"Fats" Waller
(THOMAS WALLER)
Pianist - Arranger - Leader - Composer
Thomas "Fats" Waller is one of the more important of
the modern pianist-composers. Born in New York on May 21, 1904,
the son of a minister, "Fats" played the organ and sang
in the choir of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, where
his father preached until he was fifteen years old. Shortly after,
the lure of the stage beckoned him to the interesting field of
the Harlem cabaret, and he remained in that gay section of the
city until 1924, occasionally doubling as a theatre organist and
as a. piano-roll artist for the Q-R-S Company.
Some of "Fats' " other accomplishments include vaudeville
appearances with the famous blues singer, Bessie Smith, soon after
which he wrote the music to the show "Keep Shufflin'".
In 1930, he composed the score for "Hot Chocolates,"
the hit song of which was "Ain't Misbehavin," and when
this production closed, he subsequently appeared in leading supper
clubs in London, Paris, Berlin and Vienna.
In 1932, he joined the artist staff of WLW at Cincinnati, where
he instituted the famous "Fats" Waller Rhythm Club,
which created millions of Waller fans throughout the country.
Mr. Waller is currently considered Victor's best record seller.
He has been a feature in RKO films and at the time of this writing
is in Hollywood for the filming of "King of Burlesque,"
a 20th Century--Fox production in which he will have an important
role.
"Fats" is generally known as "Radio's Harmful Little
Armful," and for many years studied under Godowsky in Vienna
and Carl Bohn in New York.
We are happy to present this representation of original piano
conceptions by "Fats" Waller, in which the famous piano
stylist cleverly interprets, in the current idiom, some of songdom's
foremost popular classics.
All of these are available as midi, .pdf sheet music or recorded on tape or CD.
To order anything click here
All midis have been abbreviated on the server (snippets)
Many have two choruses (a) straight piano chorus, and (b)
Waller Arrangement. When this is the case, I tried to leave the
entire piano chorus + a piece of the Waller solo on the server.
Note: * Sequenced by my friend "Bob Burt".
I have the midi file but no sheet music.
midi Dinah (Piano Solo)
midi Jealous (Piano Solo)
The London Suite (Sequenced by Bob Burt)
midi Margie (Piano Solo)
midi Mary Lou (Piano Solo)
midi Stardust (Piano Solo)