Verve's
Ultimate Art Tatum may not live up to its billing, but the budget-priced collection is nevertheless a terrific introductory sampler.
Hank Jones selected the 16 tracks on the compilation and he also wrote the liner notes. He did an excellent job balancing acknowledged classics with choices that illustrate
Tatum's range. Some listeners will undoubtedly find a favorite or two missing, but these 16 tracks -- including "Tenderly," "I Cover the Waterfront," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Yesterdays," "Willow Weep for Me," "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)," "Sweet Lorraine," "There Will Never Be Another You," and "Too Marvelous for Words" -- capture the essence of
Tatum's Verve recordings, which is enough to make this a worthwhile sampler. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine