Nonfiction Monday

Nonfiction Monday is hosted today by The Cat and the Fiddle.

My selection is "Piano Starts Here: the young Art Tatum" written and illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker.

Here is a biography of the great Jazz pianist, Art Tatum, that pushes the nonfiction boundary with its first person voice, much as Tatum, who was nearly blind from birth, pushed the musical boundaries in ways that still challenge modern day pianists.

Parker, who is also a musician, shares his passion for music and has created a blend of text and picture that captures the life of this extraordinary talent and makes it accessible to children and adults. The author adds a personal note about Tatum's influence on his life and the experience of a personal meeting with the legendary Jazz great. Biographical notes and a bibliography are also included.

Listen to Tatum play his version of the Humoresque by Dvorak.