FATS WALLER – 1938 | The Classics Chronological Series – 913 (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Fats Waller seems never to have suffered from seasickness. Every photograph and eyewitness account of his transatlantic nautical adventures indicates a strong constitution, unfazed by rough seas even if the rest of the passengers were hanging over the rails. When Waller invaded London in August 1938, a team of Anglo and European musicians were assigned the task of accompanying him through the grooves of six phonograph recordings. Known for the rest of time as "Fats Waller & His Continental Rhythm," this band hammered out one amazing performance after the next. "Don't Try Your Jive on Me" and "Ain't Misbehavin'" both feature the organ, cool at first but gradually gathering steam and finishing grandly with horns in the air. "Music, Maestro Please" is late-'30s sentimentality at its finest, with tinkling celeste and even a bit of romantic violin. After Dr. Jekyll goes off to mope behind the potted palms, Mr. Hyde bursts in on a riotous version of Slim Gaillard's "Flat Foot Floogie" and an alarming ode to disappointed hopes with the catchy title "Pent Up in a Penthouse." Here Waller threatens to "step out the window and turn left," a frightening proposition for anyone occupying a suite so many floors up from the street. Fats's maniacal treatment of "A-Tisket A-Tasket" surpasses even the original version, made famous by its composer Ella Fitzgerald. One week after this combustible session, Fats placed himself at the console of a pipe organ, that instrument so dear to his heart. It is a crying shame that no recordings were made when Waller was granted access to the organ of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. Fats later said he considered that to have been the greatest moment of his life. Back in London, the organist pointedly concentrated on spirituals, the music his father the Baptist preacher would have preferred. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is gorgeous. Near the end the music, the song seems to become partially composed of light as Waller's fingers create swirling tides of heavenly tonalities. Before the session was over, Fats was given the opportunity to accompany the lovely Adelaide Hall, famous for her wordless vocal on Duke Ellington's original version of "Creole Love Call." Some music critics, unable to enjoy Hall's diva approach, insist that she was "not a jazz singer." This is a very odd assessment considering all the wonderful jazz recordings she made throughout her long life, much of which was spent in Scandinavia, where she always received respectful admiration. Here Fats teases her with quips that help to spice up a very sweet pair of love songs. Back in New York and bolstered by His Rhythm, Fats wrestled with his repertoire, still saddled with droopy titles like "I'll Never Forgive Myself." While "Two Sleepy People" is pleasant, it pales when compared with Waller's lusty V-Disc version of 1943. Here in the waning weeks of 1938, "You Look Good to Me" is the best of the vocal tracks, second only to the bouncy instrumental "Yacht Club Swing." arwulf arwulf
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FATS WALLER – 1938-1939 | The Classics Chronological Series – 943 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Fats Waller had become a bit of an institution by the end of 1938. As an internationally famous pianist, organist, vocalist and bandleader, he was also known as the man who could make an enjoyable three-minute jazz record out of nearly any lousy song that was put in front of him. For the true Waller devotee there is something magical about each and every recording. Sympathetic listeners are able to feel as if they are sitting in front of the band, breathing the same night air as the musicians, and finding the time to fully enjoy each song as it is performed. "Imagine My Surprise" is not a great tune, but it becomes worthwhile when Fats Waller puts his personality around it. "I Won't Believe It" would have been a weepy bit of tripe if anyone besides Fats tried to float it. "The Spider and the Fly" is even more interesting. Waller wrote it himself, he delights in presenting the tale, his band sings along, and the combined topics of seduction and entomology carry a bit more weight than the generic heartthrob ditties of Tin Pan Alley. "Patty Cake, Patty Cake" was the beginning of a trend for Fats. Over the next couple of years he would record quite a number of songs which appear to be puerile until you realize the musicians are swinging like crazy and Waller is referencing all kinds of adult topics. On paper this might seem to be about cake, but off the record it appears to have more to do with playing hot music, dancing with wild abandon and chasing after elusive pleasures. The session of January 19, 1939 was to yield even more substantial results. Beginning with the definitive "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" (possibly the best version ever recorded by anyone!) Waller relishes each song, polishing "You Outsmarted Yourself" until it positively glows with articulated irony and exquisite instrumentation. "Last Night a Miracle Happened," "Kiss Me With Your Eyes" and "Good for Nothin' but Love" are slow and romantically endearing, strong enough material for the band to develop relaxing and wistful moods, particularly when Fats trundles out the Hammond organ. Most people would consider "Hold Tight (Want Some Seafood Mama)" to be the best song of the entire session. It's certainly the funniest, liveliest and hottest of the lot. Pop crooner Gene Austin had a lasting friendship with Fats, and they managed to record together from time to time. The two sides included here are goofy fun for anybody who's not too uptight to relax and enjoy the unlikely combination of two very different artists. The session of March 9, 1939 is full of surprises. "You Asked For It -- You Got It" is fast and funny, full of vinegar, perfect kindling for Waller's mischievous mannerisms. "Some Rainy Day" is slower but just as spiteful, with Fats imitating the accents of a highfalutin pretty boy vocalist. "'Tain't What You Do" is outrageous compared to other versions of this big band hit. Fats, who always managed to infect the band with his own contagious strain of mayhem, squeaks as high as his voice will go on the syllable "do-it." Wistful and calm, "Got No Time" is an ode to relaxation and whimsy, the deliberately slow testimony of a man who refuses to be bothered by anything. "Undecided," composed by Charlie Shavers, unfolds at an unusually slow tempo, allowing the musicians to flesh out the melody while Fats carefully outlines each and every segment of the lyric. Well-known for finishing his songs with off-hand one-liners, he simply ends by quietly saying: "I got to know what you're gonna do." arwulf arwulf  
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FATS WALLER – 1939 | The Classics Chronological Series – 973 (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is worth having just for the sake of the "London Suite," a set of six piano impressions conceived, composed and recorded in England during the summer of 1939. The music is as much about Fats Waller's Harlem as it is about that older metropolis on the other side of the Atlantic. There are gentle moments of deep reflection, a bluesy portrait of the red light district and a healthy dose of full-tilt Harlem/London stride piano at its hottest. It's a musical lexicon of the artist's every mood. "Piccadilly" runs like hot butter. "Chelsea" is precious as dew clinging to long blades of sweet grass. The beautiful "Soho" seems like an ennobled version of "Stompin' at the Savoy." "Bond Street" is more working class, almost as if patterned after the rhythms of feet on pavement. "Limehouse" is all delicacy, and "Whitechapel" disarmingly somber. Fats finished up his English adventure with two performances on pipe organ, then attempted a quick tour of mainland Europe. Passing through Germany, he stepped off the train for a beer and met up with a team of goose-stepping Nazis! Re-boarding as swiftly as possible, Fats could not be persuaded to budge from his seat until the locomotive had escorted him permanently off of German soil. Waller was well-informed: "That rascal Hitler don't like my kind of music!" Back in New York, Americans were consuming his records as fast as he could make them. Fats said that he heard the melody he used for "Honey Hush" in bird songs at dawn after staying up all night walking through London. "Anita" was written in honor of his beautiful wife. He poured equal amounts of humor and musical dexterity into "What a Pretty Miss" and especially "You Meet the Nicest People in Your Dreams." The session of August 10, 1939 is notable for a sultry version of Waller's early hit, "(When You) Squeeze Me," and a splendid ensemble setting of "Bond Street" from the "London Suite." It would have been wonderful if they'd adapted all six movements for this band, but there wasn't time. And Fats didn't even make it to the age of forty. "Abdullah" is a fine example of Tin Pan Alley's penchant for ethnic confusion; the subject of this song was apparently the "king of Amazoola" who "took a trip to Honolulu" where, of course, he became infatuated with a Polynesian woman named Lulu. Luckily, Fats and His Rhythm make wonderful sense out of this inane exercise. Three sides cut on November 3, 1939 round off this chronology nicely: "It's You Who Taught It to Me" begins with a strange group vocal, while "Suitcase Susie" depicts a young lady who traveled extensively and then "married the guy next door." "Your Feet's Too Big" is deservedly famous, but seems to have been made after the version used in a short film. Anyone who listens to both renditions will agree that on this Bluebird recording, Fats appears to be trying to re-create the spontaneously clever things he said on the film soundtrack, right down to the pedal extremities being "obnoxious" and that famous last line: "one never knows, do one?" arwulf arwulf  
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FATS WALLER – 1939-1940 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1002 (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Back in the 1920s and early '30s, Fats Waller sold a lot of songs for next to nothing. Much to his consternation, some of these melodies turned up later as hugely successful hits with other peoples' names attached. He adamantly insisted that he'd written both "On the Sunny Side of the Street" and "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," gorgeous tunes that do seem to be cut from the same fabric as "Honeysuckle Rose," "My Fate Is in Your Hands," and "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now." Bearing this in mind, Waller's magnificently cynical duet with Una Mae Carlisle is not only one of the most skillfully humorous records he ever made, but might also have served as a sort of artistic vengeance upon Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields. In any case, Una Mae has a wonderfully sultry voice and Fats is remarkably funny. "The Darktown Strutters' Ball" features a non-electric taxi cab horn and a very hot band, goaded by Waller's shouting and piano plunking. "Swinga-Dilla Street" demonstrates his mature bouncing Hammond organ style. "At Twilight" was composed by Thomas and Anita Waller. It is romantic, soft, and lovely, like something from Duke Ellington. "Black Maria," that cheerful ode to a paddy wagon, swings hard. Rosy and idyllic, "Mighty Fine" is most memorable for its interesting punch line: "Exuberance is the spontaneity of life." Waller's band had already recorded two excellent versions of "The Moon Is Low" in 1939. The first 1940 take is a nice hasty jam, but nothing could top what they'd done with it a few months earlier. Unissued until the 1970s, "The Moon Is Low, Pt. 2" uses the Hammond organ in place of piano. Fats slips into in a strange key at one point, which is probably why this take was rejected. "Fat and Greasy" is a remake of a nasty tune recorded in 1935 by Waller's big band. This version actually includes the verse, for what it's worth. It's kind of strange to hear Fats making fun of obesity. "You Run Your Mouth" is famous for its prickly assertiveness. This is much better than the sloppy, apparently inebriated second take. Fats makes all kinds of weird noises with his lips during "Eep, Ipe, Wanna Piece of Pie," a very funny song for children or twisted adults. "My Mommie Sent Me to the Store" is even better, with a hilarious vocal exchange between the bandmembers and their fearless leader. Does the word "rye" refer to bread or liquids? Only mother knows for sure. "Dry Bones," cast in a minor mode, is wonderfully spooky and expertly timed. It's much better than anyone else's version of this old song. Deep in the throes of his own theater of the absurd, Fats invokes "fine neck bones and rice" with almost religious fervor. arwulf arwulf  
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FATS WALLER – 1940-1941 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1030 (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Cut just few years prior to Waller's untimely death, these Bluebird sides find the irrepressible pianist and singer on yet another of the many combo dates which featured his rhythm band. Full of his usual wit and vigor, Waller dominates the program with a mix of his usual zingers ("All That Meat and No Potatoes") and some well-worn standards ("Everybody Loves My Baby"). With Waller in fine form on both the vocal and piano end of things, top-notch contributions by rhythm soloists Gene Sedric, Al Casey, and John "Bugs" Hamilton add some unexpected delights. Even with a generous 23 tracks to get through, the going is never less than enjoyable. Stephen Cook
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FATS WALLER – 1941 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1068 (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Just a few days short of his 37th birthday, Thomas "Fats" Waller recorded five outstanding piano solos. These would turn out to be the last unaccompanied studio piano records of his career, with the exception of those somewhat alcohol-driven V-Disc platters from September of 1943. The 1941 Victor solos are studies in immaculate ease. The artist's choices are fascinating: two pleasantly reflective Hoagy Carmichael reveries, James P. Johnson's throw-down showpiece the "Carolina Shout," a delicate rendering of Duke Ellington's "Ring Dem Bells" and the ultimate interpretation of Waller's own "Honeysuckle Rose." The original 78rpm label bore the distinctive subtitle: "à la Bach-Beethoven-Brahms-Waller." Classics (1068) would be worth having just for the piano solos, even if it didn't convey all the excitement of Waller's small and large band recordings from this very transitional year. "Twenty Four Robbers" is particularly funny, and "Sad Sap Sucker" is an example of the kind of song Waller wrote in collaboration with his manager Ed Kirkeby. They also came up with several saucy numbers that Fats would record with his big band in Los Angeles during the summer of '41. The "Rump Steak Serenade" is an over-the-top paean to red meat, resounding with Waller's refrain: "let me stick my fork in the gravy!" The boisterous "Come and Get It" has more than vaguely sexual overtones, but "Ain't Nothing to It," which posed the question "Gettin' much lately?" was considered too near the bone and remained unissued until many years after Waller's demise. "Chant of the Groove" has a shouted scat intro by the pianist. Interestingly, his first two syllables come out as "be bop," but this is straightforward big band swing. The small group session of October 1, 1941 is most notable for Al Casey's guitar work on "Buck Jumpin'," Gene Sedric and John "Bugs" Hamilton's lively interplay in front of Waller's bubbly Hammond organ on "Clarinet Marmalade" and a lovely understated opus inspired by "The Bells of San Raquel." While "That Gets It, Mr. Joe" is rowdier, and the more-than-somewhat misogynistic "Bessie, Bessie, Bessie" is much saltier, "San Raquel" allows Waller to reveal the quieter side of his personality. For this reason the song never makes it on to any Waller "Best Of" collections. Be grateful that we have the Classics chronological series, for this is the only way to truly get to know someone who was so complex. "Winter Weather" is another heartwarming example of that marvelous creature, the relaxed Fats Waller. "Cash for Your Trash," an entire song devoted to the subject of metal recycling, was his first contribution to the war effort. By December 1943 he had literally worked himself to death by entertaining troops at all hours and selling U.S. bonds on the air. These 1941 sides could be considered the first of what would be his last studio recordings. arwulf arwulf  
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HERMAN CHITTISON – 1944-1945 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1024 (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The surest way to describe Herman Chittison's style is to compare him with the greatest jazz pianists on the scene during the 1940s. First and foremost he drew harmonic and dexterous inspiration from Art Tatum. This influence is most obvious in the constant tide of arpeggios and a breathtaking facility that could be traced back to the great James P. Johnson, root of Tatum's own brilliance. But there are other pianists who need to be mentioned, as they were active during these years and shared some of the same ground with Chittison. The hip exactitude of Nat King Cole in particular comes to mind, an impression that is magnified by the smooth guitars of Jimmy Shirley and Carl Lynch. The spirit of Fats Waller is palpable, especially during the opening session, which took place less than three weeks after Waller's sudden death at the age of 39. The presence of Waller's long-term bassist Cedric Wallace might have had something to do with it. Like Waller, Donald Lambert and Willie "The Lion" Smith, Herman Chittison enjoyed creating jazz interpretations of European classical melodies. Examples included here are themes by Schubert, Lehar and Chopin. Let's not forget Bud Powell and his mind-blowing variations on a theme by J.S. Bach. With Chittison, we are looking forward in Powell's direction while maintaining sensible contact with the Fats Waller tradition, wonderfully represented by about two minutes' worth of "Persian Rug," a dazzling performance you end up wishing had lasted at least five minutes longer! Herman Chittison possessed the ability to render jazz standards like "The Song Is Ended" and "My Old Flame" with exceptional soul and grace, almost as though the trio were playing the blues rather than popular ballads. This pianist worked for years in Europe and North Africa, polishing his style in nightclubs of every description. This explains the sophistication that pervades all of his phonograph recordings. Two sentimental vocals by Thelma Carpenter fit in nicely with the rest of the selections, almost as if one were dining at a club in Egypt during the autumn of 1938 and a group of Americans are purveying tasteful jazz under a desert moon. Five piano solos, four from 1945 and one stray side recorded in Paris in the spring of 1934, reinforce these daydream impressions. arwulf arwulf  
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PAT FLOWERS – 1941-1945 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1060 (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Pat Flowers was a fine stride pianist whose dedication to playing in a style similar to Fats Waller's at first helped and then ultimately hurt his career. His jivey remarks and vocals lacked Waller's humor and warmth, being a bit distracting and annoying at times, but his piano playing was excellent. This CD has Flowers' first recordings: two trios from 1941 when he was 21, a couple of solo piano-vocals from 1944 (originally put out as V-Discs), and four instrumentals from 1945 (including "Chopin E Minor Waltz" and "Canteen Honky Tonk Boogie") that are enjoyable. The bulk of the CD is taken from a radio broadcast on Feb. 11, 1945, that was a tribute to the recently deceased Fats Waller. All of the selections that involve Flowers are included: piano solos, sextet selections with Fats Waller's former group (including trumpeter Herman Autrey, Gene Sedric on clarinet and tenor, and guitarist Al Casey) plus numbers with a variety of guest stars. Xylophonist Red Norvo is featured on "Honeysuckle Rose," Louis Armstrong is showcased on "On the Sunny Side of the Street" and "I Got Rhythm," and there are spots for trombonist Tommy Dorsey, pianist James P. Johnson, and singers Mildred Bailey and Red McKenzie. Overall this is an interesting CD, but one wishes Pat Flowers did not talk quite so much! Scott Yanow  
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PAT FLOWERS – 1945-1947 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1093 (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Pianist and vocalist Pat Flowers wanted to be Fats Waller. As a young man Flowers would follow Waller, trying to get gigs playing in the lobby of the hall at which Fats would be performing. For his own recording sessions he would hire musicians like Herman Autrey, Gene "Honey Bear" Sedric, Slick Jones, and Cedric Wallace, all members of Fats Waller's Rhythm. Flowers was even managed for a short time by Waller's manager Ed Kirkeby making records under the moniker Pat Flowers and His Rhythm. These 24 sides recorded between 1945 and 1947 showcase Flowers piano playing and singing in the '30s style of, guess who. Featured are four recordings for the Hit Record label, including "Aint Misbehavin" and the Fats inspired "Bach Prelude and Fugue." The remaining tunes are mainly novelties like "Save the Bones for Henry Jones," "Aloysius Do the Dishes," and "Exhilarated, Exasperated, Exhausted" recorded for RCA Victor (the label Fats Waller recorded for.) Al Campbell  
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