b. Thomas Wright Waller, 21 May 1904, Waverley, New York, USA, d. 15 December 1943, Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Influenced by his grandfather, a violinist, and his mother, Waller was playing piano at students' concerts and organ in his father's church by the time he was 10 years old. In 1918, while still in high school, he was asked to fill in for the regular organist at the Lincoln Theatre, and subsequently gained a permanent seat at the Wurlitzer Grand. A year later he won a talent contest, playing ragtime pianist James P. Johnson's "Carolina Shout". While a prot‚g‚ of Johnson's, Waller adopted the Harlem stride style of piano playing, "the swinging left hand", emphasizing tenths on the bass, to which Waller added his own distinctive touch.

Listen to Fats Waller and His Rhythm at Finetune.

• (2006)  If You Got To Ask, You Ain't Got It!
• (1997)  Fractious Fingering, the Early Years, Part 3 (1936) - CD1
• (1997)  Fractious Fingering, the Early Years, Part 3 (1936) - CD2
• (1996)  A Handful of Keys
• (1929)  The Joint Is Jumpin'
• (1927)  The Fats Waller Piano Solos: Turn on the Heat

• Ain't Misbehavin'
• The Joint Is Jumpin'
• Honeysuckle Rose
• Your Feet's Too Big
• I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter

• Jelly Roll Morton
• Art Tatum
• The Four Blackbirds
• The Beau Hunks
• Scott Joplin
• Butch Thompson
• Red Wing Blackbirds Ragtime Jazz Band
• AL JOLSON
• Gunther Schuller
• Morten Gunnar Larsen
• David Laibman
• Ralph Press
• Roy Eaton
• the ragwagon band
• Duke Ellington
• Louis Armstrong
• Sidney Bechet
• Ella Fitzgerald
• Al Hirt
• Pete Fountain

• claytonhowl
• fiveherb
• eddielin11
• minerva49
• EddieIII
• oliviaolsen