Face the Music 5.30.13  Fats Waller - chapter V

The fifth installment in your extended tour of Fats Waller’s humongous recorded output finds Mr. Waller on the cusp of two fully loaded decades. The playlist contains recordings from the years 1929-1932; note that Waller didn't begin recording as leader of his famous Victor/Bluebird "Rhythm” band until 1934. In addition to several tasty piano solos, (one of which indicates where he was heading as a vocalist) this playlist traces Tom Waller’s peregrinations as sideman & featured “character” in Billy Banks’ Rhythmakers, Red McKenzie’s Mound City Blue Blowers and the jazz band/orchestras of piano wizard Jimmy Johnson, vaudevillian Ted Lewis & trombone ace Jack Teagarden. All of this manifests as an exciting prologue to Waller’s better-known and well-loved material from the middle 1930s.

Draggin’ My Heart Around

Fats Waller piano & vocal 1931

I’m Crazy ‘Bout My Baby

Fats Waller with the Ted Lewis Orchestra 1931

That’s What I Like About You

Fats Waller with Jack Teagarden & his Orchestra 1931

Dallas Blues

Fats Waller with the Ted Lewis Orchestra 1931

I Got the Ritz from the One I Love

Fats Waller with Jack Teagarden & his Orchestra 1931

Valentine Stomp

Fats Waller piano solo 1929

Chances Are

Fats Waller with Jack Teagarden & his Orchestra 1931

Egyptian Ella

Fats Waller with the Ted Lewis Orchestra 1931

Mean Old Bedbug Blues

Fats Waller with Billy Banks’ Rhythmakers 1932

Royal Garden Blues

Fats Waller with the Ted Lewis Orchestra 1931

I Would Do Anything For You

Fats Waller with Billy Banks’ Rhythmakers 1932

You Rascal You

Fats Waller with Jack Teagarden & his Orchestra 1931

Yellow Dog Blues

Fats Waller with Billy Banks’ Rhythmakers 1932

Arkansas Blues

Fats Waller with Red McKenzie’s

Mound City Blue Blowers 1931

China Boy

Fats Waller with Jack Teagarden & his Orchestra 1931

Turn On the Heat

Fats Waller piano solo 1929

You’ve Got to be Modernistic

Fats Waller with Jimmy Johnson

& his Orchestra 1929

vocal by the Keep Shufflin’ Trio

Tiger Rag

Fats Waller with Jack Teagarden & his Orchestra 1931

Face the Music

5.23.13

Fats Waller IV

This installment focuses exclusively on the year 1929. The playlist includes Thomas Waller’s first recordings as leader of his own groups, his historic collaborations with Don Redman and McKinney’s Cotton Pickers, an orchestra led by his mentor James P. Johnson and a fine ensemble billed as the Chocolate Dandies. A piano solo and a pipe organ solo were added in order to round out this portrait of young Fats Waller.

Ridin’ But Walkin’

Fats Waller & his Buddies 1929

Harlem Fuss

Fats Waller & his Buddies 1929

Gee, Ain’t I Good To You?

Mc Kinney’s Cotton Pickers 1929

vocal by Don Redman

Six or Seven Times

The Chocolate Dandies 1929

That’s All

Pipe Organ Solo 1929

Looking For Another Sweetie

Fats Waller & his Buddies 1929

vocal by Orlando Roberson

{shortly afterwards, this song was hijacked &

retooled as “I’m Confessin’ That I Love You”}

Waiting At the End of the Road

piano solo 1929

The Way I Feel Today

The Chocolate Dandies 1929

That’s How I Feel Today

Mc Kinney’s Cotton Pickers 1929

vocal by Don Redman

Wherever There’s a Will, There’s a Way

Mc Kinney’s Cotton Pickers 1929

vocal by Don Redman

I Need Someone Like You

Fats Waller & his Buddies 1929

vocal by the Four Wanderers

I’d Love It

Mc Kinney’s Cotton Pickers 1929

Lookin’ Good But Feelin’ Bad

Fats Waller & his Buddies 1929

vocal by the Four Wanderers

Peggy

Mc Kinney’s Cotton Pickers 1929

Won’t You Get Up Off It Please?

Fats Waller & his Buddies 1929

You Don’t Understand

Jimmy Johnson’s Orchestra 1929

vocal by the Keep Shufflin’ Trio

Minor Drag

Fats Waller & his Buddies 1929

Plain Dirt

Mc Kinney’s Cotton Pickers 1929

potentials & probabilities

Face the Music 5.16.13

Fats Waller III

Please Take Me Out of Jail

Thomas Waller

with Morris’s Hot Babies 1927

Fats Waller Stomp

Thomas Waller

with Morris’s Hot Babies 1927

Won’t You Take Me Home

Thomas Waller

with Morris’s Hot Babies 1927

Sweet Savannah Sue

piano solo 1929

Beale Street Blues

accompanying Alberta Hunter

on the pipe organ, 1927

Willow Tree

Louisiana Sugar Babes 1928

I’m Goin’ to See My Ma

accompanying Alberta Hunter

on the pipe organ, 1927

‘Sippi

Louisiana Sugar Babes 1928

Sloppy Water Blues

pipe organ solo 1927

Love Me or Leave Me

piano solo 1929

Handful of Keys

piano solo 1929

What’s the Use of Being Alone?

Dunn’s Original Jazz Hounds 1928

Dunn's Original Bugle Blues

Dunn’s Original Jazz Hounds 1928

Ain’t Misbehavin’

piano solo 1929

Thou Swell

Louisiana Sugar Babes 1928

Persian Rug

Louisiana Sugar Babes 1928

Chicago Blues

Jimmy Johnson & his Orchestra 1928

Mournful Tho’ts

Jimmy Johnson & his Orchestra 1928

Face the Music 5.09.13 Fats Waller II

Do It Mr. So and So

player piano roll 1924

You Get Mad

vocal by Rosa Henderson 1926

Loveless Love

pipe organ solo 1927

Cryin’ For My Used To Be

duo player piano roll

with James P. Johnson 1927

What’s the Matter Now?

vocal by Rosa Henderson 1926

Blue Black Bottom Stomp

piano solo 1927

Henderson Stomp

Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra 1926

Whiteman Stomp

Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra 1927

The Chant

Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra 1926

I’m Coming Virginia

Fletcher Henderson’s Orchestra 1927

Sugar

vocal Alberta Hunter 1927

Numb Fumblin’

piano solo 1929

Red Hot Dan

{Waller’s first recorded vocal!}

Thomas Waller with Morris’s Hot Babies 1927

Savannah Blues

Thomas Waller with Morris’s Hot Babies 1927

He’s Gone Away

Thomas Waller with Morris’s Hot Babies 1927

Beale Street Blues

pipe organ solo 1927

Geechee

Thomas Waller with Morris’s Hot Babies 1927

Face the Music 5.02.13

Fats Waller part 1  

Young Fats in the Twenties

Muscle Shoals Blues

piano solo 1922

Birmingham Blues

piano solo 1922

Haitian Blues

player piano roll 1923

T’aint Nobody’s Bus’ness If I Do

vocal by Sara Martin 1922

St. Louis Blues

pipe organ solo 1926

Stingaree Blues

vocal by Alberta Hunter 1923

Lenox Avenue Blues

pipe organ solo 1926

Your Time Now

{‘Twill Be Mine After a While}

player piano roll 1923

Sister Kate

vocal by Anna Jones 1923

What Do You Know About That?

vocals by Clarence Williams & Joe Sims 1927

I’m Cert’ny Gonna See About That

vocals by Clarence Williams & Sara Martin 1923

Shut Your Mouth

vocals by Clarence Williams & Joe Sims 1927

Soothin’ Syrup Stomp

pipe organ solo 1927

Squabbling Blues

vocals by Clarence Williams & Sara Martin 1923

In Harlem’s Araby

vocal by Porter Grainger 1924

You Don’t Know My Mind Blues

Jamaica Jazzers 1924

West Indies Blues

Jamaica Jazzers 1924

Wild Cat Blues
player piano roll 1928