Fats Waller (1904-1943) wrote several evergreens of the American popular songbook, including "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Honeysuckle Rose." There's no better pianist to translate these classics into the modern idiom than Hank Jones, the jazz master who has worked with so many greats, from Coleman Hawkins and Charlie Parker to Ella Fitzgerald. Jones grew up in Detroit playing Waller's songs, and in the late Seventies became the pianist for the hit Broadway show, Ain't Misbehavin', which sparked this recording. Here-in both invigorating trio renditions of "Honeysuckle Rose" and others, as well as sextet versions of "Mean to Me" and more that employ the instrumentation of Waller's own group and are outfitted with robust arrangements by the renowned Bill Holman- Jones shows how contemporary Waller's music can be.

with Hank Jones, Richard Davis, Roy Haynes, Bob Ojeda, Teddy Edwards, Kenny Burrell