Arthur Tatum Jr. (October 13, 1909 ? November 5, 1956) was an American jazz pianist and virtuoso. The jazz pianist and educator Kenny Barron has commented that "I have every record [LINK: Tatum] [1] ever made ? and I try never to listen to them ? If I did, I'd throw up my hands and give up!" Jean Cocteau dubbed Tatum "a crazed Chopin." Count Basie called him the eighth wonder of the world. Biography Tatum was born in Toledo, Ohio. From infancy he suffered from cataracts of disputed cause, which left him blind in one eye, and with only very limited vision in the other. Some surgery improved Tatum's eye condition to a degree, but this effort was reversed when he was assaulted in 1930 at age 20.Lester, Too Marvelous for Words He played piano from his youth, and played professionally in Ohio and especially the Cleveland area before moving to New York City in 1932. A child prodigy, Tatum lea

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