Five Jazz Piano Giants Play “The Way You Look Tonight” (Garner, Brubeck, Peterson, Jamal, Tatum)

0:00 – Orchestral rendition of the original tune by the National Philharmonic Orchestra, with John McGlinn (conductor)
2:27 – Erroll Garner (piano), with John Simmons (bass) and Shadow Wilson (drums)
6:19 – Dave Brubeck (piano), with Paul Desmond (alto sax), Ron Crotty (bass), and Lloyd Davis (drums)
14:07 – Oscar Peterson (piano), with Ray Brown (bass) and Herb Ellis (guitar)
18:48 – Ahmad Jamal (piano), with James Cammack (bass) and Idris Muhammad (drums)
22:10 – Art Tatum (piano)

The song “The Way You Look Tonight” by Jerome Kern (1885–1945) is originally from the 1936 film “Swing Time,” where it was first sung by Fred Astaire, winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It later became a jazz instrumental standard, and it was popularized in a particularly well-known rendition by Frank Sinatra. In this video, we hear five renowned jazz pianists of the last century give their personal, idiosyncratic takes on the tune.

First is Erroll Garner (1923–1977), a brilliant, self-taught master of the piano from Pittsburgh, who never learned to read music. He developed a distinctive lyrical style based around repeated octaves with grace notes, subtle, expressive right-hand rubato, and intricate cross rhythms. He composed the famous ballad “Misty,” which was featured in the 1971 Clint Eastwood thriller “Play Misty for Me.”

Next comes Dave Brubeck (1920–2012) and his quartet, including saxophonist Paul Desmond (1924–1977). Brubeck, an exponent of cool jazz, is of course best known for the ubiquitous “Take Five” and other compositions involving experimentation with unusual time signatures and polyrhythms. His solo in this recording of “The Way You Look Tonight” is no exception. Brubeck studied for some time under the French composer Darius Milhaud after serving in the US Army in World War II.

We also hear a rendition by the celebrated Canadian jazz pianist Oscar Peterson (1925–2007) and his trio. As a child, Peterson received classical training from a Hungarian teacher who had studied under a Franz Liszt pupil. He was deeply influenced by Art Tatum, whom we also hear at the end of this video. Peterson incorporated classical pianistic techniques and late Romantic harmonization into his jazz idiom. He achieved great success during the 1950s in a trio with bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis. In addition to eight Grammys, Peterson received a plethora of accolades from his native country, where he is revered, including the Order of Canada.

Ahmad Jamal (born 1930) is next, giving a more contemporary modal jazz style rendition of the standard. In his youth in his native Pittsburgh, Jamal absorbed the influence of Earl Hines, Billy Strayhorn, and Erroll Garner, beginning to perform professionally at the age of 14. He developed a more restrained, poised pianistic style, focusing on rich harmonization. His six-decade career is by no means over, as he continues to perform and record into his late 80s.

Finally, the king himself: Art Tatum (1909–1956). Born in Toledo, Ohio, Tatum lost most of his vision due to cataracts in his childhood. He picked up the piano early on, mimicking piano roll recordings and developing a brilliant, rapid playing style. He received some classical training from a local teacher, whom he quickly surpassed, and he gained national attention after being promoted by Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington. Tatum’s legendary recordings of “Tiger Rag” and “Tea for Two” rank among the greatest, most virtuosic jazz recordings ever made. His free-flowing, intricate improvisations astonished Vladimir Horowitz, among others, and inspired generations of jazz musicians.

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