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