An Essential Collection is not essential until the fat man plays the piano!
So here is Fats Waller caught at the height of his powers between 1927 and 1942 sounding as fresh today as he did when he laid these tracks down all those years ago.
Until 1934 Fats’ recording career was a little spasmodic, we can witness some great early stride piano work here, but it was in 1934 when Victor gave him a recording contract that his most famous work began.
We feature many of these great tracks here, as James P Johnson said, “ Some people have music in them, but Fats was all music”. We’ll drink to that, enjoy the fat man playing!
CD1
1. Won’t You Take Me Home? (with Morris’s Hot Babies)
2. You Rascal, You (with Jack Teagarden & His Orchestra)
3. Handful Of Keys (piano solo)
4. Loveless Love (organ solo)
5. Harlem Fuss (with His Buddies)
6. That’s What I Like About You (with Jack Teagarden & His Orchestra)
7. Valentine Stomp (piano solo)
8. I Wish I Were Twins (with His Rhythm)
9. Hog-Maw Stomp (organ solo)
10. Won’t You Get Off It, Please? (with His Buddies)
11. Don’t Let It Bother You (with His Rhythm)
12. I’ve Got A Feeling I’m Falling (piano solo)
13. Sweet Sue - Just You (with His Rhythm)
14. Soothin’ Syrup Stomp (organ solo)
15. I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter (with His Rhythm)
16. Twelfth Street Rag (with His Rhythm)
17. Viper’s Drag (piano solo)
18. Got A Bran’ New Suit (with His Rhythm)
19. My Very Good Friend The Milkman (with His Rhythm)
20. Woe! Is Me (with His Rhythm)
21. Sugar (organ solo)
22. When Somebody Thinks You’re Wonderful (with His Rhythm)
23. I’ve Got My Fingers Crossed (with His Rhythm)
24. Sugar Rose (with His Rhythm)
25. Baby Brown (with His Rhythm)
26. Let’s Sing Again (with His Rhythm)
CD2
1. Oooh! Look-A There, Ain’t She Pretty? (with His Rhythm)
2. Smarty (You Know It All) (with His Rhythm)
3. Alligator Crawl (piano solo)
4. It’s A Sin To Tell A Lie (with His Rhythm)
5. There’s Honey On The Moon Tonight (with His Rhythm)
6. African Ripples (piano solo)
7. The Joint Is Jumpin’ (with His Rhythm)
8. The Curse Of An Aching Heart (with His Rhythm)
9. Fair And Square (with His Rhythm)
10. Honeysuckle Rose (with His Rhythm)
11. Ain’t Misbehavin’ (with His Continental Rhythm)
12. You Meet The Nicest People In Your Dreams (with His Rhythm)
13. Anita (with His Rhythm)
14. Keepin’ Out Of Mischief Now (piano solo)
15. Suitcase Susie (with His Rhythm)
16. Your Feet’s Too Big (with His Rhythm)
17. Everybody Loves My Baby (with His Rhythm)
18. Little Curly Hair In A High Chair (with His Rhythm)
19. Pantin’ In The Panther Room (with His Rhythm)
20. Old Grand Dad (with His Rhythm)
21. Shortnin’ Bread (with His Rhythm)
22. Stop Pretending (with His Rhythm)
23. Bond Street (with His Rhythm)
24. Rump Steak Serenade (with His Rhythm & His Orchestra)
25. Twenty-Four Robbers (with His Rhythm)
26. That’s What The Well-Dressed Man In Harlem Will Wear (The Victor ‘First Nighter’ Orchestra - vocal refrain by Fats Waller & men’s chorus)
