Fats Waller (1904-1943) was an outsize man in all respects: five feet eleven inches tall, he weighed 285 pounds. Waller's gargantuan appetites have been celebrated in anecdotes and earlier biographies. He was the gretest of the Harlem stride pianists, he composed hundreds of songs, he led a band which made over 400 recordings and he wrote the music for several Broadway shows. He is seen by jazz historians as a man of immense musical talent that was never fulfilled, in the interests of his career as a popular and humourous entertainer. In this fully revised and updated biography of Waller, Alyn Shipton re-examines his career, arguing that his talents as a songwriter, show composer and brilliant recording and broadcasting artist have not been fully appreciated. The final chapter provides a comprehensive survey of Waller's recordings, including information on their reissue for the CD era.

CONTENTS:
Early Life in Harlem; The Musical Theater; The Rhythm & the Big Band; Films; Fats in Europe; The Final Years; The Records.

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PAPERBACK EDITION available