TURN-ONS AND TURN-OFFS IN CURRENT HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASES : **** Excellent ***Good **Fair *Poor : COMPACT DISCS

“Great Original Performances 1927-1934.” Fats Waller. BBC. Originally recorded for RCA (12 cuts) and CBS (four), this collection has been subjected to a process whereby, we are told, an engineer has found a system that converts early 78s to high-quality (simulated) stereo. Well, maybe. Anyhow, on the best cuts it doesn’t matter, since two are piano solos, two self-accompanied vocals and two pipe-organ solos. Waller’s originality was time-proof. The small groups surrounding him were uneven; it is odd to hear violins sawing away alongside Waller, Benny Goodman and Muggsy Spanier in the band of Ted (“Is Everybody Happy?”) Lewis. Also heard from, briefly: Jack Teagarden, Coleman Hawkins, Red Allen. ***