Jazz pianist Art TATUM was an American jazz musician and composer who was widely regarded as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time. He was known for his virtuosic technique, improvisational skill, and speed. He was also a prolific composer, writing over 300 pieces of music. He was a major influence on many other jazz musicians, including Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, and Herbie Hancock. His career spanned from the 1920s to the 1950s, and he was posthumously inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1971.