Tempo King

By 1936, Fats Waller was fast becoming one of the Victor label's most lucrative jazz artists, and his extraordinary popularity engendered a number of Fats Waller imitators. Vocalion assigned that role to Putney Dandridge, and Decca encouraged Bob Howard to modify his own act so as to resemble Waller's, while the people at Victor boldly (and somewhat tactlessly) set up a Waller sound-alike band billed as Tempo King & His Kings of Rhythm. This act crossed the line between inspired emulation and conspicuous imitation, with the singer slavishly aping Waller's every vocal utterance...