The newly remastered CD features pianist Waller Leading his sextet The Rhythm through His greatest hits, including “I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter," “Tain't Nobody's Business," “The Joint Is Jumpin'" and “Your Feet's Too Big"
On April 20, Bluebird/RCA Victor Group celebrates the one-hundredth birthday of jazz, film and Broadway legend Fats Waller with a specially priced CD/DVD package Fats Waller: The Centennial Collection. Called “the greatest pianist jazz has ever known" by the All Music Guide to Jazz and “one of the great showmen of jazz" by MusicHound Jazz, Waller was truly an exuberant presence on the popular music scene of the 1920s, '30s and early '40s. He delivered buoyant performances steeped in stride piano, the blues and swing and enjoyed a lengthy recording career with Victor. He began making records for the label in 1926 and hit the pay dirt in the '30s when he signed an exclusive contract with Victor that yielded such classic songs as “This Joint Is Jumpin'" and “Your Feet's Too Big."
Newly remastered in 24-bit sound, The Centennial Collection CD is a 21-track celebration of the brilliance and charisma of Fats Waller. The disc opens with the 1935 recording of the gently swinging “I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter," one of the pianist-vocalist's biggest hits. An announcer introduces Waller with a succinct overview of his career up to that point:
“Songwriter and singer, orchestra leader and expert performer on the violin, piano and organ, master of ceremony extraordinaire, that's Fats Waller. At least those are a few of the accomplishments of this popular Victor recording artist. The son of a minister, Fats Waller was originally intended to follow in his father's footsteps but rhythm claimed him. Over parental protests, he accepted an offer to sing and play at a cabaret, and that's how Fats Waller and His Rhythm was born. Popular now both here and abroad, on the stage and in nightclubs, over the air and on the screen, Fats Waller and His Rhythm have been responsible for many of our recent song hits."
Born in Harlem on May 21, 1904, Waller jettisoned onto the New York music scene while still in his teens. He made his first recording in 1922 for the Okeh label, composed music for three Broadway shows and became famous with a series of songs he wrote and covered. However, at age 39, he fell victim to the excesses of success and tragically died of pneumonia while on the road in 1943.
Waller left behind a legacy of stellar performances, both vocal and instrumental, as collected on The Centennial Collection. Most of the tracks feature Waller's good-natured vocals, full of humor, satire and ad libs. He delivers a particularly jaunty performance on one of his signature tunes “This Joint Is Jumpin'" which captures the fun-loving, carousing spirit of a Harlem rent party. Waller also romps through “Got a Bran' New Suit" and puts a zing into “Lulu's Back in Town."
The collection captures Waller's top-drawer piano playing on such rarely heard tunes as the bright and bouncy “African Ripples" and the sparkling “Numb Fumblin.'" Influenced by James P. Johnson's stride piano delivery, Waller had a light, flexible touch on the keys while improvising through foot-tapping beats.
A special feature of the CD is a rare NBC radio on-air studio recording: a medley of Waller numbers, including “Ain't Misbehavin,'" “Hold My Hand," “What's the Matter With You?" and “Hallelujah."
The Centennial Collection features a highly entertaining 20-minute DVD that captures the eyebrow-arching, eyeball-rolling, big-smiling Waller delivering top-notch and rowdy “soundies" (the early predecessor to today's MTV/VH1 videos). Four tunes from his repertoire are featured: the rowdy “This Joint Is Jumping" (complete with dancing couples and even a police raid that results in the men in blue also swinging on the dance floor); a crooning take on “"Ain't Misbehavin'" (including a close up of Waller's pianistic romps and his funny flirtations with a group of female dancers); a finger-snapping run through “Honeysuckle Rose" (with guitar and tenor sax solos by The Rhythm); and a rollicking swing through “Your Feet's Too Big."
The DVD also features two other segments. The first is a scene from the 1935 big-production film King of Burlesque where Waller and his band, all dressed in white tuxedos and playing whitewashed instruments, perform tunes for an ensemble of tap dancers. The final clip on the DVD is a cartoon from the 1980's by Nancy Beiman where she gives her animated interpretation of “Your Feet's Too Big" with an elephant trying to woo a chimpanzee.
Fats Waller: The Centennial Collection is part of Bluebird's Centennial Collection Series that also features Glenn Miller: The Centennial Collection. Both will be released on April 20. Centennial Editions of Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, Coleman Hawkins and Benny Goodman will be released later this year.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
