Boogie Woogie Stomp

Artist:

Boogie Woogie Kings

UPC:

038153080426

Description:

Liner Note Author: Bob Koester.
Recording information: Chicago, IL (??/??/1938-10/30/1971); St. Louis, MO (??/??/1938-10/30/1971).
Someone who has a limited knowledge of the acoustic piano styles of the `20s, `30s, and `40s might assume that stride piano (as in James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, Willie "The Lion" Smith, and Luckey Roberts) and boogie-woogie were the same thing. But despite being closely related, they were two different styles. Stride was very much a part of classic jazz, whereas boogie-woogie -- although certainly influenced by jazz and ragtime -- was a groove-oriented, emotionally direct form of piano blues. Some big bands and small groups played boogie-woogie, but unaccompanied solo pianists were the heart of the style. And the crucial role that the acoustic piano played in boogie-woogie is evident on Boogie Woogie Kings, a compilation that Bob Koester thoughtfully assembled for his Delmark label in 2009. The 19 recordings on this 53-minute CD (five of them previously unreleased) come from the Euphonic Sounds catalog, which Delmark acquired -- and boogie-woogie`s big three (Meade "Lux" Lewis, Albert Ammons, and Pete Johnson) are heard on 1939 broadcasts from the Sherman Hotel in Chicago. Another boogie-woogie great, pianist/singer "Cripple" Clarence Lofton, is heard in 1938 and 1939, but performances by other contributors to boogie-woogie piano were recorded in 1960 (Henry Brown) or 1955 and 1971 (Speckled Red). Of course, a lot of things changed musically between the late `30s and the `60s and `70s. Rock & roll exploded in the mid-`50s, and boogie-woogie (like jump blues) helped pave the way for the rock & roll explosion. Hearing Ammons, Johnson, Lewis, and Lofton playing their hearts out in the late `30s, it isn`t hard to see how much their infectious, hard-driving pianism benefited early rock & roll icons such as Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis. Some collectors will no doubt complain about a typo in the disc`s list of recording dates (track 19, the final track, is identified as track 23, even though there is no track 23). Regardless, this is an excellent compilation that boogie-woogie enthusiasts will be delighted to get their hands on.

Track Listing:

DISC 1

1. Pinetop`s Blues
2. G-Flat Blues
3. Streamline Train
4. Pitchin` Boogie
5. Mistaken Blues
6. Travelin` Blues
7. I Don`t Know
8. Mercy Blues
9. Doll House Boogie
10. Whistlin` Blues
11. Deep Morgan - (alternate take)
12. 22nd St Stomp - (alternate take)
13. Pickin` Em Out Again
14. Dirty Dozens - (alternate take)
15. Dad`s Piece - (alternate take)
16. Pinetop`s Boogie Woogie
17. Right String But the Wrong Yo Yo - (alternate take)
18. Boogie Woogie Prayer
19. Closing Time

Album Information

Release Date:

10/27/2009

Type:

Performer

Genre:

Jazz Instrument

Subgenre:

Boogie Woogie

Label:

Delmark

Producer:

Robert G. Koester

Catalog Number:

804

Original Release Year:

2009

# of Discs:

1

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