanced, meticulous....I've never heard James Lester play piano, but I sure do like his biography of Art Tatum. It's a marvelous bunch of words. --The Star-Democrat (Easton, MD) Long-overdue biography....A readable, valuable work....Lester fills many of the gaps in our understanding of a brilliant and enormously influential pianist. --Mississippi Rag The author's own playing experience and obvious musical sophistication blend to produce an insightful discussion of the creative process in jazz....Jazz history written by a literate musician is an all-too-rare treat. --Tailgate Ramblings (The Potomac River Jazz Club) Lester...plays psychologist, detective and occasionally political commentator, making this an enjoyable read for even the uninitiated. --The Daily Yomiuri A readable chronology of the life of a jazz genius, rife with fascinating quotes and reminisces [sic] from folks who were there when all the music was being played, the booze drunk, the laughs laughed. You close this book with the feeling that you knew what Art Tatum must have been like. --Tokyo Weekender

""In the wonderful continuance of African-American musical expression in the United States, Art Tatum's story is one of the rarest gems of them all....Lester, a former Louisan, has done us all a favor in exposing this great American saga. His book details the joyful journey of a soul lurking in the shadows, awaiting the moment to whip the melody into a frenzy.""--St. Louis Post-Dispatch ""Well documented, full of interesting anecdotes, and will give readers valuable insight into the life of this incredible musician.""--The Japan Times ""Lester carefully separates verifiable information from the abundant fancy about Tatum's relationships and early career; he also excitingly depicts the New York City jazz scene during the rise of be-bop and the enormously rich activity of the 1930s and '40s.""--Publishers Weekly ""A welcome addition to the canon of jazz biographies.""--Quarterly Black Review of Books ""An extremely valuable addition to jazz studies.""--Booklist ""The only major biography about jazz pianist Art Tatum, one of the most important keyboardists of the twentieth century....Full of eyewitness accounts of Tatum's superhuman command of the piano by many jazz legends, including Oscar Peterson, Fats Waller Les Paul, and Teddy Wilson....A welcome addition to the canon of jazz biographies.""--Quarterly Black Review of Books ""Besides impressions of Tatum, readers will absorb a sense of the times in which he grew, when the jazz scene was so very different from today's glitzy, academic, and often manicured world....What a relief to finally have it, this readable, personable work.""--Toledo Blade ""Lester is perceptive and original....Among the spate of jazz biographies that have been inflicted upon us in recent years, Too Marvelous for Words stands out from the crowd. Just like Art Tatum.""--The Washington Post ""Mr. Lester has wrtten not only a detailed study of his subject's career and musical influence but a vivid portrayal of the American jazz ferment of the 1930s and '40s....Well-organized and written with clarity, sensitivity and humor.""--The Baltimore Sun ""Too Marvelous for Words is an important work. It is a much-needed reminder of what a Mount Everest Tatum was, is and always will be on the jazz scene.""--The Hartford Courant ""In the wonderful continuance of African-American musical expression in the United States, Art Tatum's story is one of the rarest gems of them all....Lester, a former Louisan, has done us all a favor in exposing this great American saga. His book details the joyful journey of a soul lurking in the shadows, awaiting the moment to whip the melody into a frenzy.""--St. Louis Post-Dispatch ""Well documented, full of interesting anecdotes, and will give readers valuable insight into the life of this incredible musician.""--The Japan Times ""Lester carefully separates verifiable information from the abundant fancy about Tatum's relationships and early career; he also excitingly depicts the New York City jazz scene during the rise of be-bop and the enormously rich activity of the 1930s and '40s.""--Publishers Weekly ""A welcome addition to the canon of jazz biographies.""--Quarterly Black Review of Books ""An extremely valuable addition to jazz studies.""--Booklist ""The only major biography about jazz pianist Art Tatum, one of the most important keyboardists of the twentieth century....Full of eyewitness accounts of Tatum's superhuman command of the piano by many jazz legends, including Oscar Peterson, Fats Waller Les Paul, and Teddy Wilson....A welcome addition to the canon of jazz biographies.""--Quarterly Black Review of Books ""Besides impressions of Tatum, readers will absorb a sense of the times in which he grew, when the jazz scene was so very different from today's glitzy, academic, and often manicured world....What a relief to finally have it, this readable, personable work.""--Toledo Blade ""Lester is perceptive and original....Among the spate of jazz biographies that have been inflicted upon us in recent years, Too Marvelous for Words stands out from the crowd. Just like Art Tatum.""--The Washington Post ""Mr. Lester has wrtten not only a detailed study of his subject's career and musical influence but a vivid portrayal of the American jazz ferment of the 1930s and '40s....Well-organized and written with clarity, sensitivity and humor.""--The Baltimore Sun ""Too Marvelous for Words is an important work. It is a much-needed reminder of what a Mount Everest Tatum was, is and always will be on the jazz scene.""--The Hartford Courant ""Beautifully balanced, meticulous....I've never heard James Lester play piano, but I sure do like his biography of Art Tatum. It's a marvelous bunch of words.""--The Star-Democrat (Easton, MD) ""Long-overdue biography....A readable, valuable work....Lester fills many of the gaps in our understanding of a brilliant and enormously influential pianist.""--Mississippi Rag ""The author's own playing experience and obvious musical sophistication blend to produce an insightful discussion of the creative process in jazz....Jazz history written by a literate musician is an all-too-rare treat.""--Tailgate Ramblings (The Potomac River Jazz Club) ""Lester...plays psychologist, detective and occasionally political commentator, making this an enjoyable read for even the uninitiated.""--The Daily Yomiuri ""A readable chronology of the life of a jazz genius, rife with fascinating quotes and reminisces [sic] from folks who were there when all the music was being played, the booze drunk, the laughs laughed. You close this book with the feeling that you knew what Art Tatum must have been like.""--Tokyo Weekender

By amateur historian/jazzman Lester, the first bio of legendary jazz pianist Tatum. Lester is the first to admit that he's in over his head in attempting this book, an ominous foreboding of the quality of the work to come. Still, his labor-of-love is based on some original scholarship, including interviews with the remaining musicians who knew the legend at firsthand (although Tatum's second wife and surviving relatives refused to be interviewed, as did important figures like jazz promoter Norman Granz). Tatum developed a highly idiosyncratic style of playing based on impressionistic harmonies, dazzling arpeggios and runs (that some find overly fussy), and polyrhythms and polyharmonies, forging a uniquely personal technique few could copy. His incredible capacity for alcohol, almost photographic memory for melodies and song structures, competitiveness when faced with challenges by other pianists, and essentially gentle nature are all well-documented, but in the end, even so, Lester fails to give us a well-rounded life story. Tatum was an intensely private man and few knew him well; even the facts of his life are up for grabs. He may or may not have been born visually impaired: his loss of vision may have been due to childhood disease, a run-in with a neighborhood tough, or cataracts. He was married twice, having at least one child (and perhaps two others). The extent of his musical education is unknown. Lester spends most of his narrative in a fog, unable to sort fiction from fact. His analysis of Tatum's genius runs to truism ( [His] remarkable memory was still remarkable ), and he suffers from an inferiority complex toward classical performers: comparing Tatum with keyboard legends like Vladimir Horowitz, he asserts that Tatum was really a piano stylist, not a jazz musician, thus continuing the myth that jazz is a poor stepchild to serious, classical music. Well-intentioned but frustrating. (Kirkus Reviews)

excitingly depicts the New York City jazz scene during the rise of be-bop and the enormously rich activity of the 1930s and '40s. Publishers Weekly

Author Information

James Lester is a freelance musician, writer, researcher, and photographer in Annapolis, Maryland.

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