Arthur Tatum, Jr. born 13 October 1909 in Toledo, Ohio, USA (death 5 November 1956) was a famous American
jazz pianist known for his virtuosic playing and creative improvisation begun around 1927. Tatum drew inspiration from his contemporaries
James P. Johnson and
Fats Waller, and had a great influence on other famous jazz pianists, such as
Thelonious Monk,
Bud Powell,
Chick Corea, and
Oscar Peterson. Saxophonist
Charlie Parker took his first job in New York as a dishwasher where Tatum played, just for the experience of hearing Tatum's harmonic inventions.