Fats Domino & Friends [Cleopatra]

Performer: Fats Domino
Distributor: E1 Distribution (USA)

Notes: Fats Domino: Fats Domino; Little Richard, Richard Berry, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Ray Charles. Featuring a sampling of recordings by the great New Orleans artist Fats Domino, his influences, and contemporaries, this selection gathers some of the best-known creations of 20th-century R&B greats such as Johnny Otis, Little Richard, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins. Though somewhat misleadingly titled (there are no star-studded duets here), the set is an entertaining overview of mid-20th century popular R&B, with contributions from Big Joe Turner on "Shake, Rattle and Roll," Johnny Otis's immortal "Willie and the Hand Jive," and Domino's signature hit, "Blueberry Hill." This is one of those strange compilations that seemingly features re-recordings of Fats Domino and "friends" with hits like "Blueberry Hill," Ray Charles' and "What'd I Say" and Little Richard and "Tutti Frutti." In fact, these are re-recordings, most of them live, including a late version of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' doing his one classic "I Put a Spell on You," the Dale Hawkins' tune. That said, these performances are solid, still full of crackling energy and sometimes they even add depth to the originals. It's worth hearing, and for the right price it's actually worth picking up, especially if you are a fan of any of the artists here, who also include Joe Liggins, Richard Berry, Johnny Otis, and Amos Milburn. ~ Thom Jurek

New Orleans pianist/singer and rock & roll pioneer Fats Domino's playing, like that of Professor Longhair, was derived from the rich mixture of musical styles to be found in New Orleans, including jazz, Latin rhythms, boogie-woogie, Cajun, and blues. Domino's personal synthesis of these influences involved lazy, rich vocals supported by rolling piano rhythms. During the early 1950s, Domino gradually became one of the most successful R&B artists in America. By 1955, rock & roll had arrived, young white audiences were ready for Domino's music, and he began scoring frequent hits on the pop charts.

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