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Cookin' With Fats

"Cookin' With Fats - Live at the Old Church" was recorded by the Black Swan Classic Jazz Band, on February 18 and 26, 1996. This recording is available on cassette and compact disk and is still for sale. The recording was done at the Old Church and Lutesongs Studio in Portland, Oregon. Engineering was by Dana Lutes. Liner notes were written by Steve Matthes, Kit Johnson and Tina Meyer. Graphic design was by Joy Reid and caricatures were by Susan Moreno.

The musicians on this recording are as follows:

• Ernie Carbajal, Trumpet
• John Bennett, Piano
• Steve Matthes, Clarinet
• Rich Neuwirth, Banjo
• James Meyer, Trombone
• Glenn Koch, Washboard
• Kit Johnson, Tuba

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Cookin' With Fats (CD)	$16.00	Quantity:
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Liner Notes

The original liner notes read as follows:

The Recording

"Cookin' With Fats" represents the Black Swan Classic Jazz Band's first songbook-style recording. From the time we formed the band in 1989, we considered such a recording. Our challenge was which classic jazz pioneer to focus on. But in 1995 we realized that over the years a number of our most popular arrangements featured the remarkable compositions of Thomas "Fats" Waller. Our decision became obvious, and we scheduled a session at Portland's Old Church on February 18, 1996. In approximately six hours, we recorded the instrumental tracks for the twenty selections making up this collection. We chose songs we feel represent Fats' diverse talents and capture the broad emotional range in his music.

This recording is unique in that it accurately reflects the "live" sound of the ensem

The Old Church at S.W. 11th and Clay in Portland, Oregon, has been a landmark since its completion in 1883. Concerts, conferences, exhibitions and weddings are but a few of the activities and events it now hosts, while the building itself serves as a continuing essay in volunteer historic preservation through the Old Church Society, Inc. Built in the ornate carpenter-Gothic style by a group of local Presbyterians, it served Presbyterian and Baptist congregations until 1967. On the National Register of Historic Places since 1972, it no longer functions as a dedicated church, but serves Portland as a unique community facility known for its war

The Old Church

The Old Church at S.W. 11th and Clay in Portland, Oregon, has been a landmark since its completion in 1883. Concerts, conferences, exhibitions and weddings are but a few of the activities and events it now hosts, while the building itself serves as a continuing essay in volunteer historic preservation through the Old Church Society, Inc. Built in the ornate carpenter-Gothic style by a group of local Presbyterians, it served Presbyterian and Baptist congregations until 1967. On the National Register of Historic Places since 1972, it no longer functions as a dedicated church, but serves Portland as a unique community facility known for its warm acoustint organ and halls.

The Music

FATS AND FRIENDS MEDLEY (arranged - Kit Johnson); I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter (composed - Joe Young, Fred Ahlert) l Honeysuckle Rose (composed - Andy Razaf, Thomas Waller) l Lulu's Back in Town (composed - Al Dubin, Harry Warren) l Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone (composed - Sidney Clare, Sam Stept, Bee Palmer)

SQUEEZE ME (arranged - John Bennett; composed - Thomas Waller, Andy Razaf, Clarence Williams; vocal - John Bennett)

CASH FOR YOUR TRASH (arranged - Steve Matthes; composed - Thomas Waller, Ed Kirkby; lead vocal - James Meyer; harmony vocals - Steve Matthes, John Bennett, James Meyer)

BLACK AND BLUE (arranged - Kit Johnson; composed - Thomas Waller)

FAT AND GREASY (arranged - Kit Johnson; composed - Charles Johnson, Porter Grainger; vocal - Rich Neuwirth)

FIND OUT WHAT THEY LIKE (And How They Like It) (arranged - Steve Matthes; composed - Thomas Waller, Andy Razaf; vocal - Steve Matthes)

SNOWY MORNING BLUES (composed - James P. Johnson)

YACHT CLUB SWING (arranged - Steve Matthes; composed - Thomas Waller, J.C. Johnson, Herman Autrey; lead vocal - James Meyer; harmony vocals - John Bennett, Steve Matthes, Rich Neuwirth)

I'VE GOT A FEELIN' I'M FALLIN' (arranged - John Bennett; composed - Thomas Waller, Billy Rose, Harry Link; vocal - Rich Neuwirth)

CAROLINA SHOUT (arranged - John Bennett; composed - James P. Johnson)

JITTERBUG WALTZ (arranged - John Bennett; composed - Thomas Waller)

A PORTER'S LOVE SONG TO A CHAMBERMAID (arranged - Kit Johnson; composed - James P. Johnson, Andy Razaf; vocal - James Meyer)

KEEPIN' OUT OF MISCHIEF NOW (arranged - John Bennett; composed - Thomas Waller, Andy Razaf; vocal - John Bennett)

LOOKIN' GOOD BUT FEELIN' BAD (arranged - John Bennett; composed - Thomas Waller, Lester Santly; lead vocal - Rich Neuwirth; harmony vocal - James Meyer)

AFRICAN RIPPLES (arranged - John Bennett; composed - Thomas Waller)

VIPER'S DRAG (arranged - John Bennett; composed - Thomas Waller)

HANDFUL OF KEYS (arranged - John Bennett; composed - Thomas Waller; vocal - John Bennett)

YOUR FEET'S TOO BIG (arranged - Kit Johnson; composed - Fred Fisher, Ada Benson; vocal - Steve Matthes)

AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' (arranged - Kit Johnson; composed - Thomas Waller, Harry Brooks, Andy Razaf; vocal - Rich Neuwirth)

I'M GOIN' HUNTIN' (arranged - Lu Watters; composed - Thomas Waller)

Thomas "Fats" Waller

Between the time he composed Squeeze Me at age 15 and Cash For Your Trash at age 39, a few months before his death in 1943, Thomas "Fats" Waller wrote more than 100 tunes. In one remarkable creative burst alone, resulting in the show "Hot Chocolates ," Fats wrote the jazz classics Ain't Misbehavin' , Black and Blue, Honeysuckle Rose, Lookin' Good but Feelin' Bad , I've Got a Feelin' I'm Fallin' and several other memorable selections. This feat is even more astonishing since only nine months before the show opened Fats began a six-month jail term for failing to pay his alimony - probably due more to a faulty memory than any ill intent.

Fats had a far-reaching influence on the pianists of his day. In 1920 you could find Bill "Count" Basie and future lyricist and Waller collaborator Andy Razaf - among others - listening to the 16 year old Fats provide musical accompaniment to silent movies on the big organ at Lincoln Theater. Fats supplemented his theater income by playing for innumerable "rent parties" that attracted pianists from all over New York wanting to learn from "the Master". Viper's Drag shows the influence his mentor James P. Johnson and other Harlem stride players had on Fats. In fact, a number of Johnson's compositions were staples in Fats' repertoire - Carolina Shout, Snowy Morning Blues and A Porter's Love Song to a Chambermaid are prime examples. But Fats' more sophisticated style, showcased on late compositions such as Jitterbug Waltz, had much broader appeal than those of Johnson or other stride players.

Whether singing his own songs or those of other popular composers, Fats' unforgettable lyrics helped songs such as I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter , Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone and Lulu's Back in Town become jazz standards. He got the most out of every word on ballads such as Keepin' Out of Mischief Now, when describing an unattractive physical trait such as Your Feet's Too Big and Fat and Greasy, and on double-entendre selections such as Find Out What They Like and How They Like It and I'm Goin' Huntin' . The combination of his virtuoso playing, his distinctive compositions and clever lyrics, and his famous clowning at the piano made Fats one of the most popular entertainers of the 1920's and 1930's.

And if you were to ask Fats what he thinks about his renewed popularity following the success of the 1978 Broadway musical "Ain't Misbehavin'", he might smile and slyly say, "...one never know, do one?"

A Tip of Our Hats

BSCJB gratefully acknowledges the many friends and families whose support has made this recording possible: Amy & Barrett Johnson, Ann Granning Bennett, Sue Carbajal, Tina Meyer, Louise Putnam Gen try, the Matthes family and the Neuwirth family; the traditional jazz societies, festivals and fans who allow us to perform our music, and all the production personnel who worked so hard to make this recording a reality. Your personal sacrifices, love and affection are as much a part of our music as the songs themselves. Thank you.