Label: Columbia Records.
Release Date: October 8, 1996.
Recording Time: 49 minutes.
Release Info: Studio Recording.
Releases: 1996 (Columbia / Legacy), 2008 (Blue Label).
Recording Date: November 1, 1938 - July 7, 1961.
Styles: Chicago Blues, Jump Blues, Memphis Blues, New Orleans Blues,Regional Blues, Acoustic Chicago Blues, Big Band, Boogie-Woogie, Early R&B, Piano Blues, Pre-War Country Blues, Sweet Bands, Swing.
Recording information: Atlanta, GA (11/01/1938 - 07/07/1961); Chicago, IL (11/01/1938 - 07/07/1961); Detroit, MI (11/01/1938 - 07/07/1961); Hollywood, CA (11/01/1938 - 07/07/1961); Los Angeles, CA (11/01/1938-07/07/1961); New York, NY (11/01/1938 - 07/07/1961); Paris, France (11/01/1938 - 07/07/1961).
While some purists would like to compartmentalize boogie woogie into a nice, neat box as strictly a form of piano blues, this 18 track collection clearly demonstrates that the form lends itself to a wide variety of treatments. Tracks like "Baby Boogie Woogie" by country picker Curley Weaver, "Boogie Woogie" by Delta Cum. Detroit bluesman Calvin Frazier and jazz visionary Art Tatum's "Tatum Pole Boogie" do much to support that claim, as does the inclusion of tracks from Red Saunders, Adrian Rollini and Harry James. Much of the material reprised here comes from one of the very first Columbia 78 RPM 'albums, ' a collection of boogie woogie classics produced by John Hammond, the man who brought the music into national vogue in the late 30s by simply letting giants like Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis, Pete Johnson and Big Joe Turner do their thing. As a musical flavor of the month, boogie woogie lasted long enough into the 40s to have it rhythms incorporated into Tin Pan Alley fodder, but its influence lasted much longer than that. And here's 18 perfect examples of its timeless appeal, minus the commercial affectations. - Review by Cub Koda.
Down Beat (2/97, p.55) - 4 stars out of 5 - "Eight-to-the-bar merriment to the max with 18 tracks culled from the archives of Columbia Records..."
Record Collector (magazine) (p.103) - 3 stars out of 5 - "It's a fun listen, traveling through instrumentals, duets, big band arrangements, a bit of organ and one guitar tune..."
Personnel: Curley Weaver, Calvin Frazier (vocals, guitar); Willie "Long Time" Smith, Champion Jack Dupree, Charlie Spand (vocals, piano); Don Raye, Clarence Moore, Ray McKinley, Big Joe Turner (vocals); Frank Victor, Sampson Pittman, Willie James Lacey (guitar); Riley Hampton (alto saxophone); Leon Washington (tenor saxophone); McKinley Easton (baritone saxophone, bass saxophone); Harry James, Sonny Cohn (trumpet); Joe Avant, Harlen Floyd (trombone); Freddie Slack (piano, celesta); Earl Washington, Jimmy Yancey, Albert Ammons, Meade "Lux" Lewis, Memphis Slim, Pete Johnson , Art Tatum (piano); Sir Charles Thompson (organ); Adrian Rollini (vibraphone); Eddie Dougherty, Charles Saunders, Red Saunders (drums).
Credits: Chris Albertson - liner notes; Albert Ammons - composer, performer, piano, primary artist; Joe Avant - trombone; Adam Block - series director; The Boogie Woogie Boys - primary artist; Boogie Woogie Trio - primary artist; Will Bradley - conductor, performer; Will Bradley Trio - primary artist; Fred Carlson - cover illustration, illustrations; Peter Chatman - composer; Harry Clark - bass, string bass; Lawrence Cohn - series producer; Sonny Cohn - trumpet; Eddie Dougherty - drums; Frank Driggs - photography; Champion Jack Dupree - composer, performer, piano, primary artist, vocals; McKinley Easton - sax (baritone), sax (bass); Harlen Floyd - trombone; Calvin Frazier - guitar, performer, primary artist, vocals; Howard Fritzson - art direction; Doc Goldberg - bass, string bass; Riley Hampton - sax (alto); Harry James - composer, performer, primary artist, trumpet; Pete Johnson - composer, performer, piano, primary artist; Ransom Knowling - bass; Willie James Lacey - guitar; Meade "Lux" Lewis - composer, piano; Ray McKinley - vocals; Memphis Slim - performer, piano, primary artist; David Mitson - archival restoration, mastering; Clarence Moore - performer, primary artist, vocals; Sampson Pittman - guitar; Don Raye - composer, vocals; Jimmy Richardson - bass; Adrian Rollini - conductor, performer, vibraphone; Adrian Rollini Trio - primary artist; Charles Saunders - drums; Red Saunders - conductor, drums; Red Saunders & His Orchestra - primary artist; Freddie Slack - celeste, performer, piano, primary artist; Pinetop Smith - composer; Willie "Long Time" Smith - composer, performer, piano, primary artist, vocals; Charlie Spand - composer, performer, piano, primary artist, vocals; Wilson Swain - bass; Art Tatum - composer, performer, piano, primary artist; Sir Charles Thompson - composer, organ, performer, primary artist; Big Joe Turner - composer, primary artist, vocals; Frank Victor - guitar; Earl Washington - piano; Leon Washington - sax (tenor); Curley Weaver - composer, guitar, performer, primary artist, vocals; John Williams - bass, string bass; Johnny Williams & His Orchestra - string bass; Jimmy Yancey - composer, performer, piano, primary artist.
Tracks: 1) Panic Street - Memphis Slim; 2) Down the Road a Piece - Freddie Slack with Will Bradley Trio; 3) Baby Boogie Woogie - Clarence Moore with Curley Weaver; 4) Soon This Morning No. 2 - Charlie Spand; 5) Boogie Woogie Prayer, Pt. 1 - The Boogie Woogie Boys; 6) Boogie Woogie Prayer, Pt. 2 - The Boogie Woogie Boys; 7) Mister Boogie - Sir Charles Thompson; 8) Honkey Tonk Train Blues - Red Saunders & His Orchestra; 9) Roll 'Em Pete - Pete Johnson with Big Joe Turner; 10) Dupree Shake Dance - Champion Jack Dupree; 11) Boo Woo - Harry James with Boogie Woogie Trio; 12) Shout for Joy - Albert Ammons; 13) Boogie Woogie - Calvin Frazier; 14) Honkey Tonk Train Blues - Adrian Rollini Trio; 15) Old Quaker Blues - Jimmy Yancey; 16) I Love You Baby Boogie - Willie "Long Time" Smith; 17) Boogie Woogie - Pete Johnson; 18) Tatum Pole Boogie - Art Tatum.
Release Date: October 8, 1996.
Recording Time: 49 minutes.
Release Info: Studio Recording.
Releases: 1996 (Columbia / Legacy), 2008 (Blue Label).
Recording Date: November 1, 1938 - July 7, 1961.
Styles: Chicago Blues, Jump Blues, Memphis Blues, New Orleans Blues,Regional Blues, Acoustic Chicago Blues, Big Band, Boogie-Woogie, Early R&B, Piano Blues, Pre-War Country Blues, Sweet Bands, Swing.
Recording information: Atlanta, GA (11/01/1938 - 07/07/1961); Chicago, IL (11/01/1938 - 07/07/1961); Detroit, MI (11/01/1938 - 07/07/1961); Hollywood, CA (11/01/1938 - 07/07/1961); Los Angeles, CA (11/01/1938-07/07/1961); New York, NY (11/01/1938 - 07/07/1961); Paris, France (11/01/1938 - 07/07/1961).
While some purists would like to compartmentalize boogie woogie into a nice, neat box as strictly a form of piano blues, this 18 track collection clearly demonstrates that the form lends itself to a wide variety of treatments. Tracks like "Baby Boogie Woogie" by country picker Curley Weaver, "Boogie Woogie" by Delta Cum. Detroit bluesman Calvin Frazier and jazz visionary Art Tatum's "Tatum Pole Boogie" do much to support that claim, as does the inclusion of tracks from Red Saunders, Adrian Rollini and Harry James. Much of the material reprised here comes from one of the very first Columbia 78 RPM 'albums, ' a collection of boogie woogie classics produced by John Hammond, the man who brought the music into national vogue in the late 30s by simply letting giants like Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis, Pete Johnson and Big Joe Turner do their thing. As a musical flavor of the month, boogie woogie lasted long enough into the 40s to have it rhythms incorporated into Tin Pan Alley fodder, but its influence lasted much longer than that. And here's 18 perfect examples of its timeless appeal, minus the commercial affectations. - Review by Cub Koda.
Down Beat (2/97, p.55) - 4 stars out of 5 - "Eight-to-the-bar merriment to the max with 18 tracks culled from the archives of Columbia Records..."
Record Collector (magazine) (p.103) - 3 stars out of 5 - "It's a fun listen, traveling through instrumentals, duets, big band arrangements, a bit of organ and one guitar tune..."
Personnel: Curley Weaver, Calvin Frazier (vocals, guitar); Willie "Long Time" Smith, Champion Jack Dupree, Charlie Spand (vocals, piano); Don Raye, Clarence Moore, Ray McKinley, Big Joe Turner (vocals); Frank Victor, Sampson Pittman, Willie James Lacey (guitar); Riley Hampton (alto saxophone); Leon Washington (tenor saxophone); McKinley Easton (baritone saxophone, bass saxophone); Harry James, Sonny Cohn (trumpet); Joe Avant, Harlen Floyd (trombone); Freddie Slack (piano, celesta); Earl Washington, Jimmy Yancey, Albert Ammons, Meade "Lux" Lewis, Memphis Slim, Pete Johnson , Art Tatum (piano); Sir Charles Thompson (organ); Adrian Rollini (vibraphone); Eddie Dougherty, Charles Saunders, Red Saunders (drums).
Credits: Chris Albertson - liner notes; Albert Ammons - composer, performer, piano, primary artist; Joe Avant - trombone; Adam Block - series director; The Boogie Woogie Boys - primary artist; Boogie Woogie Trio - primary artist; Will Bradley - conductor, performer; Will Bradley Trio - primary artist; Fred Carlson - cover illustration, illustrations; Peter Chatman - composer; Harry Clark - bass, string bass; Lawrence Cohn - series producer; Sonny Cohn - trumpet; Eddie Dougherty - drums; Frank Driggs - photography; Champion Jack Dupree - composer, performer, piano, primary artist, vocals; McKinley Easton - sax (baritone), sax (bass); Harlen Floyd - trombone; Calvin Frazier - guitar, performer, primary artist, vocals; Howard Fritzson - art direction; Doc Goldberg - bass, string bass; Riley Hampton - sax (alto); Harry James - composer, performer, primary artist, trumpet; Pete Johnson - composer, performer, piano, primary artist; Ransom Knowling - bass; Willie James Lacey - guitar; Meade "Lux" Lewis - composer, piano; Ray McKinley - vocals; Memphis Slim - performer, piano, primary artist; David Mitson - archival restoration, mastering; Clarence Moore - performer, primary artist, vocals; Sampson Pittman - guitar; Don Raye - composer, vocals; Jimmy Richardson - bass; Adrian Rollini - conductor, performer, vibraphone; Adrian Rollini Trio - primary artist; Charles Saunders - drums; Red Saunders - conductor, drums; Red Saunders & His Orchestra - primary artist; Freddie Slack - celeste, performer, piano, primary artist; Pinetop Smith - composer; Willie "Long Time" Smith - composer, performer, piano, primary artist, vocals; Charlie Spand - composer, performer, piano, primary artist, vocals; Wilson Swain - bass; Art Tatum - composer, performer, piano, primary artist; Sir Charles Thompson - composer, organ, performer, primary artist; Big Joe Turner - composer, primary artist, vocals; Frank Victor - guitar; Earl Washington - piano; Leon Washington - sax (tenor); Curley Weaver - composer, guitar, performer, primary artist, vocals; John Williams - bass, string bass; Johnny Williams & His Orchestra - string bass; Jimmy Yancey - composer, performer, piano, primary artist.
Tracks: 1) Panic Street - Memphis Slim; 2) Down the Road a Piece - Freddie Slack with Will Bradley Trio; 3) Baby Boogie Woogie - Clarence Moore with Curley Weaver; 4) Soon This Morning No. 2 - Charlie Spand; 5) Boogie Woogie Prayer, Pt. 1 - The Boogie Woogie Boys; 6) Boogie Woogie Prayer, Pt. 2 - The Boogie Woogie Boys; 7) Mister Boogie - Sir Charles Thompson; 8) Honkey Tonk Train Blues - Red Saunders & His Orchestra; 9) Roll 'Em Pete - Pete Johnson with Big Joe Turner; 10) Dupree Shake Dance - Champion Jack Dupree; 11) Boo Woo - Harry James with Boogie Woogie Trio; 12) Shout for Joy - Albert Ammons; 13) Boogie Woogie - Calvin Frazier; 14) Honkey Tonk Train Blues - Adrian Rollini Trio; 15) Old Quaker Blues - Jimmy Yancey; 16) I Love You Baby Boogie - Willie "Long Time" Smith; 17) Boogie Woogie - Pete Johnson; 18) Tatum Pole Boogie - Art Tatum.