The London Suite was written by Thomas "Fats" Waller during his 1939 European tour. It is his musical interpretation of six London districts and the suite was arranged for and recorded by the Ted Heath band in 1947, then re-recorded in 1953/4. Limehouse is scored at a slower tempo ballad-feel chart that switches between straight and swing feels. It reflects heavily the Chinese influences on the area at the time and some say that the musical style partly alludes to opium induced trances. There are solos for Piano and both Altos double on Clarinet. Taken down from the 1947 recording this is not a hard chart to play, though the short middle Piano solo might require some fingering practice. Duration: 2:45 Grade: Medium
