Parker, R. A. (2008). Piano starts here: The young Art Tatum. New York: Swartz and Wade. ISBN: 978-0-375-93965-5.

Annotation – A first person narrative of the early years of jazz pianist Art Tatum.

Media – watercolors and ink

Rating – 3 quality of text and illustration/3 for popularity

Comments – The author is himself a jazz musician and wanted to find out more about the younger years of Art Tatum. He provides a bibliography and endnotes that help validate his interpretation of Tatum’s childhood. The slightly fuzzy watercolor and ink illustrations reflect the nature of the narrative, another person’s interpretation of a man’s life. One does not know how much is really true, but the overall story is objectively told.

Nancy