Fats Waller’s great tune is the second tune on my Solo Jazz Guitar Standards, Vol. 1 disc.

http://cdbaby.com/cd/schlegel8

Thomas “Fats” Waller and Art Tatum were great friends.  Waller is the author of the famous (infamous?) quote referring to Tatum as “God”.  One night while gigging in a nightclub Waller was informed Tatum had just showed up.  Said Waller to the audience, “I only play piano, but tonight God is in the house.”  Legend has it that Tatum was the only pianist to which Waller would surrender the keys!

And Waller could easily stand on his own as one of the giants of jazz piano.  This is one of his most well-known pieces.  It has a really beautiful chromatic climb in the harmonic structure of the melody, which is also echoed by the smaller melodic chord tone climb in the bridge.  It has one of those melancholy but satisfied melodies that perfectly matches the lyric.

I hope to do other Waller tunes in future collections (“Honeysuckle Rose” & “Jitterbug Waltz” come to mind).  But I thought it was a fine idea to start with one of his best known for this first volume. 

Finally, here is a vid of me playing the tune at that outdoor arts fest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frH1kfz1nr0

Enjoy!