I spent much of Thursday trudging from one end of Manhattan to the other, and so had little time for art other than a half-dozen Isaac Bashevis Singer stories gulped down in transit. (Singer is ideal for long subway rides.)
I do, however, want to tell you about Honeysuckle Rose (Living Era),
the terrific new CD to which I listened before bedtime. It’s a two-disc anthology of 51 Fats Waller recordings issued in honor of the centenary of his birth, and it’s extremely well-chosen–most of the big jukebox hits of the Thirties, plus lots of lesser-known gems like “S’posin’,” “I Wish I Were Twins,” and “Oh, Susannah, Dust Off That Old Pianna!” The overlap with Fats Waller: The Quintessence (Fremeaux), the other great Waller anthology, is surprisingly modest, and the two sets contain between them most of his finest 78s.
If you’re feeling blue, be it indigo or merely sky, buy ’em both and listen regularly. I guarantee results!