Art Tatum (1909-1956) was an American jazz pianist, widely regarded as one of the most astonishing keyboard virtuosos of the twentieth century. Born in Toledo, Ohio, he developed a style whose technical and harmonic reach still sounds almost improbable.

Tatum’s recordings combine stride, swing, advanced harmony and dazzling runs, often transforming popular songs into high-wire improvisational structures. In the Pristine catalogue he appears in wartime and post-war jazz recordings.

His playing is orchestral, playful, dangerous and exact, with both hands operating like a private weather system. The virtuosity is immense, but so is the harmonic imagination.

Tatum influenced generations of jazz pianists and startled classical musicians too. He made the piano sound less like an instrument than a city suddenly lit from every window.