In which year did jazz pianist Art Tatum die?

Jazz pianist Art Tatum died in 1956.

Tatum died on November 5, 1956, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 47. He had long suffered from kidney problems, and his health had declined significantly during his final years. Despite his relatively short life, he left an enormous influence on jazz piano.

Born in Toledo, Ohio, in 1909, Tatum became famous for extraordinary speed, harmonic imagination, and a remarkable ability to make a piano sound almost orchestral. He transformed popular songs and standards through elaborate reharmonization and intricate runs. Fellow musicians often regarded him as a peerless technical virtuoso.

Tatum’s death is sometimes placed incorrectly in the early 1960s because his influence remained highly visible among later pianists such as Oscar Peterson. In fact, Peterson repeatedly acknowledged Tatum as a major inspiration. Tatum’s surviving recordings, including solo performances and small-group sessions, continue to be central documents in the history of jazz piano.