Fats Waller: The Joint is Jumpin’
Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller was a riot, a great musician, the prototype of the vested fat stride piano player and an important figure in the history of jazz. Not bad for a guy who died at age 39.
At least two of his songs — The Joint is Jumpin’ and Ain’t Misbehaving (shown here with some good commentary and a clip of Art Tatum) — are instantaneously recognizable. Other important songs associated with Waller include Your Feets Too Big (“Way up in Harlem at a table for two, there were four of us: me, your big feets and you”), Lulu’s Back in Town and Honeysuckle Rose. You’re a Viper (The Reefer Song) is very funny.
There is a tremendous amount of information available about Waller. Two good looking sites are Red Hot Jazz and Fats Waller’s Jam & Jive.
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