Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Fats Waller: The 1935 Transcriptions

444

Fats Waller: The 1935 Transcriptions

By

Sign in to view read count
Fats Waller: The 1935 Transcriptions

Ain't Misbehavin'...

Born in Waverley, New York in 1904, raised in Harlem, and schooled by his mother, James P. Johnson, Karl Bohm, and Leopold Godowsky, Thomas "Fats" Waller would have been a giant in American music history without his happy gargantuan personality. A personality, in fact, so big, that his showmanship has often overshadowed his considerable pianistic talent and technique. I admit, it is hard to watch Stormy Weather and see Waller mugging and singing "Ain't Misbehavin'" and take him as seriously as one would take, say Mozart or Clementi. But, that would be our 21st century folly.

In perfect truth, Waller is of central importance, indeed to the New York stride tradition. Predating Art Tatum, it was Waller who, from the bandstand, referred to Tatum as God when Tatum entered a club where Waller was playing. If Tatum is God, I suspect that Waller if John the Baptist. Yes, I think that is right. Waller contributed some of the most durable standard to the Jazz Canon. "Ain't Misbehavin'," "Blue Turning Grey Over You," "Smashing Thirds," "Handful of Keys," and "Honeysuckle Rose" beam with his Waller's good nature and enormous talent.

The current Naxos Jazz Legends release details the entire March 1935 program of medleys from the CBS radio "Rhythm Club" broadcasts. This music was originally captured on 16-inch transcription discs. The entire disc reminds me of a Robert Plant-Jimmy Page concert I witnessed in 1997. In that show, the working half of Led Zeppelin guided the audience down memory lane with medleys and snippets of Zep songs, all ingeniously combined, shot out of a machine gun. In that show the music lacked substance, in spite of the principles performing. Waller avoids this with the sheer force of his talent. He presents his material in clever combinations at a gattling gun pace. It is almost overwhelming. When it is over, the listener can't help but say, "Wow!"

These sides are well suited for the uninitiated in Fats Waller. The disc amply displays his keyboard and singing prowess. Waller's supreme good nature is abundant. A great starting place at a great price.

Track Listing

Baby Brown/Viper's Drag/How Can You Face Me?; Dinah/Handful Of Keys/Solitude; I'm Craxy 'Bout My Baby/Teat For Two/Believe It, Beloved; Sweet Sue, Just You/Somebody Stole My Gal/Honeysuckle Rose; Night Wind/African Ripples/Because Of Once Upon A Time; Where Were You On The Night Of June The Third;/Clothesline Ballet/Don't Let It Bother You; Fats Waller's Original E Flat Blues; Alligator Crawl; Zonky; Hallelujah/Do Me A Favor/California Here I Come; I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling;/My Fate Is In Our Hands/Ain't Misbehavin'; You're The Top/Blue Turning Grey Over You/Russian Fantasy. (Total Time: 67:41).

Personnel

Fats Waller: Piano.

Album information

Title: The 1935 Transcriptions | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: Unknown label

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Fiesta at Caroga
Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective
Fellowship
David Gibson
Immense Blue
Olie Brice / Rachel Musson / Mark Sanders

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.