Art Tatum

Art Tatum was a jazz pianist from Toledo, Ohio, widely regarded as one of the greatest technical virtuosos the music has ever produced. He was visually impaired from childhood but developed a style of extraordinary speed, harmonic complexity, and melodic invention that left fellow pianists, including Fats Waller and James P. Johnson, openly amazed. He worked in solo and small group settings throughout his career, playing swing and stride-rooted jazz with an improvisational depth that set him apart from his contemporaries.