Re: [Harp-L] boogie woogie history

Joel Fritz <williemctell@xxxxxxxxx> · Thu, 13 Jun 2013 16:02:12 -0700

It's still around although probably not as popular as when Tommy Dorsey 
recorded "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie."  Wendy DeWitt puts on shows that 
feature female boogie and barrelhouse piano players under the title 
"Queens of Boogie Woogie."  She has a pretty good left hand herself.  
The Bay Area has several other good players in this vein who play 
regularly in places that book blues.  Wendy has been doing some touring 
lately so you might have a chance to hear her.
On 6/13/2013 12:04 PM, philharpn@xxxxxxx wrote:

Put some boogie woogie in your harmonica playing.

For those who would like a quick overview (or review) of boogie woogie there is a collection of 4 YouTubes  called Boogie Woogie History  (aka The South Bank Show History of Boogie Woogie 1986). The total collection of each part is about 40 minutes. This is a British program -- but most of the players are American.

It starts with Pinetop's Boogie Woogie (what everyone knows as simply Boogie Woogie). There's even a brief section with the Harmonicats!

The significance for harmonica players is that boogie woogie appears in harmonica music and this is an easy way to get a quick overview considering that boogie woogie is rather hard to come by these days as live music except at ragtime festivals that often feature stride as well as BW and its characteristic walking bass line.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13DgGtDGIpg>

Hope this helps
Phil