California, Here I Come

Here are four choruses of Fats playing the old Al Jolson classic, “California, Here I Come" as performed during the wonderfully close-up "cabaret-style" Associated Transcription session of 1935.

This tour de force performance is a perfect example of Fats paraphrasing a popular melody into a dazzling stride showpiece with all the accompanying variations and iterations. It's a veritable compendium of Fats' stride piano style, executed at lightning speed, with delicateness and an indefatigable swing! Even at this speed, Fats' classical touch and attention to dynamics are astounding.

Here is the original recording for reference:

https://youtu.be/MhWT11apMM8

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