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Satch Plays Fats
Availability:
In Stock
Price:
$6.99
$3.28*
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| Part No: | B0012GMYEG |
| Manufacturer: | Sbme Special Mkts. |
| MFG Part: | |
| Customer Rating: | 5.0 / 5.0 |
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Thomas "Fats" Waller was a brilliant stride pianist and singer, and certainly the only jazz musician who could rival Louis Armstrong as an entertainer, communicating some of the larger-than-life vitality and humor that Armstrong possessed. Waller was also one of the first great songwriters of jazz, his phrasing perfectly mated to the music's rhythmic nuances. This Centennial edition of Satch Plays Fats begins with the nine tracks of Armstrong's 1955 LP devoted to some of Waller's best-known songs, from the drive of "I'm Crazy 'bout My Baby" and the smooth bounce of "Ain't Misbehavin'" to the moving pathos of "Black and Blue." It was one of the highlights of Armstrong's later career, directly comparable to another magnificent session devoted to a single songwriter, Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy. Armstrong is joined by his regular All-Stars, the well-traveled group that matched his clarion trumpet with the vocal smears of trombonist Trummy Young and the woody, liquid clarinet of fellow New Orleans master Barney Bigard, all superbly supported by pianist Billy Kyle, bassist Arvell Shaw, and drummer Barrett Deems. The CD also includes four alternate takes from the 1955 session, and adds another seven tracks of Armstrong's early recordings of Waller tunes. There are versions of "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Black and Blue," recorded in 1929 when Armstrong was featured in the Connie's Hot Chocolates show, and a stunning trumpet solo on "Blue Turning Grey over You." The result is a valuable composite portrait of Armstrong's enduring relationship with Waller's songs. --Stuart Broomer
| Louis and Thomas | 2010-01-27 | 5 / 5 |
| | Does it get any better than this? One of the happiest, most-talented of American musicians interprets the work of one of America's happiest and most-talented composer/performers. Try it -- you'll like it. And while you're at it, read Terry Teachout's outstanding Armstrong biography "Pops".Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong |
| Not Turning Grey in Spirit | 2009-09-29 | 5 / 5 |
| | If there were a question about who was the most influential musician of the Twentieth Century, one need look only to the "Hot Fives and Hot Sevens" and to this album. Armstrong, here in his mid-fifties, is the mature improviser with the immaculate structure and rhythmic grace that allow him to make the most serenely beautiful choices of interpretation. His reading of the wonderful Waller music and Razaf lyrics is unsurpassed. His three [!] versions of "Black and Blue," and his classic 1929 "Ain't Misbehavin'" would be enough to justify this album. But his vocals on both the 1955 and 1929 recordings of "Blue Turning Grey Over You" demonstrate why he was simply the greatest singer of popular ballads ever: He imparts just enough sly humor to keep the song from becoming maudlin, and his unabashed tenderness makes you feel lost love in a way that goes straight to the heart. Waller's music --as subtly complex as it is immediately engaging-- never sounded better. |
| This is It!!!!! | 2008-10-15 | 5 / 5 |
| | It would be downright foolish for anyone interested in jazz to pass up this album, especially at the price it is being offered for. The compositional and lyrical genius of Fats is showcased in iconic performances by Louis and Velma Middleton, with such greats as Trummy Young, Barney Bigard, and Barrett Deems providing support. Some special moments (for me at least) are Velma's exclamation in "Squeeze Me" and Satch's trumpet/drum climax in "Ain't Misbehavin'". The whole album is a gem. Buy this now! |
| A Sheer Bonanza (ignore 's track listings--it should be 20, not 9). | 2008-09-12 | 5 / 5 |
| What is Sony/Columbia thinking? This collection shows much of the same careful planning and production values of Sony/Columbia's restoration of "Ellington at Newport '56," an astonishing and preeminently successful use of digital technology to restore a flawed vinyl masterpiece. Don't let the price "discourage" you--despite appearances, this isn't one of those quick and careless "budget" CDs that you occasionally find at truck stops. Despite 's bargain price, this is an exceptionally well-produced and comprehensive collection that will do any record collector proud while bringing class and shine to his holdings.
As far as the caveats go, Louis' horn is not as full-sounding as a modern recording would represent it, nor the bass as prominent. Otherwise, the fidelity leaves little to be desired--the vocals are exceptionally well recorded and the ensemble balance sounds just fine (except perhaps to ears conditioned to disproportionate bass). It's true that this particular ensemble was far from Louis' most admired. Velma Middleton had her detractors, especially among the Down Beat critics (she's not featured and is heard on only a couple of numbers), and Barney Bigard had more favorite licks to fall back on than Edmund Hall, the other clarinetist Louis frequently toured with during this period. And there are even some who found Trummy Young's trombone "blatty" compared to Jack Teagarden's (true, but there was only one "T"). Overall, and especially in retrospect, it's a cohesive, relaxed, and "comfortable" group of players, perfect for setting off the grandfatherly, fun-loving yet wise and laconic patriarchal icon that Armstrong had become by the '50s.
Still, he's far from a museum piece. There are plenty of passages of highly engaging, even brilliant and, especially on the bonus historical recordings, "passionate" trumpet work, vocals, and scat singing by the father of the jazz solo. The original LP had 9 tracks, and the 1986 CD reissue was inferior due to the inadvertent substitution of alternate tracks for the originals. The present disc has 20 tunes--not just masters and alternates from the 1955 session but 7 Armstrong performances of Waller's music recorded between 1928 and 1932 (with surprisingly "modern" fidelity and enough evidence to convince all but the most unperceptive of Armstrong's singular importance and genius stature in American music).
You could download the twenty tracks for twenty bucks, of course, but in doing so you would miss out on the liner notes (or more accurately, booklet). It includes a facsimile of the original LP front and back, complete listings of personnel (from Red Allen to J. C. Higginbotham) specific dates, an essay about Fats Waller, and brief analyses of each of the songs.
This recording walks all over a far-less satisfying collection such as the Ken Burns anthology, which presents Pops' commercial treacle from "Blueberry Hill" and "Mack the Knife" to "What a Wonderful World" and "Hello Dolly." Forget that ephemera. This session has plenty of meat on the bones and lots of pep in Pops' step (dig the surprisingly fast tempo of "Ain't Misbehaving"). I could listen to this all night. Compared to my unused new HDTV, it's no contest: Satch and Fats surpass high definition any time; in fact, they defined and redefined jazz and all of American popular music. |
| | Wonderful Louis Armstrong. Great band. Can't help smiling when you listen to this music. |
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