Born Today- Famed African American Musician/Singer Fats Waller- Jam and Jive

Click on image to hear Fats say "Hi!"

This web site is for all record collectors, researchers, and fans of the great jazz pianist and entertainer Thomas "Fats" Waller (1904-1943). For more information, please contact

Hear Fats with MP3

Photographs

Discography

Labels and Folios

"Fats Waller on the Air" book

Fats audio CD

Latest News March 2015 - No Fats news of note, but meanwhile you may be interested in my restoration of this stride piano recording of The Lion And The Lamb by Willie "The Lion" Smith and Joe Bushkin at YouTube. --------------------------------------- April 2014 - I have produced an Interactive version of the Fats Waller Ultimate Discography in Adobe PDF format only, with links to a large selection of label scans, Victor recording sheets, Gennett file cards, and all of the Fats Waller movies including the four Soundies. The latter were generously provided by Mark Cantor at Celluloid Improvisations. --------------------------------------- May 2013 - Fats Waller CD on Super Sale. --------------------------------------- April 2013 - Bitcoins now accepted as payment. See widget on CD and Discography pages, or email me for details. --------------------------------------- March 2013 - Frank Himpsl at www.frankhimpslarchive.com has an extensive collection of piano rolls and uses an optical scanning device to scan the rolls to his computer and convert the data to MIDI files which, with suitable software, can be converted to .wav or .mp3 audio files. Please refer to the latest "Additions & Corrections" file for my book herefor updated information on the Waller piano rolls. Listen to Cotton Belt Blues by pseudonyme "Jack Clyde" here, and decide for yourself if it's by Fats by comparison with the Waller rolls and Low Down Papa, also by "Jack Clyde," on Frank's web site. Note: As of April 2014 Frank's web site is no longer working.  --------------------------------------- November 2012 - Check out Page 2 ("Flip Side") of more Fats Waller recordings from my collection, including some not issued on Lp/CD. Let me know if you would like a particular recording added to the list. --------------------------------------- September 2012 - Lp/CD reissues (except JSP927) claiming to use Take-3 of the 1927 pipe organ solo Messin' Around With The Blues, Mx 37361, in fact use Take-2, showing that most reissues copy from other reissues and not from the original 78 rpm records. Here is Take-3 from a copy of Victor 20655-A in "E" condition. Unlike the test pressing of Soothin' Syrup Stomp below, I have made judicious use of noise reduction because of the high background noise typical of Victor shellac pressings. --------------------------------------- July 2012 - I received a vinyl test pressing from the 1960s of Soothin' Syrup Stomp, Mx.37357, hoping to resolve the issue of whether the recording not issued on 78 rpm is Take-1 or Take-3 (see disco). Unfortunately, the pressing does not have a take number in the "wax" although the label has 37357-3 written in by hand, probably at a later date, so this cannot be relied upon. Listen to my restored version here. Update (April 2014) - On closer inspection of the test pressing, there are additional notations inscribed in the wax that, when compared to information on the original Victor Recording Sheet, indicate that this is certainly Take-3. --------------------------------------- May 2012 - The hard to find 1935 RKO movie Hooray For Love is now available as a made-to-order DVD-R from Warner Archive, from a video master but not restored. Video quality is good, but sound has some issues including the usual quavery sound during the Fats Waller sequence. --------------------------------------- March 2012 - Listen here to the first side of the Presto recording for the Yacht Club broadcast of 22 October 1938. I have tried to restore the recording as best I can.  I also received some Associated test pressings from 1935 and you can listen to an example here. My only excuse is that these are some of my favourite Waller recordings. Also see the book update for additional information including a scan of the record label. --------------------------------------- September 2011 - Long time Fats Waller enthusiast and collector Hansjuerg "George" Richner of Switzerland has most generously donated some of his collection to me. One such record is the rare erroneous pressing of Bluebird B-11262 with Gettin' Much Lately (Ain't Nothin' To It), released in error. Listen to my restored version here. In other news, Stephanie Trick has released her 2010 Sheldon Hall "Stephanie Trick Live" concert on DVD, and I also love the fun and exciting version of This Joint Is Jumpin' and other interesting tracks by stride pianist Jeff Barnhart on his "Waller'ing Around" CD. Listen to a sample here. --------------------------------------- May 2011 - Another "new" recording from the second part of the Yacht Club broadcast of 22 October 1938 has been discovered in the William Savory Collection. By an amazing coincidence, a private collector has the first part of the same broadcast recorded on two Presto acetate discs. For details see the "Fats Waller on the Air" book update link heredated 23 May 2011, page 67 (left column). -------------------------------------- March 2011 - I have continued the sale of the Fats Waller CD here at 50% off, or just US$7 plus $4 Air Mail postage world-wide. Additional information about the William Savory Collection for the previously unlisted Martin Block broadcast of 23 November 1938, has been included in the "Fats Waller on the Air" book update link here dated 1 March 2011. See page 73 (left column) in update. -------------------------------------- February 2011 - There are a number of contemporary jazz pianists who play in the Harlem stride tradition, but Stephanie Trick is an outstanding musician who gives her own interpretation of the classic pieces by Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, Willie "The Lion" Smith, Luckey Roberts, and others. Her latest album Stephanie Trick Live(TRCD004) is available from www.stephanietrick.com or www.cdbaby.com. ------------------------------------- January 2011 - Fats Waller CD now reduced by 60%. Click on the "Fats audio CD" link for further information. Offer expires 1st March. -------------------------------------  The National Jazz Museum in Harlem has acquired the William Savory Collection of nearly 1,000 discs of original broadcast recordings from the late 1930s up to 1940, featuring artists like Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Fats Waller, and many others. For more information see the museum web site here. and the link to a detailed description and recorded samples on the New York Times web site. The Waller discs include a completely "new" broadcast from 23 November 1938, and the Martin Block Jam Session of 14 December 1938, but in much better sound quality than any other known recording of this broadcast. Other Waller broadcasts may yet be lurking in the collection !!  For details of what I've been able to discover to date about the Waller material, please see the free update to my book Fats Waller on the Air. Scroll down to see the link to the updated pdf file (ref pages 73 and 80).

The author presents a copy of "Fats Waller on the Air" to Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn at the Official Opening Ceremony for Bangkok International Prep School, Bangkok, Thailand, on 26 June 2006.

Updated 3 March 2015 - "Latest News" update