Una Mae Carlisle was a singer, pianist & songwriter, who like Fats Waller, enjoyed success playing in a boogie woogie/stride piano style and incorporating comedy into her act. She did in fact collaborate with Fats Waller who first discovered her around 1932 in Cincinatti where she was already established as a live radio performer. You can hear her accompanying him on the 1939 Waller recording of “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love.”
Two tracks on this album are my absolute favorites:
- Oh I’m Evil
- The Boogie Wooglie Piggy
I love the way that Miss Carlisle’s vocals manage to blend an innocent and carefree sweetness with a deep tone and smoky delivery. Her song lyrics crack me up 🙂
Una Mae Carlisle