Satch Plays Fats [Extra tracks, Original recording reissued]

Louis Armstrong | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 27, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording reissued
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00004U1H1
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #165,473 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Honeysuckle Rose

2. Blue Turning Grey Over You

3. I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby And My Baby's Crazy 'Bout Me

4. Squeeze Me

5. Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now

6. All That Meat And No Potatoes

7. I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling

8. Black And Blue, (What Did I Do To Be So)

9. Ain't Misbehavin'

10. Black And Blue, (What Did I Do To Be So) - (previously unreleased, edited alternate version)

11. I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby - (previously unreleased, edited alternate version)

12. Blue Turning Grey Over You - (previously unreleased, edited alternate version)

13. I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling - (previously unreleased, edited alternate version)

14. Squeeze Me

15. Black And Blue, (What Did I Do To Be So)

16. Ain't Misbehavin'

17. Blue, Turning Grey Over You

18. Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now

19. Sweet Savannah Sue

20. That Rhythm Man

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deserving of MORE than 5 stars!, June 27, 2001

By 

sillygirl412 "sillygirl412" (Ossining, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Satch Plays Fats (Audio CD)

If you're looking for great music at a great price, you can stop looking, because you've found what you're looking for. Thomas "Fats" Waller and Louis "Satch" Armstrong are two of the world's most beloved music legends, each on his own merits and style. This CD is a wonderful blend between the two.

"Satch Plays Fats" was originally released in 1955 as a 9-track album dedicated to Fats Waller, who had died suddenly 12 years earlier. Armstrong had had the priviledge of working with the Jazz great, briefly, many years before.

In addition to the original 9 tracks, the CD contains added alternate versions of songs that never made it onto the 1955 release, as well as 7 recordings from earlier years. With 20 tracks in all, this is certainly a bargain buy and THE album to own.

The CD's digitally remastered sound cuts out all graininess fans have had to deal with in past years. The songs come through with every ounce of hearty vitality that they were intended to have. I was expecting less quality and was pleasantly surprised!

The last thing worthy of mention are the liner notes. Too often these days compilation cds and re-releases are almost completely devoid of informarion. The notes contained in this CD are AWESOME. There is info on both Satch and Fats and the histories of their respective careers, as well as album info for the original 1955 release. Simply great!

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally!, July 12, 2000

By 

Sasha "lampic" (at sea...sailing somewhere) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Satch Plays Fats (Audio CD)

Since I discovered beautiful,loving Armstrong's tribute to W.C.Handy,I was looking for this album but all the Books & net sources were warning against strange version of this album (on CD),with alternate takes instead of master ones.Now finally "Columbia" presented this wonderful album as it should be,with master takes + few alternative takes AND as a gift that even surpasses this album,a 7 Waller songs recorded by Louis Armstrong in years 1929-1932.Basically same group as the one on W.C.Handy tribute (even the same producer),even vocalist Velma Middleton is here,althought with all the wonderful singers in the world did Armstrong push her,I would never stop wondering.There are many similarities between Waller and Armstrong (both black musicians,virtuosos on their instruments,both capable of clowning,entertaining and deep tragedy in lyrics and music) but as Waller ended up dying from Pneumonia somewhere from one concert date to another,not even reaching 40,Armstrong lived longer and universally acclaimed & loved.(P.S. The old,rugged and muddy recordings of Fats Waller songs,recorded by Armstrong and his gang in years between 1929-1932 are for me so stunningly beautiful that to my ears they surpass everything recoded 1955.)

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Louis Armstrong plays "Fats" Waller with all his might--and Velma Middleton assisting!, February 25, 2006

By 

Matthew G. Sherwin (last seen screaming at Amazon customer service) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Satch Plays Fats (Audio CD)

Many years ago, a very good friend of mine had a cassette player in his car and he would drive around town playing this album on cassette tape over and over again. I eventually heard it when I was riding in his car one day and I begged him for a copy. He gave me a cassette tape of the original album, with just the original nine tracks that the original LP had--and, of course, I played the tape until it was worn through! I feared that I would never get hear this beautiful music again. Imagine my joy when I discovered this CD for sale at Amazon! I couldn't get it here fast enough.

This CD version of the original record album exceeded my expectations by far. There are 11 (yes, ELEVEN) bonus tracks on the CD, of which four were never before released! You get edited alternate versions with people coaching and commenting to Louis after the take. Other tracks date as far back as 1929 so you truly get a perspective of how Louis admired Fats Waller all through his life. (The two worked together only briefly once or twice at the most.) Moreover, the quality of the sound is excellent even on my portable music player. Louis Armstrong both sings and plays the music of "Fats" Waller so darn well you'll never tire of playing this one. Louis, his trumpet and the music of "Fats" Waller? Ha! Play it LOUD AND OFTEN because this album's a winner!

For example, the CD starts off beautifully with the classic "Honeysuckle Rose." We also hear "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby." After spending the entire afternoon listening several times to all the tracks over and over again, it's still tough, if not impossible, to isolate any "favorite" song of mine on this CD. Two of the finalists, however, would have to be "Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now" and "All That Meat And No Potatoes."

Armstrong gets a strong boost from the vocals of Velma Middleton, whose talent is almost entirely uncredited and undervalued in this recording. Her voice complements Louis' beautifully and their half sung/half spoken dialogue in "All That Meat And No Potatoes" is catchy, to say the least. The two singers have a natural and relaxed rapport that makes you feel so comfortable listening to their vocalizing.

The CD has a sticker on the front of the jewel case that you get the liner notes by George Avakian and the story of "Fats" Waller (born Thomas Wright Waller). For some inexplicable reason, however, the liner notes are printed twice! There isn't much to read about Armstrong and Velma Middleton is only pointed out in a picture of her singing one of the songs along with Armstrong. The liner notes could be better--a real mistake, in my opinion.

Overall, this CD is still must have music and a real value with the extra tracks. I recommend this for fans of classic jazz, fine trumpet playing and the early work of Louis Armstrong with his band the All-Stars. Barney Bigard plays the clarinet really, really well as it was his specialty and the liner notes do include great photos. Do yourself a favor--get this CD and find out why Amazon chose this as an "essential recording!" SMILE