Minneapolis spokesman., 1961-01-13
THE WEEK mo
RECORDS
BY Albert Anderson
Fats Wallcr's Work Featured
Among New Releases

Fats WaIler's Work Featured
Among New Releases
The first releases for 1891 to
be reviewed in this column include
the works of one Of the truly jazz
immortals; an outstanding virtu-
oso Of the past and the present; a
former child prodigy, and one Of
the leading exponents Of the Latin
beat.
On one, the late, great Fats
Waller is presented In retrospect;
the second featured the veteran
tenor sa,man Ben Webster; the
third spotlights the current works
Of singer Toni Harper, while Cha,
Cha, Cha specialist Tito Puente
runs through a torrid drum ses-
sion, set off against Latin-Afro
background, on the fourth.
Rounding out the column are
two albums Of classical and semi
classical music by the celebrated,
young pianist Van Cliburn and
Maestro Gordon Mac Rae. The
complete review follows
FATS WALLER IN LONDON"
LIP (T1025s): Tunes: "a
Tisket, A-Taslxet," Deep River"
"Ain't M1sbehavin," Go Down,
Noses" Music, Maestro, Please"
The lonesome Road" The Flat
Foot Floogie." water Boy" "Pent
Up In A Penthouse" "An Gods
Chillun Got Wings" Don't Try
Your 1--WE On Me" and Swing
Low, Sweet Chariot"
Let's 60 back through the years
and review just small portion Of
the vast contributions which Fats
has made to the jazz field =.
That, In relation to the tunes and
music on this record, would take
us back to the year 1888, for it
was then that the rotund pianist
organist recorded the album :.
Rising from youthful church or
ganist to pre-eminence In jazz,
Fats hit London at the peak Of his
fame. But he was yet to satisfy
one burning ambition: his first ex-
tended tour Of the European con-
tinent. Here. then, Is one of his
major efforts during the tour, con-
sidered to be "the finest record
ings he has ever made on the organ
F. However, he Is heard on the
piano as well as the organ, and his
ebuIlient, jivvy singing, supple
mented by orchestral music, helps
to make the disc really outstand-
ing AS to be expected. "Ain't
Misbehavin' ., the great jazz stan
dard he composed along with lyric
ist Andy Razaf, Is the top num-
ber This record Is convincing
proof that had Waller, who died on
Dec. IS, 1943, at the early age Of
SO, lived to our day, he would have
added still another dimension to
international jazz :. An excellent
collectors item.
THE SOUL OF BEN WEB
STER" = verve LIP (MGv-s359) ::
Tunes include ''Fajista," Chelsea
Bridge" Goal Train" and when
/ Fan In Love-" Personnel: Web
ster and Harold Ashby. tenor sax
ophones; Art Farmer, trumpet;
Jimmy Jones' piano; Milt Hinton.
bass; Mundell Lowe. guitar, and
Dave Bailey. drums
Webster Is one Of the few stars
of the past two decades who Is
still holding forth mastery /. In
fact, he exhibits ON this record
that he has lost none of the verve,
fire and soulfulness which helped
to thrust him into the company of
such other jazz greats as Duke
Ellington and the late Jimmy
Luncheford Here is a session
you'll enjoy. as you explore one Of
the several facets Of this fine prac-
titioner ~.
MIGHT MOOD" - RcA LIP
IPM-2263); Tunes include I'm
the sim Of the Night" might
After Night" "You And the Night
and the Music" and where Flam-
ingos Fly" Music arranged and
conducted by Marty Patch
Remember Toni Harper, the
child prodigy Of the early 40's
Wen. she's grown into young
womanhood But the adolescent
years have not robbed her Of any Of
the warmth and bouyancy that
characterized her youthful career
/. Here she sings q fine collec-
ton Of songs that range from
aa.,tiraa,,toI to,v.topAravu "a n Nu..y