Waller, Thomas, 'FATS.' his Signed Copy of Edvard Grieg's Norwegische Tanze. Small folio, 25 pages; cover title in German. some light soiling to front cover. Signed 'Thomas Waller" on the front cover. Written in pencil on the rear cover is: 'Edw. I

Waller, Thomas, 'FATS.' his Signed Copy of Edvard Grieg's Norwegische Tanze. Small folio, 25 pages; cover title in German. some light soiling to front cover. Signed 'Thomas Waller" on the front cover. Written in pencil on the rear cover is: 'Edw. I Brown, Robert Morton Organ Co, 1560 Broadway, Bryant 2738, Room 909." Leipzig: C.F. Peters, nd circa 1915 E350-500 Thomas Wright Waller, later dubbed "Fats,' was born on 134th Street in New York C his father was deacon of the Abyssinian Baptist Church where his mother sang and played the organ. his earliest keyboard lessons on the organ came from his mother who encouraged his musical abilities. Equally at home with classical music as jazz for piano and organ, Waller showed a preference for the organ and was the first to use it in jazz. Ironically, while presenting possibly the most cheerful and humorous of personalities, Waller suffered from bouts with extreme alcoholism, and as a result, died at the age of 39