Gary Coffrin | San Jose, California, USA | 11/21/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"My advice to Fats Waller fans is to buy this set now! For the most part, the digitally-remastered sound is excellent. This 10-volume CD set is frequently seen on eBay and elsewhere at $25-40.
Fats Waller, 1904-43, wrote 400+ tunes, many of which hold up well today. "Honeysuckle Rose," "Ain't Misbehavin'," and "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" spring immediately to mind. Waller was one of jazz's greatest pianists and swung as hard as any pianist of his or any other day. He played with a forceful stride pattern in the left hand and elaborate and syncopated melodic lines in the right hand. Oftentimes the complex cascade of notes had a pace that was nearly unbelievable. His singing catches your attention with a witty irreverence that adds life to the party.
I had my doubts about sound quality. However, noise reduction has been done well, making many songs a bit more listenable than the same titles on the earlier RCA/Bluebird CD's. This is particularly true of piano and organ solo tracks, but nearly every track sounds as musical and clear as you could hope with the older source material.
The collection starts with a couple piano solos from 1922, and then includes nearly every studio date through the end of 1936. Fats Waller was the first jazz organist, but admittedly the organ solos lack the pace and swing of Waller on the piano and they are something of an acquired taste. But, I particularly enjoyed the sessions with various sidemen made before Waller played with a more or less stable group he called his Rhythm. It is enlightening and enjoyable to hear Waller's singing style rapidly evolve on his earlier recording dates.
The energy and exuberance of these recording will capture the heart of nearly anyone who enjoys stride piano and pre-swing jazz. The 40-page booklet is good, but would have benefited by having an American editor. The CD inserts lists recording dates and personnel.
If you see this 10-CD collection at a bargain price (as well as the Volume 2 collection), do not hesitate. RCA/Bluebird is not currently offering comprehensive collections. Persons wanting a briefer overview of Fat's career should check out the superb 3-CD anthology "If You Got to Ask, You Ain't Got It!""
"Nero was a King you know"...and so was Fats
J. F Kopeck | Parkville, Maryland United States | 10/07/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I already have some good material done by Fats but after reading what the last reviewer wrote I wanted this 10CD set. What an investment! For under 50 bucks this set has all the early stuff Fats did. I didn't know he did so many instrumentals on the piano. This set is a wealth of roots jazz from the 30's. I'll enforce what the last reviewer said,"Buy this set while it's still available through Amazon". You could spend several hundred dollars and not get all the classics in this collection.The sound is perfect, please consider that much of these recordings are 70 years old (Keep in mind that this stuff is as old as the first recordings tht the Carter Family recorded in Bristol)! I give this set Top Billing as that is truly what the Great Fats Waller deserves.
Track Listings (20) - Disc #1