Albert Ammons with Meade Lux Lewis and Pete Johnson
Boogie Woogie Stomp
(Delmark DD-705)
The title of this CD sums up its contents
very nicely. In the 1920s it was Pine Top Smith that was one of the principal figures in
the development of the boogie woogie piano sound. And it was the likes of Albert Ammons,
Meade Lux Lewis and Pete Johnson that made boogie-woogie so popular in the late 1930s and
1940s. The careers of the three performers on this disc, along with singer Big Joe Turner,
hit the big time in December of 1938 when they had an outstanding and well received
concert at New York City's Carnegie Hall. This CD is a very nice collection of rare
tracks. The first 14 songs are compiled from acetate recordings of live radio broadcasts
from the Hotel Sherman in Chicago in 1939. Albert Ammons is featured as a solo performer
on half the tracks with four tracks by Meade Lux Lewis and two by Pete Johnson. Most songs
are original compositions with the rest being traditional, such at W. C. Handy's "St.
Louis Blues" or improvisations on other contemporary artists work. The first song
"Saturday Night" is a nicely performed duet by Albert and Meade that gets you
into that weekend party mood. The final four cuts are studio recordings from 1938. A pair
each by Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis are a nice ending to a very nice CD. Delmark
records should be commended for their efforts in tracking down wonderful rare recordings
such as these and allowing us to enjoy music that had been lost for many decades.
- Scott Ferman -
Southwest Blues CD Review - January 1999
Current Reviews - 1999 Reviews - available at our store
