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MMD > Archives > October 2003 > 2003.10.08 > 08Prev  Next


Fats Waller Piano Rolls Played On Pipe Organ
By Bryan Cather

In MMD031007, Robbie wrote (in response to Benjamin Intartaglia
regarding Thomas Waller's rolls):

>[ I've heard he was brought to the QRS studio by James P. Johnson
>[ when he was 19 years old and was still regularly playing the
>[ church organ.  This might explain why many Waller rolls sound
>[ equally good on a player organ; the single-note melody with the
>[ right hand is more typical of jazz organ than piano. -- Robbie

Indeed, these rolls do sound wonderful on an organ.  I have a CD
entitled "Fats at The Organ".  For this CD, an 88-note player action
was (somehow) adapated to play an English theater organ.

Of course, this was a horribly complicated task, given the differing
compass of an organ manual and a piano keyboard, not to mention
couplers, pedals and so forth.  Regardless, the CD is done very well,
with careful attention to appropriate registration and dynamic changes,
which are based on the few "live" organ recordings Waller made.

Thomas Waller was the first true jazz organist, and to think of him
only as a pianist is a sadly narrow view.  I have heard it said that
the organ had a special place in his heart, while the piano laid claim
only to his stomach.

The information on this CD is as follows:

  Fats at The Organ
  Living Era CD AJA 5007
  Academy Sound and Vision Ltd.    1981
  179-181 North End Road, London W14 9NL
  Distributed by Pinnacle Records
  Unit 2, Oprington Trading Estate, Sevenoaks Way,
  Orpington, Kent BR5 3SR

Bryan Cather

 [ This tune list found at http://www.asv.co.uk/aja5007.htm :
 [
 [ Clearing House Blues / Do It! Mister So And So / Don't Try To Take
 [ My Loving Man Away / Eighteenth Street Strut / If I Could Be With
 [ You One Hour Tonight / I'm Coming, Virginia / Laughin' Cryin' Blues /
 [ Midnight Blues / Nobody But My Baby Is Getting My Love / Papa, Betta
 [ Watch Your Step / Squeeze Me / 'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do /
 [ You Can't Do What My Last Man Did / Your Time Now
 [
 [ -- Robbie


(Message sent Wed 8 Oct 2003, 12:27:28 GMT, from time zone GMT-0700.)

Key Words in Subject:  Fats, Organ, Piano, Pipe, Played, Rolls, Waller

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