Getting past the “Ghost of Art Tatum” while playing Limehouse Blues

Hey Improvisers,

When I sat down to play the old chestnut “Limehouse Blues” this week, I was faced by a crushing thought: “I have Art Tatum’s version running through my head, and everything I can play seems really lame in comparison.”

Have you ever felt this way when playing piano? Have you ever had your musical idol’s version running around in your head, and you had to face the fact that you yourself couldn’t play like that?

Well… let’s take solace in the fact that we’re not alone! Actually, just about every improvising pianist has faced this reality at some point or another.

The great news is that we can reverse our mindset and turn this into a positive situation. You can listen to me discuss this and show you exactly how I got past the “ghost of Art Tatum” on this video:

Limehouse Blues: Journey Through The Real Book #210

Enjoy!

Ron

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