Monday Mornin’

To keep alive the joy and exuberance of Fats Waller's timeless stride piano style, here's a transcription of his performance of Monday Mornin', Live from the Yacht Club 1938.

Jazz is an improvised musical form. A lot has been said about the worthiness of learning from a painstakingly transcribed live jazz performance.

Fats himself apparently learned his piano mentor James P. Johnson’s stride classic "Carolina Shout" by replicating the notes played from a pianola roll - surely the equivalent of learning from a notated transcribed performance in its day. Fats’ ultimate stature in the history of jazz piano goes without saying, so, a lot can be learned from having the notes “given” to you.

Use this as a guide to what notes are played but always listen to the original recording as the ultimate source of instruction and inspiration.

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