Fats Waller
Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, and singer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz piano. His best-known compositions, "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Honeysuckle Rose", were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1984 and 1999. Waller copyrighted over 400 songs, many of them co-written with his closest collaborator, Andy Razaf. Razaf described his partner as "the soul of melody... a man who made the piano sing... both big in body and in mind... known for his generosity... a bubbling bundle of joy". It is likely that he composed many more popular songs than he has been credited with: when in financial difficulties he had a habit of selling songs to other writers and performers who claimed them as their own. Waller started playing the piano at the age of six and became a professional organist at 15. By the age of 18, he was a recording artist. He was a prolific songwriter, and one of the most popular performers of his era, touring internationally and achieving critical and commercial success in the United States and Europe. He died from pneumonia, aged 39. |
Birth and Death Data: Born May 21, 1904 (New York City), Died December 15, 1943 (Kansas City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1922 - 1951
Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, leader, vocalist, composer, songwriter, pipe organ, director, celeste, arranger, organ, electric organ, lyricist, speaker
Notes: Sometimes listed as Thomas Waller or Thomas Wright Waller.
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 226-250 of 692 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-102018 | 10-in. | 6/8/1936 | Fractious fingering | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band | composer, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-102019 | 10-in. | 6/8/1936 | Paswonky | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer, vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-102020 | 10-in. | 6/8/1936 | Lounging at the Waldorf | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, composer, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-102021 | 10-in. | 6/8/1936 | Latch on | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer, vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-102345 | 10-in. | 7/7/1936 | How can you face me? | Connie McLean Rhythm Orchestra ; Chubby Wright | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-102400 | 10-in. | 8/1/1936 | I'm crazy 'bout my baby (And my baby's crazy about me) | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer, vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-102401 | 10-in. | 8/1/1936 | I just made up with that old girl of mine | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-102402 | 10-in. | 8/1/1936 | Until the real thing comes along | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-102403 | 10-in. | 8/1/1936 | There goes my attraction | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-102404 | 10-in. | 8/1/1936 | The curse of an aching heart | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-102405 | 10-in. | 8/1/1936 | Bye bye, baby | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BVE-[Unnumbered 1927-01-14-01] | 10-in. | 1/14/1927 | I'd like to call you my sweetheart | Fats Waller | Pipe organ solo | instrumentalist, pipe organ | |
Victor | BS-0339 | 10-in. | 9/9/1936 | S'posin | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-0340 | 10-in. | 9/9/1936 | Copper colored gal | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-0341 | 10-in. | 9/9/1936 | I'm at the mercy of love | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-0342 | 10-in. | 9/9/1936 | Floatin' down to Cotton Town | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-0343 | 10-in. | 9/9/1936 | La-de-de, la-de-da | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01801 | 10-in. | 11/29/1936 | Hallelujah! Things look rosy now | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | leader, vocalist, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01802 | 10-in. | 11/29/1936 | Hallelujah! Things look rosy now | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band | leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01803 | 10-in. | 11/29/1936 | 'T'ain't good (Like a nickel made of wood) | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01804 | 10-in. | 11/29/1936 | 'T'ain't good (Like a nickel made of wood) | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band | leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01805 | 10-in. | 11/29/1936 | Swingin' them jingle bells | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01806 | 10-in. | 11/29/1936 | Swingin' them jingle bells | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band | leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01807 | 10-in. | 11/29/1936 | A thousand dreams of you | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | vocalist, leader, instrumentalist, piano | |
Victor | BS-01808 | 10-in. | 11/29/1936 | A thousand dreams of you | Fats Waller and his Rhythm | Jazz/dance band | leader, instrumentalist, piano |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Waller, Fats," accessed October 31, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/101963.
Waller, Fats. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/101963.
"Waller, Fats." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 31 October 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Fats Waller
Discogs: Fats Waller
Allmusic: Fats Waller
Apple Music: Fats Waller
Grove: Fats Waller
IMSLP: Fats Waller
IMDb: Fats Waller
Britannica: Fats Waller
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Waller, Fats, 1904-1943 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50024199
Wikidata: Fats Waller - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q310476
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/54334148
MusicBrainz: Fats Waller - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/569fc5bf-bcb6-4bc5-9a00-bd0d258e34f1
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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