Art Tatum — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

Find a castaway Most requested Browse the archive About Report a fault

Tuning in…

desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

Find a castaway
Most requested
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About

Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
Report a fault

Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Art Tatum — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

Find a castaway Most requested Browse the archive About Report a fault

Artist

Art Tatum

17 episodes

Chosen over the decades

17

Total castaways

1980s

Peak decade

6

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Adelaide Hall
Alan Price
Bryan Stevenson
Dave Brubeck
Dizzy Gillespie
George Chisholm
Jack Lemmon
Lionel Hampton
Lord Bernard Miles
Lord Rothschild
Maria Ewing
Michael Parkinson
Sir Arthur Bryant
Stephane Grappelli
Tony Bennett
Tony Robinson

Bryan Stevenson
Bryan Stevenson on the death row prisoner who sang a hymn that changed his life
Castaway · 8 March 2015Kirsty Young
Tony Robinson
How Tony Robinson's Blackadder role came from an act of desperation
Castaway · 3 July 2011Kirsty Young

desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

Find a castaway
Most requested
Browse the archive
About

Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
Report a fault

Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Maria Ewing on thinking her mother's compliment meant she couldn't play the piano

Castaway · 21 February 1999Sue Lawley

05°18′S 139°33′W

Dave Brubeck

Dave Brubeck on dreaming the entire Our Father for his Mass

Castaway · 3 January 1999Sue Lawley

06°43′S 081°03′W

Adelaide Hall

Adelaide Hall on accidentally inventing scat while humming to Ellington's 'Creole Love Call'

Castaway · 13 January 1991Sue Lawley

19°33′S 013°42′W

Jack Lemmon

Jack Lemmon on his childhood nickname 'Jack Eulemon'

Castaway · 8 October 1989Sue Lawley

14°07′S 049°31′W

Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett on his first job as a singing waiter at 16

Castaway · 4 January 1987Michael Parkinson

Lord Rothschild

00°15′S 139°47′W

Lord Rothschild

Rothschild on giving up first-class cricket after a fast bowler hit him

Castaway · 7 July 1984Roy Plomley

20°19′S 072°42′W

Lionel Hampton

Lionel Hampton on finding the vibraphone in a studio corner with Louis Armstrong

Castaway · 17 September 1983Roy Plomley

08°46′S 111°23′W

Alan Price

Alan Price on the Animals' name coming from a squatter called Animal Hogg

Castaway · 4 December 1982Roy Plomley

Lord Bernard Miles

13°21′S 173°45′W

Lord Bernard Miles

Bernard Miles on early morning trips to Covent Garden aged five

Castaway · 20 March 1982Roy Plomley

George Chisholm

02°00′S 165°37′W

George Chisholm

George Chisholm on playing piano for silent films in Glasgow aged 14

Castaway · 13 March 1982Roy Plomley

Dizzy Gillespie

11°10′S 004°44′W

Dizzy Gillespie

Dizzy Gillespie on receiving a trombone from his school at age 11

Castaway · 19 January 1980Roy Plomley

Stephane Grappelli

06°50′S 018°53′W

Stephane Grappelli

How Stephane Grappelli taught Django Reinhardt to sign his name

Castaway · 12 August 1972Roy Plomley

Michael Parkinson

04°42′S 047°04′W

Michael Parkinson

Michael Parkinson on learning nothing about bottles and a lot about women

Castaway · 19 February 1972Roy Plomley

Sir Arthur Bryant

07°26′S 177°25′W

Sir Arthur Bryant

Arthur Bryant on writing a single paragraph from hundreds of slips of paper

Castaway · 22 February 1960Roy Plomley

01°57′S 059°12′W

Dave Brubeck

How playing the piano saved Dave Brubeck from the front line

Castaway · 12 October 1959Roy Plomley