Satch Plays Fats: The Music of Fats Waller [Bonus Tracks]

Read About This Recording

Satch Plays Fats reissues another classic, Armstrong's exploration of nine Fats Waller songs. These versions of "Honeysuckle Rose," "I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby," "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" and "Ain't Misbehavin,'" played by the same version of the Armstrong All-Stars as the W.C. Handy album, are exciting and definitive. In addition, this set includes four alternate takes and seven earlier Armstrong recordings of Waller tunes including his original versions of "Black And Blue" and "Ain't Misbehavin.'"

—Scott Yanow

Extended Article

Louis Armstrong and Thomas Waller. "Satch" and "Fats." Trumpet/cornet/vocals and piano/organ/vocals. To this day, humanity has yet to produce two more powerfully extroverted combinations of jazz genius and great entertainer.

Though Armstrong (1901-71) and Waller (1904-43) had briefly played together in 1925 in Erskine Tate's band, the true joining of their creative spirits came four years later, when Satch was part of the cast for the hit New York revue Connie's Hot Chocolates, with music by Fats and lyrics by Andy Razaf, his most frequent and gifted collaborator. From this show came "Ain't Misbehavin'," and the 1929 version of it here, which finds Armstrong backed by Carroll Dickerson and his Orchestra, was, in effect, his first big crossover success. Other memorable items from Chocolates that Satch helped popularize included "(What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue," perhaps the single most poignant lyric about the pains of racism, "Sweet Savannah Sue" and "That Rhythm Man." All of those are contained here, as are other enduring Waller-Razaf tunes done by Armstrong in the 1920s and '30s: "Squeeze Me," "Blue Turning Grey Over You" and "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now."

The centerpiece of this speical 20-song Armstrong Centennial edition of Satch Plays Fats, though, is the complete 1955 album of the same name by Armstrong and the All-Stars. As previously issued on CD in 1986, six of the nine titles were alternatives rather than the master takes heard on the tribute LP. That error has now been rectified, with the masters augmented by four alternates. Moreover, thanks to fresh remastering, this rousing set has never sounded brighter.

In sum, the package features seven bonus tracks not on the LP and four previously unreleased performances, making this the ultimate Satch Plays Fats. Seldom have interpreter and composer been more in tune.

Contents

Honeysuckle Rose; Blue Turning Grey Over You*†; I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby*; Squeeze Me*; Keepin' Out of Mischief Now†; All That Meat and No Potatoes; I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling*; (What Did I Do To Be So) Black and Blue*†; Ain't Misbehavin'†; Sweet Savannah Sue†; That Rhythm Man†.

Louis Armstrong, Vocals/Trumpet; Velma Middleton, Vocals; Trummy Young, Trombone; Barney Bigard, Clarinet; Billy Kyle, Piano; Arvell Shaw, Bass; Barrett Deems, Drums.

CD Special Features

• 11 Bonus Tracks — 4 of them previously unreleased!

• Gathers all of Armstrong's Columbia Fats Waller material!

• Includes George Avakian's classic LP liners

• One of Pops' most memorable LPs!

• Stunning photos!

• 24-BIT DIGITALLY REMASTERED