Fats Waller - Sugar Blues

He was an excellent pianist — now usually considered one of the very best who ever played in the stride style. Many believe that his songwriting and his lovable, roguish stage personality often overshadowed his playing. Before his solo career, he played with many performers, from Erskine Tate to Bessie Smith, but his greatest success came with his own five- or six-piece combo, “Fats Waller and his Rhythm”. Fats Waller was such an impressive and talented pianist that he came to the attention of the rich and famous - sometimes whether he wanted to or not. Fats Waller was in Chicago in 1926 and, upon leaving the building where he was performing, Waller was kidnapped by four men, who bundled him into a car and drove off. The car later pulled up outside the Hawthorne Inn, owned by infamous gangster Al Capone. Fats was ordered inside the building, to find a party in full swing. With a gun against his back, Waller was pushed towards a piano, whereupon the gangsters demanded he start playing. A terrified Waller suddenly realized he was the “surprise guest” at Al Capone’s birthday party. Soon comforted by the fact that he wouldn’t die, Waller played, according to rumor, for three days. When he left the Hawthorne Inn, he was very drunk, extremely tired, and had earned thousands of dollars in cash given to him by Capone himself and by party-goers as tips.

Though Waller could read and write music well (from his classical keyboard studies as a child) and would even, on occasion, perform organ works of Bach for small groups, his brilliant improvisations have had to be transcribed from old recordings and radio broadcasts. The pianist and keyboard professor Paul Posnak has recently produced transcriptions of 16 of Waller’s greatest solos, published by Hal Leonard, and himself performs these in concerts worldwide. In 1978 a Broadway musical entitled Ain’t Misbehavin’ was produced. Performed by five African American actors, it showcased the works of Waller in the style of a musical revue and included such songs as “Honeysuckle Rose”, “The Joint is Jumpin’”, and “Ain’t Misbehavin’”. The show opened at the Longacre Theatre and ran for over 1600 performances.

Oh in any case this is really, really lovely piano playing and smooth lovable jazz singing.

Tracklist:

01. You're the Picture (I'm the Frame)
02. My Very Good Friend the Milkman
03. Blue Because of You
04. There's Going to Be The Devil to Pay
05. 12th Street Rag
06. There'll Be Some Changes Made
07. Somebody Stole My Gal
08. Sweet Sue, Just You
09. Truckin'
10. Sugar Blues
11. Just As Long As the World Goes 'Round and 'Round (And I Go Around With You)
12. Georgia Rockin' Chair
13. Brother, Seek and Ye Shall Find
14. The Girl I Left Behind Me
15. You're So Darn Charming
16. Woe! Is Me
17. Rhythm and Romance
18. Loafin' Time
19. (Do You Intend to Put an End to) A Sweet Beginning Like This
20. Got a Bran' New Suit
21. I'm on a See-Saw
22. Thief in the Night

Get get get get.