Satch Plays Fats

[Big Al]

As a sidebar to the Plays W.C. Handy thread, what do you all think of this album?

[Guest Mnytime]

I love it! What's not to love Satchmo playing and Fats' music being played.

[Harold_Z]

I also love it- just as much as the Handy. I probably listen to it more often than than the Handy album now - but in the past I think the Handy lp got more play. I'm happy to have both of them. At this point I've lived with both of these albums over 40 years and STILL listen to them often.

[John L]

[jazzbo]

For sentimental reasons I am more atached to the Handy, but I love the Waller too.

[Clunky]

As I posted in the Handy thread I find this album a bit of mess. Velma Middleton really grates at times. The CD version I have is from late 80s complete with alternate tracks replete with slip ups etc. Perhaps it's missing something the originals had. Anyone care to comment?

[jazzbo]

Chuck, the new reissue is better in sound, definitely, and restores the original lp selections.

I'm a Velma fan. . .I don't find her grating. I always enjoy her in this band.

[John L]

I also enjoy Velma Middleton. I thought that she was a good foil for Armstrong, and could also deliver a song in tune with sincerity and good humor.

Her stage act had to be seen to be believed (No, I'm not that old. I've seen only a taped concert). Seeing a woman that large doing repeated splits across the stage makes one suspect an optical illusion.

[Guest GregM]

I really like VM on this, too. Need I say it? Sure. The SACD is a must have. To crank it up and hear Satchmo's voice so open and detailed is practically a religious experience. For whatever reason (original recording?) Satch Plays Fats sounds a bit better than Plays Handy on SACD. Incredible, essential music, as said above. I love the bonus cuts from the late '20s.

[Christiern]

I think the two albums in question contain some of the finest examples of Louis' work in the latter part of his career, but (I hate to say it, because he is a good old friend) Michael Brooks made a bad mistake when he put out the reissue with all the alternatives. Severely criticized for it, he claimed that he couldn't locate the original master--that was not a plausible explanation to anyone familiar with Columbia's vault and storage system.

I saw Velma perform on a couple of occasions--she was entertaining, but also diluting.

I was glad to see George Avakian restore the album to its original splendor.

[Harold_Z]

No question that the original is far superior to the first cd reissue - but in retrospect the first reissue is the only issue I'm aware of with the alternate take to "Ain't Misbehavin".

[Shrdlu]

I have loved this album ever since I heard the original LP. Great album.

Clunky, it seems that they had to do the same as they did with the Handy CD in order to restore this album fully. I assume that when they put out the old CD, in the 80s, they had the same problem, namely that some of the takes used for the LP could not be found on tape. That old CD follows the same lines as the old Handy CD: they substituted alternate takes for some selections, using whatever still did exist on tape. There is one track on the 80s CD that contains a take designed to be overdubbed by Pops; you can hear the "blank space", and then Velma suddenly and mysteriously says "solid!". (This puzzled that pompous old fogey Lyttleton, who wrote the notes for the old CD, much to my delight!) The overdubbed version appeared on the LP, but apparently could not be found in the vaults. It is on the recent CD of course. You will recall that an important overdub was similarly missing on the old Handy CD, but, thankfully, restored by George Avakian and his helpers.