Toledo concert to honor Art Tatum, raise scholarship funds

[Lois Gilbert]

Concert to honor jazz musician, raise scholarship funds
By Autumn Lee
Toledo Free Press Staff Writer

As part of UT's celebration of Black History Month, the Department of Music will recognize the achievements of Toledo-born jazz musician Art Tatum and raises funds for a scholarship through a concert.

The 16th Annual Art Tatum Memorial Scholarship Concert will begin at 8 p.m. Feb. 15 in UT's Recital Hall located in the Center for Performing Arts.

The concert will feature the Scott Gwinnell Jazz Orchestra Trio, which is comprised of members of UT's faculty: Visiting Assistant Professor Scott Gwinnell, a professional jazz pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger based out of Detroit, Associate Lecturer and Assistant Director of Jazz Studies Norm Damschroder who will play the bass and Visiting Assistant Professor Jonathan Ovalle on drums.

Damschroder said the annual concert began with a weeklong Art Tatum festival in early 1992 that branched out to a scholarship concert held each February with featured national or regional acts.

Damschroder said besides Tatum's Toledo roots, the scholarship was made in his name because he was one of the most influential jazz musicians in the 1930s and was a “truly a virtuoso.”

According to an article on Wikipedia, Tatum was widely recognized among his peers as “the most gifted jazz pianist alive.” Most considered Tatum as “one of the greatest pianists of any musical genre, and arguably one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century.”

As for the scholarship concert, Gwinnell said they will present some pieces that were once performed by Art Tatum, but in a modern jazz style.

In addition, Gwinnell said they will perform a piece that is dedicated to Tatum special to this concert and out of their appreciation for Tatum as a musician.

The trio will also have copies of their CD available that contain tunes originally performed by Tatum.

Ticket prices are $5 for students and seniors, $12 for Toledo Jazz Society members, $15 for general admission and $40 for patron tickets. All ticket proceeds support Art Tatum scholarships for African-American music majors. For more information, call (419) 530-2448 or visit www.music.utoledo.edu.