Art Tatum News

From start to finish, it is quite possibly the ultimate performance art project: Pianos - not the fancy, grand variety, but pianos that were meant to be played a lot - are donated to an arts organization, placed in a public place to be painted, and then left there for anyone from the most accomplished musician to a curious child to come along and ...

Above, the headline of Terry Teachout's appreciation in today's Wall Street Journal of the master.

Like most columnists, I try to keep up with anniversaries, but the centennial of Art Tatum's birth--October 13--slipped past me.

Author, photographer and radio host Dennis Owsley will teach another series of jazz history classes beginning at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, November 5 at the Ethical Society of St.

I wish I could play like Art Tatum's right hand. Charlie Parker On Art Tatum's 100th birthday last Tuesday, October 13, Rene, an elephant at the Toledo, Ohio Zoo, painted a piano in honor of the city's native son.

The Exodus to Jazz series continues on Friday with an evening of blues and jazz provided by the Johnny O'Neal Trio at the Radisson Hotel Rochester Riverside, 120 E. Main St.

McCoy Tyner is a natural selection to cap Toledo's month-long celebration of the centennial of Art Tatum's birth.

The jazz pianist Art Tatum was born on October 13, 1909. His virtuosic, harmonically-adventurous style touched many musicians.

NEW YORK, NY October 13, 2009 a 'The jazz piano great Art Tatum was born 100 years ago today.

ALL THAT JAZZ: : Lucille Johnson, left, Johnny O'Neal, who portrayed Art Tatum in the movie 'Ray,' and Ramona Collins stand behind Walter Johnson during the Art Tatum 100th birthday gala at the main branch library downtown.

Renee, an elephant at the Toledo Zoo, got out her paints and brushes and painted a piano.It was no ordinary piano, but a special piano in honor of Tuesday's 100th birthday of Toledo native and jazz legend Art Tatum.The piano, part of the Art Tatum Jazz Heritage Foundation project Pianos for ART, will be on display at the zoo during the Lights ...

Today is Tuesday, Oct. 13, the 286th day of 2009. There are 79 days left in the year.

Today is Tuesday, Oct. 13, the 286th day of 2009. There are 79 days left in the year.

Art Tatum could mess with your mind. Not because the Toledo-born jazz piano genius was a bad guy; far from it.

When Art Tatum was alive, few Toledoans knew much about their hometown piano genius.

Philip Hazard, a local artist recognized around the world for his work with neon, is decorating a piano as part of the Pianos for Art project.

When the young Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodriguez says that he loves to improvise, he's specifically talking about making music.

"Art Tatum: Celebrating 100 years of Toledo's Jazz Great" will be held from 7 to 11 p.m. Oct.

Toledo is really keyed up this fall, with good reason. There's the centenary of jazz piano phenom Art Tatum; the placement of adorned pianos in public sites around the city, and the reprise of Toledo-born Stanley Cowell's tribute to Tatum in October at Owens Community College.

With hardly a break in the action, the two candidates for mayor of Toledo were at it again Thursday in a Constitution Day debate for students at the University of Toledo.