Minor Drag

Here's a tour de force performance from Fats in group mode featuring a bunch of musician buddies including Eddie Condon on banjo. The piece was conceived on the taxi journey to the recording session! No drum kit here, just Fats vamping away at first before he goes full-throttle stride.

The piece begins in C minor, a key Fats had a fondness for as his solo features similar musical material which can be heard in other performances, such as Piccadilly from his London Suite, as well as his Russian Fantasy from the Associated Transcription session, plus the key of C-minor features in the later section of his Valentine Stomp.

Via Fats' solo, we transition into the relative major key of Eb, where we hear the most extraordinary example of Fats' hand span on record where he plays an 11th! Of course, just use an octave or substitute a C instead of the Bb for us mortals!

Interestingly, it was in this same session that Fats recorded his famous Handful Of Keys and Numb Fumblin' piano solos.

Due to sound balance issues, Fats' playing is barely audible at times which I have noted on the score, so a few guesses were necessary.

Here is another "hybrid performance" where I've merged the original recording with my digital transcription to hear Fats' playing in context.

Hear the original here:

   • Fats Waller - The Minor Drag  

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