They Call Me the Fat Man... "Antoine "Fats" Domino: The Legendary Imperial Recordings
THEY CALL ME THE FAT MAN documents the first fourteen years of Fats Domino's recording career. The 84-page book included in the set contains an extensive essay on the artist's career, various remembrances, track annotations, a Fats Domino Imperial Records sessionography, a Domino discography (singles, EPs and LPs) for the Imperial and United Artist labels and their subsidiaries, and many historical photographs and poster reproductions.Personnel includes: Fats Domino (piano, vocals); Ernest McLean (guitar); Harrison Verret (banjo); Joe Harris (alto saxophone); Lee Allen, Herbert Hardesty, Clarence Hall, Alvin "Red" Tyler (tenor saxophone); Dave Bartholomew (trumpet); Earl Palmer (drums).Producers: Dave Bartholomew, Al Young.Compilation producer: Ron Furmanek.Recorded at J&M; and Cosimo Recording Studios, New Orleans, Louisiana, and Master Recorders and Radio Recorders, Los Angeles, California between 1949 and 1962. Includes liner notes by Jeff Hannusch, Adam Block, Steve Kolanjian, and Ron Furmanek.Personnel: Fats Domino (vocals, piano).If you can't quite finance the Bear Family box, this four-disc compilation is the next best thing; an even 100 of the best Imperial sides, including a great many from 1958 on that turn up in crystal-clear stereo (as they also do on the Bear Family package). All the hits are aboard, along with a nice cross section of the important non-hits. The saxes (usually including Herb Hardesty and sometimes Lee Allen) roar with typical Crescent City power, Fats rolls the ivories, and magic happens -- over and over again! Another nice booklet with plenty of photos (but a less detailed discography without sideman credits). ~ Bill Dahl