Fats Waller: Complete Recorded Works Volume 2

Disc: 1 1. Handful Of Keys 2. The Minor Drag 3. Harlem Fuss 4. Numb Fumblin' 5. Ain't Misbehavin' 6. Sweet Savannah Sue 7. I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling 8. Love Me Or Leave Me 9. Gladyse 10. Valentine Stomp 11. Waiting At The End Of The Road 12. Baby, Oh! Where Can You Be? 13. Tanglefoot 14. That's All 15. Waitin' At The End Of The Road 16. Baby, Oh! Where Can You Be? 17. Goin' About 18. My Feelin's Are Hurt 19. That's How I Feel Today 20. Six Or Seven Times 21. Smashing Thirds 22. Lookin' Good But Feelin' Bad 23. I Need Someone Like You 24. Big Business - Part 1 25. Big Business - Part 2 Disc: 2 1. Plain Dirt 2. Gee, Ain't I Good To You? 3. I'd Love It 4. The Way I Feel Today 5. Miss Hannah 6. Peggy 7. Wherever There's A Will, Baby 8. You Don't Understand 9. You've Got To Be Modernistic 10. My Fate Is In Your Hands 11. My Fate Is In Your Hands 12. Turn On The Heat 13. Lookin' For Another Sweetie 14. Ridin' But Walkin' 15. Won't You Get Off It, Please? 16. When I'm Alone 17. St Louis Blues 18. After You've Gone 19. Girls Like You Were Meant For Boys Like Me 20. Arkansas Blues 21. Eqyptian-Ella 22. I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby 23. Dallas Blues 24. Royal Garden Blues 25. I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby Disc: 3 1. Draggin' My Heart Around 2. You Rascal You 3. That's What I Like About You 4. Chances Are 5. I Got The Ritz From The One I Love 6. China Boy 7. Lies 8. I'm Sorry Dear 9. Tiger Rag 10. I Would Do Anything For You 11. Mean Old Bed Bug Blues 12. Yellow Dog Blues 13. Yes Suh! 14. A Shine On Your Shoes/Louisiana Hayride 15. A Porter's Love Song To A Chambermaid 16. I Wish I Were Twins 17. Armful O' Sweetness 18. Do Me A Favor 19. Georgie May 20. Then I'll Be Tired Of You 21. Don't Let It Bother You 22. Have A Little Dream On Me 23. Serenade For A Wealthy Widow 24. How Can You Face Me? 25. Sweetie Pie Disc: 4 1. Mandy 2. Let's Pretend There's A Moon 3. You're Not The Only Oyster In The Stew 4. Honeysuckle Rose 5. Believe It, Beloved 6. Dream Man 7. I'm Growing Fonder Of You 8. If It Isn't Love 9. Breakin' The Ice 10. I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling 11. I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling 12. Love Me Or Leave Me 13. Gladyse 14. Valentine Stomp 15. Waiting At The End Of The Road 16. Baby, Oh! Where Can You Be? 17. Tanglefoot 18. Waiting At The End Of The Road 19. Baby, Oh! Where Can You Be? 20. Goin' About 21. Where Ever There's A Will 22. I Would Do Anything For You 23. Mean Old Bed Bug Blues 24. Yellow Dog Blues 25. Yes Suh! 26. I Wish I Were Twins

By 1929, aged 25, when this compilation opens, Fats had established himself among the inner circle of New York session players; with Andy Razaf he was getting into his stride as a songwriter; he was a recording artist; he had contributed to a couple of hit Broadway shows; he had played Carnegie Hall. The opening track show Fats as a gifted soloist and as an inspiring bandleader. Handful Of Keys has Fats in his stride-influenced glory, dazzling with what Jelly Roll Morton called a 'picture-show' right hand. Ain't Misbehavin' was written for the 1929 revue 'Hot Chocolates'. As well as consolidating Louis Armstrong's showbiz career, it established Waller/Razaf as a leading writing team. There are some of Fats' distinctive organ numbers here. Victor had bought a church in Camden to use as a studio. The church came with its own organ which was familiar to Fats. He had used it for his first Victor cut in 1926. Few players in the prewar years could produce such authentic jazz from the instrument. At the end of the 'Roaring Twenties' came the Stock Market crash. Few escaped. The recording industry was no exception. Victor had sold about 35 million discs in 1929. In 1930, sales were half that, and in 1931 they were 3 million. The situation could have been serious for Fats - but that would be to underestimate his selling power. He cut only two sessions in 1930, but that was as slow as his recording career ever got. Fats' irrepressible personality was made for radio and live performance. That's part of the story. He was now writing his own scintillating material. This might have been because he was so often asked to record inferior work written by others. The problem was, even when he was given below-standard writing he was able by some alchemy to turn it into gold. The evidence here - if it was ever needed - is that Fats never cut a dud side.

Price: $47.98