I wrote this a year ago October, figure I'd post it for my hero Fats Waller's birthday yesterday:
Please stick a fork in me if I ever tire of Fats Waller's recordings...
technical perfection
pocket for days
ferocious piano playing
heart
soul
sincerity
silliness
harmonic color for days
goofy organ sounds
cornucopia of solo piano textures
running commentary
lush singing
heartbreak
authoritatively creative piano playing
infectious joy
fire
dirty blues
timeless yet prophetically ahead of his time
brilliant
simple
accessible
tongue-in-cheek
universal
triumph of the human spirit
spontaneous
unattached conviction
definitive swing
church
just glad he spent 39 years amongst us earthlings,
my, my, my; yas, yas, yas!
Some perennial favorites:
unapologetic virtuosity
still-funny comedy
still-funny comedy 2
free improvisations?
heartbreaking melody and performance (neglected masterwork imho)
transcendent and mystical
holy ghost music
important early protest song
no-look stride [at 1:40]
solo piano masterclass
tastee and sweet
swing personified