Search - Louis Armstrong :: Satch Plays Fats

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