120760bk Fats Handful 15/2/04 10:28 PM Page 8 The Naxos Historical labels aim to make available the greatest recordings of the history of recorded music, in the best and truest sound that contemporary technology can provide. To achieve this aim, Naxos has engaged a number of respected restorers who have the dedication, skill and experience to produce restorations that have set new standards in the field of historical recordings. Also available in the Naxos Jazz Legends series 8.120574* 8.120577 8.120676* 8.120692 8.120714* 8.120729* * Not available in the USA 120760bk Fats Handful 15/2/04 10:28 PM Page 2 FATS WALLER Personnel Track 5: FATS WALLER & HIS RHYTHM. Fats Track 13: FATS WALLER & HIS RHYTHM. Fats ‘Handful of Fats’ Original Recordings 1929-1942 Waller, vocal, piano; Herman Autrey, trumpet; Waller, vocal, piano; Herman Autrey, trumpet; Rudy Powell, clarinet, alto sax; Al Casey, guitar; Gene Sedric, tenor sax, clarinet; John Smith, Charles Turner, bass; Harry Dial, drums guitar; Cedric Wallace, bass; Slick Jones, drums Thomas “Fats” Waller was one of the most solos on a pipe organ at the Lincoln Theatre, beloved figures in jazz history. His life gave the playing for silent movies. Track 8: FATS WALLER & HIS RHYTHM. Fats Track 19: FATS WALLER, HIS RHYTHM & HIS appearance of being one long goodtime party Fats became one of the stars of Harlem rent Waller, vocal, piano; Herman Autrey, trumpet; ORCHESTRA. Fats Waller, Hammond organ; full of hot jazz, liquor, food, humour and parties in the 1920s, playing alongside James P. Gene Sedric, tenor sax, clarinet; Al Casey, Herman Autrey, John Hamilton, Joe Thomas, women, and few others could keep up with him Johnson and Willie “the Lion” Smith. He was guitar; Charles Turner, bass; Slick Jones, drums Nathaniel Williams, trumpets; Herb Flemming, George Wilson, trombones; Jackie Fields, in any of those areas. busy on several other levels during the decade, Tracks 9-10: FATS WALLER & HIS RHYTHM. George James, altos; Gene Sedric, tenor sax, Few could also keep up with Waller when it making twenty piano rolls, cutting his first solo Fats Waller, vocal, piano; Herman Autrey, clarinet; Bob Carroll, tenor; Al Casey, guitar; came to musical talent and accomplishments. records in 1922, recording pipe organ solos and trumpet; Gene Sedric, tenor sax, clarinet; Al Cedric Wallace, bass; Arthur Trappier, drums Not only was he one of the greatest stride with combos, accompanying many of the classic Casey, guitar; Cedric Wallace, bass; Slick Jones, pianists of all time, but Waller was also jazz’s blues singers, and writing music. His first drums Track 20: FATS WALLER, HIS RHYTHM & HIS first organist, a skilful songwriter, a personable composition was 1918’s “Squeeze Me” and he ORCHESTRA. Fats Waller, vocal, piano; John Track 11: FATS WALLER & HIS RHYTHM. Fats vocalist and a comic personality. He was a collaborated with lyricist Andy Razaf in the late Hamilton, Herman Autrey, Bob Williams, Waller, vocal, piano; Herman Autrey, trumpet; legendary figure even during his lifetime, and he 1920s shows Keep Shufflin’, Hot Chocolates and trumpets; George Wilson, Ray Hogan, Chauncey Graham, tenor sax; John Smith, remains a household name more than six Load Of Coal. trombones; Jimmy Powell, Dave McRae, altos; guitar; Cedric Wallace, bass; Larry Hinton, decades after his death. Handful Of Fats opens with a pair of classic Gene Sedric, Bob Carroll, tenor sax; Al Casey, drums Fats Waller was born on 21 May 1904 in Waller piano solos from 1929. Handful Of Keys guitar; Cedric Wallace, bass; Slick Jones, New York City. His first instrument was the gives listeners a perfect example of Fats’ striding Tracks 12 & 14: FATS WALLER & HIS RHYTHM. drums harmonium which he took up when he was five, (on the beat his left hand “strides” between low Fats Waller, vocal, piano; John Hamilton, switching to piano the following year. Waller, bass notes and higher chords) and his ability to trumpet; Gene Sedric, tenor sax, clarinet; John who played in his school orchestra, was the son improvise melodically at a rapid tempo. Ain’t Smith, guitar; Cedric Wallace, bass; Slick Jones, of a strict church minister who wanted him to Misbehavin’, which had initially been recorded drums stick exclusively to religious music, but Fats by Louis Armstrong thirteen days earlier, is preferred popular music and the emerging stride (along with “Honeysuckle Rose”) one of the two piano style played by James P. Johnson. After most famous Waller originals. Fats lets the his mother died, the teenage Waller (who did melody speak for itself on this early version. not get along with his father) moved in with a Other than during the obscure “Red Hot friend and became Johnson’s protégé, Dan,” Waller did not sing on records until 1931. developing rapidly as a musician. By 1919 when On I’m Crazy About My Baby, Fats makes one he was fifteen, Waller was stomping off hot wonder why he waited so long. His phrasing is 2 8.120760 8.120760 7 120760bk Fats Handful 15/2/04 10:28 PM Page 6 12. Your Feet’s Too Big 3:03 17. Rockin’ Chair 3:04 attractive as is his obvious sense of humour, and Salt Away Some Sugar” and “Abercrombie Had (Ada Benson–Fred Fisher) (Hoagy Carmichael) his vocalising never causes his playing to lose its A Zombie.” Fats Waller & His Rhythm; Fats Waller, vocal Fats Waller, piano solo power. Fortunately Waller also had opportunities to Bluebird B 10500, mx BS 043348-1 Victor 27765, mx BS 063888-1 After playing with the bands of Otto record some more enduring tunes (such as the Recorded 3 November 1939, New York Recorded 13 May 1941, New York Hardwick and Elmer Snowden during 1931-32, ones on this definitive sampler) including many 13. Squeeze Me 3:08 18. Carolina Shout 2:18 visiting France and England and beginning his of his own compositions. His Viper’s Drag is a (Andy Razaf–Fats Waller–Clarence Williams) (James P. Johnson) long stint on the radio as host and star of Fats memorable piano piece that caught on as a Fats Waller & His Rhythm; Fats Waller, vocal Fats Waller, piano solo Waller’s Rhythm Club, Waller really began to standard among later generations of swing and Bluebird B 10405, mx BS 041528-1 Victor 27563, mx BS 063889-2 emerge as a show business personality in 1934 stride pianists. Twelfth Street Rag has Waller Recorded 10 August 1939, New York Recorded 13 May 1941, New York when he signed with the Victor label. During the and his Rhythm digging into the dixieland next eight years, he recorded 282 selections (not standard, tearing it apart in places and swinging 14. Darktown Strutter’s Ball 2:41 19. The Jitterbug Waltz 3:20 counting alternate takes, solo piano features hard. Much more sober but still quite infectious (Shelton Brooks) (Fats Waller) and a few sessions with big bands) with his are Waller’s solo piano versions of his own Fats Waller & His Rhythm; Fats Waller, vocal Fats Waller, His Rhythm & His Orchestra; “Rhythm,” a two-horn sextet that often featured Keepin’ Out Of Mischief Now and Tea For Two. Bluebird B 10573, mx BS 043350-1 Fats Waller, Hammond organ trumpeter Herman Autrey, Gene Sedric on tenor By the time Waller recorded his hit The Joint Recorded 3 November 1939, New York Bluebird B 11518, mx BS 073443-1 and clarinet and guitarist Al Casey plus a variety Is Jumpin’ in the fall of 1937, Fats was one of Recorded 16 March 1942, New York 15. Honeysuckle Rose (à la Bach–Beethoven– of bassists and drummers. These often- the most famous black performers in music, Brahms–Waller) 3:23 20. Come And Get It 2:42 rambunctious performances put an emphasis on ranking at the top with Louis Armstrong, Cab (Fats Waller–Andy Razaf) (Fats Waller–Ed Kirkeby) Waller’s vocals and no-holds-barred humour Calloway, Duke Ellington and Bill “Bojangles” Fats Waller, piano solo Fats Waller, His Rhythm & His Orchestra; but always included spots for his stride piano. Robinson. Two years earlier he had appeared in Victor 20-1580, mx BS 063890-1 Fats Waller, vocal Fats displayed the ability to satirize weak and memorable scenes in the films Hooray For Love Recorded 13 May 1941, New York Bluebird B 11262, mx PBS 061335-1 clichéd songs in hilarious fashion, making fun of and King Of Burlesque, stealing the show in both Recorded 1 July 1941, Hollywood and ripping into their lyrics. Music publishers cases. He was a fixture on radio, his Rhythm 16. Georgia On My Mind 2:59 were happy because their turkey tunes would was recording steadily and many of his songs (Hoagy Carmichael–Stuart Gorrell) Transfers & Production: David Lennick otherwise probably never have been recorded, were being played nightly by the big swing Fats Waller, piano solo Digital Noise Reduction: Graham Newton and fans were delighted at the outrageous bands. One song that could not be effectively Victor 27765, mx BS 063887-1 Original monochrome photo of Fats Waller from nature of some of the recordings. Among the duplicated by other groups was The Joint Is Recorded 13 May 1941, New York Max Jones Files / Redferns more bizarre tunes that Waller was saddled with Jumpin’, the ultimate musical depiction of a wild during this era were “Us On A Bus,” “My party. Window Faces The South,” “Why Hawaiians Hoagy Carmichael’s Two Sleepy People is Sing Aloha,” “I Love To Whistle,” “Little Curly played colourfully and almost seriously by Hair In A High Chair,” “You’re A Square From Waller and his Rhythm.