This terrific showstopper comes from the musical revue Ain't Misbehavin’.
A Handful of Keys is a composition in the stride piano style by Fats Waller and originally published by Chappel & Co. The piece has been the subject of a large number of interpretations, mostly for piano solo, but sometimes also with lyrics. This terrific showstopper comes from the musical revue Ain't Misbehavin’, co-written by Waller, Harry Brooks, Andy Razaf and others. This musical is a tribute to the black musicians of the 1920s and 1930s who were part of the Harlem Renaissance, an era of growing creativity, cultural awareness and ethnic pride. It was a time when Manhattan nightclubs like the Cotton Club and the Savoy Ballroom were the playgrounds of high society and were filled with piano players banging out the newest tunes in a swing style. The revue presented an evening of rowdy, raunchy, and humorous songs that encapsulated the various moods of the era and reflected a view of life as a journey meant for pleasure and play.
Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 1904 – December 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid the groundwork for modern jazz piano. His best-known compositions, "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Honeysuckle Rose", were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1984 and 1999. Waller was the youngest of 11 children born to Adeline Locket Waller, a musician, and the Reverend Edward Martin Waller in New York City. He started playing the piano when he was six and graduated to playing the organ at his father's church. His mother taught him in his youth and he later attended private music lessons, paying for them by working in a local grocery store. Waller became one of the most popular performers of his era, finding critical and commercial success both in the USA and Europe. He was also a prolific songwriter, and many songs he wrote are still popular.
Jock McKenzie studied trumpet at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester where he was a joint recipient of the college’s concerto prize. From 1987 Jock based his musical career in Hampshire, working as a freelance trumpeter, conductor, composer, arranger and brass teacher. Jock is a former Professional Leader (Brass) for Hampshire Music Service and was the Director of the Hampshire County Youth Band from 2004 until 2020. It is the mix of all of these musical roles that has led to Jock establishing a reputation as a leading creator of brass music resources, particularly in the field of education and brass ensemble music. In 2020 Jock was awarded an “Honorary Fellowship of the University of Winchester” for services to music education. Currently Jock is working part-time for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama; providing tuition for their Brass Teaching Module. In 2024 Jock was given the award for “Services to Youth” by Brass Bands England.
