There's a wealth of information on Fats out there, as there rightly should be as Fats made a lot of records and lived quite a colorful life in his all too short 39 years. What's great about Shipton's book is the way he's categorized the information. Instead of providing a beginning to end narrative (as most biographies tend to do), Shipton breaks Fats' life into the different facets of his career: his recordings, his work in musical theatre, his Rhythm and his Big Band, his films etc. This allows the book to still have a good deal of chronology, but it makes it easier to see how Fats developed in different mediums, and makes it easier to process all the info into something you can remember!
Though some more fact based pages of the book can be a little bland, it's peppered with plenty of great stories about the larger than life pianist and composer as well as photos of both Fats and some of his side men on film sets, in the recording studio, and live on stage. Readers who are dancers will also find some noteable quotes and recounts from Jeni le Gon on her work with the "Harmful Little Armful."
Overall a very factual read for the seasoned jazz history expert, but well organized and easy to follow enough for the novice.
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