Put your feet up, relax, and enjoy the day.

From Whitney Balliett’s book American Musicians: Fifty-Six Portraits in Jazz:

The Cape Cod pianist Marie Marcus came to New York from Boston to do a radio show in 1932, when she was eighteen. Her experience had been limited to Boston radio shows and to playing for a week at a Chinese restaurant called the Mahjong. “Tillie’s Kitchen, in Harlem, was a fried-chicken place,” she has said, “and Bob Howard, who sounded just like Fats Waller, was on piano. We went up there quite often, and one night Fats himself came in. I remember the whole room lighted up. He played, and then listened, and when I’d finished, he pointed to his heart, and said, ‘For a white gal, you sure got it there.’ We got to talking, and I told him that I would like to further my education in jazz, and did he know a good teacher? He looked at me and said, ‘How about me?’ I thought he was putting me on, but he wasn’t. He had a small office, with two pianos, in the Brill Building, at 1619 Broadway, and during the next year or so, when he wasn’t on the road or making records, he’d call me up and say, ‘Come on down and let’s play some paino.’ You couldn’t exactly call them lessons. We’d play duets, and then he’d play, and have me listen carefully to the things he did. He was very serious when we were working together, and I was grateful for every minute. He’d tell me, ‘When you’re playing jazz, remember the rhythm, remember the rhythm. Make the number of notes count. Tell a story, and get that feeling across to the people. Please the people by making it come from here.”

[Photo Credit: Time Life Pictures/Getty]

Ah, lovely man.

John Mcwhorter goes in search of the lost Fats Waller musical. 

“Hold My Hand (Take 1)”–Fats Waller

[Photo Credit: Paul D’Amato]

“You’re The Picture”–Fats Waller

[Photo Via: Hypnagogia]

“Sweet And Slow”–Fats Waller

[Photo Credit: Jamie Livingston via Kateoplis]

“S’posin'”–Fats Waller

[Picture Via: Aberrant Beauty]

“Imagine My Surprise” Fats Waller

[Photo Credit: Fiona Osborne]

“(Take Me Back To) The Wide Open Places”–Fats Waller

[Photo Via: Eye Heart New York]

For Richard who likes Fats…

[Photo Via: Zander]

“(Take Me Back To) The Wide Open Places”–Fats Waller

[Photo Credit: Francis Ledoux]

“Oooh! Look-A There, Ain’t She Pretty” Fats Waller

Why, yes, in fact. Yes, she is.

[Photo Via: She is Glorious]

I just can’t get enough of this man’s music. Makes me happy, ya hoid?

[Photo Credit: Inspiring Pictures]

[Painting by Leah Giberson]

Bliss is Fats.

2-19 Honey Hush

[Photo Credit: :: Kate::]

Yeah.

[Photo Via Discretely Charming]

Sunday Morning Fats.

1-06 My Very Good Friend The Milkman

[Photo Credit: She is Glorious]

Mr. Wunnerful.

[Photo Credit: Peter Martin]

 
Fats: