Track Listing

1. Fats Waller Stomp - Charlie Irvis, Eddie King, Thomas Morris, Fats Waller
2. Handful of Keys - Fats Waller
3. Minor Drag - Eddie Condon, Charlie Gaines, Arville Harris, Charlie Irvis, Fats Waller
4. Ain't Misbehavin' - Fats Waller
5. I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby (And My Baby's Crazy 'Bout Me) - Fats Waller
6. Porter's Love Song to a Chambermaid - Al Casey, Harry Dial, Billy Taylor, Fats Waller, Ben Whittet
7. How Can You Face Me? - Al Casey, Harry Dial, Mezz Mezzrow, Floyd O'Brien, Billy Taylor, Fats Waller
8. Viper's Drag - Fats Waller
9. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter - Herman Autrey, Al Casey, Harry Dial, Rudy Powell, Charles Turner, Fats Waller
10. Dinah - Herman Autrey, Arnold Boling, Rudy Powell, Willie "The Lion" Smith, Charles Turner, Fats Waller
11. Truckin' - Herman Autrey, Arnold Boling, Rudy Powell, , Charles Turner, Fats Waller
12. When Somebody Thinks You're Wonderful - Herman Autrey, Yank Porter, Gene Sedric, , Charles Turner, Fats Waller
13. I Got Rhythm - Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Hank Duncan, George James, Emmett Matthews, Rudy Powell, Gene Sedric, C.E. Smith, Fats Waller
14. It's a Sin to Tell a Lie - Herman Autrey, Al Casey, , Gene Sedric, Charles Turner, Fats Waller
15. Until the Real Thing Comes Along - Herman Autrey, Al Casey, Slick Jones, Gene Sedric, Charles Turner, Fats Waller
16. Curse of an Aching Heart - Herman Autrey, Al Casey, Slick Jones, Gene Sedric, Charles Turner, Fats Waller
17. Honeysuckle Rose [A Jam Session at Victor] - Bunny Berigan, Tommy Dorsey, Dick McDonough, Fats Waller, George Wettling
18. Joint Is Jumpin' - Herman Autrey, Al Casey, Slick Jones, Gene Sedric, Charles Turner, Fats Waller
19. Two Sleepy People - Herman Autrey, Al Casey, Slick Jones, Gene Sedric, Cedric Wallace, Fats Waller
20. I'll Dance at Your Wedding - Herman Autrey, Al Casey, Slick Jones, Gene Sedric, Cedric Wallace, Fats Waller
21. Hold Tight (Want Some Sea Food, Mama) - Herman Autrey, Al Casey, Slick Jones, Gene Sedric, Cedric Wallace, Fats Waller
22. Your Feet's Too Big - John "Bugs" Hamilton, Slick Jones, Gene Sedric, John Smith, Cedric Wallace, Fats Waller
23. All That Meat and No Potatoes - Al Casey, , Slick Jones, Gene Sedric, Cedric Wallace, Fats Waller
24. Jitterbug Waltz - Herman Autrey, Herb Fleming, John "Bugs" Hamilton, Joe Thomas, Fats Waller, Nathaniel Williams, George Wilson

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13473 in Music
• Released on: 2000-09-12
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Customer Reviews

My choice!
Normally when you want to buy an album of songs recorded before the World War II, you are torn between its comprehensiveness and sound quality. CD's that give well-remastered sound quality are normally too short to really cover "the best" or "the essentials" of the artist's works while full length CD's are normally either too expensive or not well-remastered. This reasonably-priced CD is an exception. It contains over 72 minutes of a total of 24 well-remastered tracks including many Fats' signature works like "Your Feet's Too Big", "All That Meat and No Potatoes", "Handful of Keys", "I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby" and "Two Sleepy People". The inclusion of two different versions of "Honeysuckle Rose" on this single CD is really a surprising bonus. I spent much time comparing and evaluating Fats Waller's CD's and I finally picked this one for it's both well-priced and well-remastered and that it contains all the songs I want. Some tracks still contain noticeable background noise but it's certainly immaterial when you compare to the rarity of this compilation. If you can't get this excellent CD, try RCA's "The Very Best of Fats Waller" (released 2000) and Stardust Records' "Fats Waller: The Best of the War Years" (released 2002). These two shorter alternatives are not as comprehensive as this one but they are also good compilations. Try your best to get this very best compilation and you won't regret!

The definitive collection of a great triple threat
Fats Waller was one of the great artists of American popular song between the two world wars, and he ruled in at least three arenas: songwriting, pianoplaying, and singing. This CD is the best one-disc collection of his work, with a good mix of his best work in all three areas. About the only track I'd like to see that isn't here is "African Ripples," but it does have "This Joint Is Jumpin'" "Viper's Drag," "Porter's Lovesong," "Handful of Keys," and one of the two really great versions Waller did of "Honeysuckle Rose." Although it says "Collector's Choice," it's an album for enjoyment as much as completeness.

FATS WALLER, SECOND ONLY TO LOUIS ARMSTRONG!!!
THOMAS FATS WALLER RULES! NO DOUBT ABOUT IT! THE MUSICIAN, A PIANIST AND VOCALIST, POSSESSES THE CHARISMA OF CAB CALAWAY, THE INNOVATIVE BRILLIANCE OF LOUIS ARMSTRONG AND THE DOWN AND DIRTY, NEW ORLEANS SWANKINESS OF THELONIOUS MONK.

SON OF A SOUTHERN BAPTIST MINISTER & A FEMALE PIANIST, VOCALIST AND ORGANIST, WALLER WAS OBVIOUSLY BORN INTO THE MUSICAL LIFE. FOR A MAN OF OVER 300 POUNDS, HE SURE KNEW HOW TO SWING. AND THE GUY WROTE OVER 400 SONGS, MANY MANY OF THEM HUGE HITS.

HE JUST MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD, DAMMIT!

IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, WALLER'S GREATEST EFFORTS INCLUDE: YOUR FEETS TOO BIG, THIS JOINT IS JUMPIN', AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' AND CRAZY 'BOUT MY BABY.