Top 50 Jazz Blog

Top 50 Jazz Blog

Monday, May 19, 2025

Interracial Jazz Recording (#31) Fats Waller and Gene Austin

Fats Waller, as I've noted, was a key player in early interracial sessions. On this recording, he's teamed up with a pop singing star of the era Gene Austin, who hit it very big with "My Blue Heaven." Austin sings in a light tenor, with good intonation. Although jazz ears might not love it, I find it pleasant enough. Waller sounds great in any context and excellent guitarist Carl Kress also gets a few moments in the sun. 

                  

"I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling," which became a standard, was co-written by Waller and Harry Link (whose his other big song was "These Foolish Things,") with lyrics by Billy Rose. "Maybe, Who Knows?" is by Johnny Tucker, Joe Schuster and lyrics by singer Ruth Etting.


Gene Austin (vcl) acc by orchestra: Leonard Joy (cond), Mike Mosiello (tp), Andy Sannella (cl,as), Yascha Zayde, Lou Raderman, Murray Kellner (vln), Abe Borodkin (cello), Fats Waller (p), Carl Kress (g), Dick Cherwin (b) William Dorn (d) or Joe Green (d) New York, June 26, 1929.

  • I’ve got a feeling I’m falling (*)- RCA Vic VPM6056;
  • I’ve got a feeling I’m falling (*)- Vic 22033, Classics (F)689 [CD];
  • Maybe - who knows ?- Vic 22033, HMV B-3117, EA-593;
  • Note: One take of (*) also on ASV Living Era (E)5217 73[CD], Take Two 414 [CD]. All titles from Vic 22033 also on JSP (E)CD952 [CD] titled “Fats Waller - The Complete Recorded Works, volume 6”; rest of 5CD set by Fats Waller and other leaders.








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