|
|
  |
     
|
"And so what are my influences? I think one should be influenced by a format. I listened to Tatum as a listener. But as a pianist, I admired the format. Art played pianistically. Most of the older pianists did." 1 Oscar Peterson regularly said that Art Tatum's style had a profound effect on his style. He was also influenced by such popular jazz musicians as Nat 'King' Cole, Bill Evans, James P. Johnson, Audrey Morris, Charlie Parker, George Shearing, Harold 'Steep' Wade and Teddy Wilson. "Peterson has astounding speed that only Phineas Newborn and the late Art Tatum, one of his idols and mentors, have equaled. And he has the power of direct swing that Tatum never achieved," noted one review. 2 Footnotes1 Lees, Gene. The Will to Swing. Rocklin, California, Prima Publishing. & Communications, 1990. p. 144 2 Lees, Gene. The best jazz piano in the whole wide world. Maclean’s: July, 1975, p. 78. |