Art Tatum

Art Tatum (October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was close-to-blind jazz pianist, known for his unique interpretations of the Great American Songbook.
Jerry

Taken from a Frets magazine interview in 1985, published in its entirety here.

[Jerry:]. . .Art Tatum is my all-time favorite. Yeah, he’s my all-time favorite. He’s the guy I put on when I want to feel really small [laughs]. When I want to feel really insignificant [laughs]. He’s a good guy to play for any musician, you know. He’ll make them want to go home and burn their instruments [Laughs.] Art Tatum is absolutely the most incredible musician – what can you say?

[Frets:] What era of Tatum’s piano playing appeals to you?
[Jerry]: Well, all of it is fascinating, and I also haven’t heard everything, but I’ve got the two big sets from Norman Granz, and everything on those is beyond the pale. It’s just so incredible, you know. What a mind!

I think the "two big sets" Jerry's referencing are the Complete Pablo Group Masterpieces (Vol.1-6) and the Complete Pablo Solo Masterpieces (Vol.1-7), re-released by Pablo Records (Norman Granz's final label). "Hallejuah" from the Group Masterpieces Vol. 3. "Over the Rainbow" from the Solo Masterpieces Vol. 6.

Later in the same interview, Jerry mentions composing on the piano ("because it just puts me in a different head"):

Jerry: I don’t know the instrument. But I can sit and figure anything out, you know, if I have a little time.

Frets: Art Tatum.

Jerry: [Laughs.] Yeah, right. Give me 20 years and another head!

Merl Saunders

Jerry's musical cohort, Merl Saunders, also felt small in the face of Art (the writing is Blair Jackson's):

“I saw Art Tatum play when I was about 15 years old and I got so disgusted I stopped playing piano,” Saunders said with a laugh. “I thought, 'What's the point?' He was so amazing you could never hope to be that good in your wildest dreams. I was hurt; I was crushed. But he was a genius, and of course I came to appreciate him more, and I actually studied him a bit. I managed to learn a few of his runs and I'd be there warming up on this stuff and Garcia would be saying, ‘Hey man, what's that run?’ ‘That's Art Tatum.’ And we'd go over them together. Then we'd be out at the Keystone in the middle of a song and all of a sudden I'd hear him doing an Art Tatum run, and I'd look over and he'd have this big smile on his face! Man, when Jerry would get on something, he'd keep going with it until he got it. He'd stumble through it at first, but he understood music so well and he had such a good memory that he could eventually get almost anything he tried down. And getting down Art Tatum is not easy — on piano or guitar.”