A Left Hand Like God: Study of Boogie-woogie

178 Pages·1988·253.925 MB·English

by  Peter J. Silvester

tw,4
A LEFT HAND
LIKE GOD
A Study of Boogie-woogie
PETERJ . SILVESTER
with a speciacl ontribution
from Denis Harbinson
QUARTET BOOKS
LONDON NElJr YORK
CoNTENTS
Pnnracn vll
AcrNo\UTLEDGEMENTS
Panr ONp: THp BgcINNINGS
1 BoocrB-\u7'ooclE: EARLy AppnaRANcESA ND
Nar"rns BY \urHlcs Ir ,urASK NowN 3
2 Ttrn Fonrsr: Irs PostrloN, Its EuprovMENT,
Irs Proprr 20
3 Booctr-\u?oocln ERas, Musrcar INTTuENCES
AND SrcNrnrcANTE anrv PlaNtsrs 34
Panr Two: THr LJnenNS ouNos oF
BoocrE-\roocrE
First published by Quartet Books Limited 1988 4 Crrrcaco t9
A member of the Namara Group
5 TrrE DnpnnssroN 87
27129 Goodge Street
London \71P lFD 6 Sr Lours ANDD rrnorr 105
Copyright @ tlSS by PeterJ. Silvester
Pant Tunsn: Tun CanNncrn PEnroD
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data 7 Tnn SprnrruAI-sT o SwrNc CoNcpnrs I27
Silvester, Peter J.
8 CarE Socrnry Days I4t
A left hand like God: a study of boogie-woogie.
l. Boogie-woogie 9 TnE Posr-CAFES ocrETyP Enroo I6L
I. Title II. Harbinson. Denis
10 TnE Brc BaNos: OncHesrRATED
185.4
rsBN 0-7043-2685-)K Boocrn-.'urzoocrE 188
Rcproduced, printed and bound in Great Britain by
Hazell Watson & Viney Limited
Member of BPCC plc
Aylesbury, Bucks, England
Panr Foun: THE Frxar CunrarN
1 1 Tun ENo oF AN Ena 2L5
12 Tnp CoNTEuPoRARYS crNn 242
AppBNDrx: Tur RnconDINGS
Pnpracn
13 SorurBP taNrsrs AND Trtrtn Musrc: aN
ANarvsts 26I
M Trrr RnconorNcs: Brup Norp, Soro Anr AND I began writing this book in 1980 becauseI consideredt hat the story of
THE NarroNars 283 booti.-*oogie, and the myriad of piano players who practised it, had
,.r.rr., been satisfactorily written. In 1982, or thereabouts, I learnt that
Srrncrno DrscocRAPHY 302 Denis Harbinson, a Professoro f Music at University College, Cardiff, was
also in the process of writing a book on the same subiect' \7e
RgTnBNCES 310 correspondeda bour our respective works and sent each other articles and
INorx 320 reviews. Sadly, Denis died in 1983 and left behind some researchn otes
analysing some of the recordings of different pianists, a detailed and
well-documented chapter on the lumber industry and the outline of
another chapter on nomenclature and definition. I had already completed
about seven chapters when I heard of his death. It seemed pointless to
ignore the groundwork that Denis had completed, and so with the
encouragement of his widow I took his notes, read them through and
found that most of them could be incorporated into what I had already
written about the early beginnings of the boogie-woogie style and a
sectiona bout the recordingso f pianists. In doing so, I was conscioust hat
his contribution gave the original a richnessa nd musical credibility which
enhancedi t, as well as adding more detail to the unfolding story- The
inspirational element in the title was also provided by Denis.
It would haveb een impossiblet o begin writing a book on the subject of
boogie-woogiew ithout the continuing help and support of many record
collectors and pianists actively playing and recording in the boogie-
woogie style. In the early days of gathering information about the topic,
invaluable help was provided by three people. They were Dan
Gunderman, a pianist and collector from Milwaukee; Richard Lindaman
from Minnesota, whose intelligent and perceptive comments I came to
respect and appreciate as our correspondence continued and, from
England, Bob Tomlinson, the record collector supreme, who introduced
me to the work of the Europeanp ianists. All of thesem en helped me to
get the project under way and without their regular tapesa nd letters, the
book would have been stillborn. They also gave moral support during
those black moments when I began to doubt the wisdom of my catalogue individually. Maior references have been included in the text
undertaking. where this seemed appropriate to do so and more significant sources have
At a later stage in the writing I was fortunate to make contact with been included ar rhe end of the book. A definitive discography was also
Tom Harris from Fort \7orth, Texas. He, in turn, introduced me to Ben beyond the scope of the book so I have attempted to include a selection of
Conroy of Austin, Texas. Both of these men are good exponents of the major recordings of artists where these were relevant to the text. An
boogie-woogie and hold a deep aflfection flor the music. They both knew additional list of recordings has been included for the information of those
pianists Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson personally and shared their readers who wish to delve deeper into this fascinating musical form. I
reminiscences with me as well as providing material and photographs could not conclude this section without thanking David Horne, the
from their personal collections. Through their introductions I was able to librarian at the University of Exeter, who responded with tolerance to my
make contact with Phil Kiely, whose recollections of his friendship with early requests for accesst o tape recordings, transcriptions, magazines and
the Yanceys and photographs and letters from this period in his life were books held in the excellent iazz and blues section for which he is
an invaluable source; Dick Mushlitz, a founder member of the Salty Dogs responsible. I also give my thanks to Celia Tupp, who somehow managed
Jazz Band, whose memories of his visits to the Yanceys' apartment put to decipher my writing and brought the book to life with her accurate
flesh on the bones; and Charles Booty, a boogie-woogie pianist and typing, and to Chris Parker, my editor at Quartet.
raconteur from Tennessee. Finally, as all aurhors are obliged to say, the music belongs to everyone
Dr John Steiner sent me his taped recollections of his contacts with but the views about it are mine, and with the licence bestowed by an
Albert Ammons and Jimmy Yancey and also provided me with a colourful aurhor's gloss, those of Denis Harbinson. Here then is one version of the
picture of the Chicago jazz scene in the thirties, forties and fifties. story of boogie-woogie.
Then there were the pianists: Bob Seeley of Detroit, a brilliant Peter J. Silvester, 1988
interpreter of boogie-woogie and other styles, whose long friendship with
pianist Meade Lux Lewis was faithfully recorded for me on tape with
additional personal comments about the genre; Axel Zwingenberger, This book is dedicated to my wife Doreen, who has given me unfailing
from Hamburg, an international artist and one of the foremost exponenrs love, support and understanding in my quest for the truth over the last
of boogie-woogie today who corresponded and also spent hours on rhe seven years. I also dedicate it to my children Amanda, Elizabeth and
telephone advising me about historical detail and features of the different Richard who have suffered my own paltry attempts to emulate the masters
styles of boogie-woogie. at the piano. Lastly, to Edna Harbinson, in the hope that the book will
Other collectors provided me with photographs and other memorabilia. remind her of the music Denis loved so passionately.
Among those I should like to mention by name are Francis \Tilford
Smith, Chris Grahl, Bob Meuse and John Jeremy. I apologize if I have
inadvertently omitted to mention anyone by name who should have been
included.
I should also like to acknowledge the help given by Edsel Ammons, the
son of Albert Ammons, who gave me the essential living link with the
past, so necessaryi n a book of this kind. Now a distinguished bishop in
Columbia, his wise and apposite comments enabled me to sort out the
truth from the fiction which surrounds famous people. For the help,
advice and time given by all of those mentioned I give my grateful thanks.
I like to think that our joint endeavours have sown the seeds of a lasting
friendship.
The literarv sources on which I have drawn are too numerous to
Lewisham; Arhoolie Record Company (Robert Shaw: Arhoolie LP 1010,
distributed in the UK by Topic Records); Birch Tree Group Ltd (The
BarrelhouseB lueso f SpukledR ed, Folkways FG 3tI)); Michael Montgom-
'The 'New
ery (covers from Fives' and Orleans Hop Scop Blues'); Bob
Seeley( Meade Lux Lewis's Christmas cards);D an Gunderman (advertise-
ments and other memorabilia); Phil Kiely (letter from Estelle Yancey).
Acr<NoNTLEDGEMENTS
Agreement has been sought for the use of extracts from the following
sources:H arper and Row Inc., New York (AmericanH unger by Richard
Invaluable help was obtained from the following sources:S heldonH arris's \Tright); International Publishers Co. Inc. (Labour and Lumber by C.
Blues'Vbo'sr Vho (Da Capo, l97D; James Lincoln Collier's The Making 0f Todes); The Black Perspectivei n Music ('An Early Black Concert' by
Jazz (Hart-Davis, 1978); Hans Mauerer's The PeteJ ohnson Story and Dugan and Hammond); Cassell and Co. Ltd (Shining Trampetsb y Rudi
Doutnbeat magazine. Blesh); Dutton and Co., New York (MemphisD outn in Dixie by S.
Mcllwains); Farmer, Straussa nd Giroux, New York (Tirtteso f Our Liuesb y
Bass patterns from The Story of the Blues by Paul Oliver used by kind O. Johns); Columbia University Press,N ew York (The Black Worker by
permission of Barry & Jenkins, London; extracts from The Deail's Music by S.D. Spiro and H.L. Harris); Schirmer Books, Collier Macmillan, New
Giles Oakley reproduced with the kind permission of BBC Enterprises York (The BiS Bands by George T. Simons); J.M. Dent, New York
Ltd; extracts from interviews by kind permission of Cadencem agazine, (Dinosaurs in the Morning by \Whitney Balliett); Dounbeat magazine;
Redwood, NY; extractsf romJustJazz edited by S. Traill and G. Lascelles Harcourt BraceJ ovanovich Inc., New York (lazzmenb y F. Ramsey and
quoted by kind permission of N7illiam Heinemann Ltd, London; extracts C.E. Smith); Vanguard Press,N ew York (NegroL abor in the UnitedS tates
from Hear Me Talkin' to Ya edited by N. Shapiro and N. Hentoff quoted 1850-1925 by C.H. STesley)J;a zz Journal.
by kind permission of Henry Holt and Co.; maps from Tbe Great Forestb y
Richard G. Lillard reproduced by kind permission of Alfred A. Knopf Other sourcesu sed were: Origin Records( RuggedP iano ClassicsO JL 15,
Inc.; material from Conuersatiown ith the Blues by Paul Oliver reproduced sleevenotes)S; tudio Vista (DeePS outhP iano by K. zur Heide); Clarence
with the kind permission of the Macmillan Publishing Company, New \Tilliams Music Publishing Co. Inc. (Boogie-tuoogBileu esF olio);U niversity
York; material from reviews and obituary ofJimmy Yancey copyrigh, @ of California Press( Selectionfrso rr the Gutter by Art Hodes); Lady Singst he
l939lt1 by the New York Times Company, reprinted by permission; Blues by Billie Holiday; 77 Records (Henry Brown Blues sleevenotes);
extracts from The Life and Declineo f the ArnericanR ailtuay by G.H. Stover Milwaukee Journal Green Sheet october 1943, interview with Albert
used with the kind permission of Oxford University Press, New York; Ammons and PeteJ ohnson by Doyce K. Gelter; Reflectionosn theH istory of
material from Thry All Played Ragtime by R. Blesh and H. Janis Jazz, 17 March 1945, review by Dr J. Hayakawa; San FranciscoS unday
reproducedb y kind permission of Sidgwick & Jackson, London; excerpts cbronicle,1 4 June 1964, article by Ralph Gleason; LosA ngelu Tinres,J une
from 'IJptown Boogie-woogie', 'Jam for Jimmy' and 'As Long as They 1964 obituary of Meade Lux Lewi s; New York Daily rVorld, review of Bob
Nfant Me' copyright Time Inc., all rights reserved, reprinted by Seeley;c olliersM agazine,' Dark Magic' , c. l94o; cassell and co. (TheA rt
'Three
permission from Tirne; map of South Side, Chicago from Spear's Black ofJ azz: Boogie-woogie pianists' by \William Russell) ; Metronome;
Chicagor eproducedb y kind permissiono f the University of Chicago Press; Jlzz Quarterly; Jazz Report; Le Jazz Hot; Mississippi Rag; Recordc hanger;
exrractsf rom On Recordb y John Hammond copyrigh, @ 1977, all rights HRS Magazine; Jazz lllusnated.
reserved,r eprinted by permission of Viking Penguin Inc.
Photographsw ere provided by: \william Russell, Duncan scheidt, Francis
Valuable material was also provided by Storyville Publications and Co. \Tilford Smith, Frank Driggs, JazzJournal, Gene pairan, Dan Gunder-
Ltd, Chigwell, Essex;F lyright Records, Bexhill-on-Sea;B luesU nlinited, man, Sheldon Harris, Jan Montgomery, Phil Kiely, C.P. Grahl, Bob
'south
Soeley,R . Mushlirz, Tom Harris, Bob Meuse,B en conroy and the
Bank Show'. Prinm rverep reparedb y PS$Z, Exeter.
Every effort has been made to rrace sources used in this book, and
acknowledgement has been made where possible; any oversights are
inadvertent.
PART ONE:
THE
EGINNINGS
w
1
BoocrE-\roocrE:
Eanry AppEaRANCES AND
NarvrES BY \THICH Ir was KrvoNTN
'I
cameu pstairsi nto the world: for I was born in a cellar.
lVillian
Congreue
Towards the end of the nineteenth century and in the eady years of the
present one, as much as evidence will allow, American blues music
spawned a noisy offspring which was eventually given the name of
boogie-woogie.I t was, and is, a primitive and rhythmical style of piano
playing which achieved its zenith during \forld \Var Two, in the early
1940s. At this time it was heard incessantlyo n the radio, in concertsa nd
on film soundtracks.S olo pianists of all shadesp layed it, from Meade Lux
Lewis, an original performer in the style; through Bob Zurke, a skilled
technician who learnt boogie-woogiew ith the Bob Crosby band; to Jose
Iturbi, a classicalp ianist of some repure. Most of the leaderso f the rop
swing bands commissioned novelty boogie-woogie compositions which
featured their pianists. Tommy Lineham played 'Chips Boogie-woogie'
with the small group of the same name drawn from the -woody Herman
Band while Mary Lou \Tilliams did a similar job for the Andy Kirk Band
on numbers like 'Little Joe from Chicago'. In its most commercial form,
lyrics were added to its rhythms to produce popular songs with the
endearing titles of 'The Boogie-woogie Bugle Boy of company B' and
'scrub
Me Mama with a Boogie Beat' which climbed high in the hit
parade when interpreted by the Andrews Sisters, the most successful
close-harmony vocal group of the period. By the end of the forties,
however, boogie-woogieh ad slipped quietly out of public favour, a victim
of dilution, commercial exploitation and overexposure.
The style, which started in the southern and mid-western states of
}EGINNINGS
America, is attributed to untutored black piano playersw ho emphasized called stride bassa nd it was initially adaptedf rom the syncopateds tylings
the rhythmical properties of the piano instead of the more usual melodic of ragtime pianists (stride is the term reservedf or the eastern-coasts chool
ones in their playing. Boogie-woogiem usic was fashionedf rom the blues of piano playing which was centred in New York and exemplified in the
'The
which, in turn, had some of its roots in the chants and field hollers of works of Thomas Nfaller, JamesP . Johnson, $Tillie Lion' Smith and
work gangs as they sang to relieve the monotony of laying railtracks, Luckey Roberts). Stride bassesw ere not popular with unschooledp ianists
quarrying stone or ploughing the land. The southern states were the becauseo f the superior technique required for playing them. Most pianists
setting for the early blues becauseo f the high proportion of newly could get by when called on to play a stride bassf or a blues but they were
emancipatedb lack slavesl iving in the region. They took their musical on surer ground playing a rhythmically acceptablea ccompaniment in
heritage with them when they eventually uprooted and moved to the which the left hand was anchoredi n the bassn otes as in boogie-woogie.
cities of the mid-west and northern statesi n searcho f work - a migration This style gradually became recognized as a distinct piano form as it
which began in the earlyy earso f the presentc entury. The closel ineageo f evolved from its secondaryf unction as an accompaniment to the blues into
boogie-woogiea nd the blues, its reported appearancein southern states a solo performance. The subtle embellishments supporting the singer's
and, later, Kansas, St Louis and Chicago is not, therefore, difficult to lyrics were discarded and replaced in the treble by short repeatedp hrases,
explain. runs, sharply struck chords, repeated single notes and trills which
The traditional pattern of the blues is one of twelve bars, but versionso f emphasized rhythm at the expense of melody. \Where the guitar player
eight and sixteenb ars are lessc ommonly played. From the earliestk nown switched betweenp laying in the bassa nd treble rangeso f his instrument,
days, blues were sung with a guitar accompaniment which provided a the pianist was able to produce a continuous series of varied and
rhythmical backing and fill-in phrasesb etween the verses.T his pattern conrrasting tones at the same time in both registers, each hand working
continuest oday, with the guitar player alternating betweenl aying down a independently - a defining attribute of boogie-woogiep laying. The left
solid ground rhythm of short repetitive phrases( ostinato) of single notes hand would repeat endlessly an ostinato bassp attern moving to the three
and chords in the lower registerso f the instrument, and embellishing the blues-chord positions (C, F and G in the key of C) while the right hand
singer's sentiments - with extemporizedr uns, trills and chords - in the supported or played across the bass rhythm, and in so doing, produced
medium and high registers. The blues is a simple yet effective musical complex cross-rhythms. Although some boogie-woogiec ompositions are
form that can be played ^t many levels, ranging from the elemenrary 'blue' in tone and feeling - notably those of Jimmy Yancey and Montana
chording of the amateur musician to the complex and evocatives ounds Taylor - the mood engendered by boogie-woogie playing is generally
produced by the musician with superior technical skills. The lyrics are different from the blues. A solid rumbling tone is endemic to the music,
often sad, sometimesh umorous or aggressivelya ssertive,a nd are normally giving it an exciting quality for both listener and player. The blues in its
concernedw ith human frailties associatedw ith love, loneliness,s ex, drink various moods evokess adness;b oogie-woogie at whatever tempi transmits
and poverty. The themes sometimes take their inspiration from a raw, buoyant energy. S7illiam Russell described its characteristicsi n
catastrophes and significant events in the singer's life. The great these words:
Mississippi Delta floods and the typhoon which struck St Louis during
this century have both been commemorated in blues compositions. The An analysiso f the musical elementso f boogie-woogies tyle adds little
blues run the whole gamut of human emotions and experiences. to the understanding of its magic. Rhythmically more simple than
At one stage removed from boogie-woogie, which is essentiallya solo somet ypes of African music, it is still more complex and polyrhythmic
performance,t he piano accompanimentt o blues singing was a direct copy than the conventional iazz-pianos tyle. The rapid, hypnotic patterns of
of the guitar player's technique. Treble phraseso n the piano replacedt he the left hand are often set against ever-changingr hythms of the right
fill-in passageos n the guitar and the ostinato ground rhythm of the guitar hand, causing the most exciting cross-rhythms. And one should also
was replicated on the piano by similar figures played deep in the bass. call attention to the swing of boogie-woogie,t he lack of which makes
Another left-hand pattern which was sometimes used alternated on the imitations of it, though played in excellent tempo, so monotonousa nd
I
beat berweenc hords in the bassa nd middle registerso f the piano. This is ineffectual.
AND LIKE GOD sEGINNINGS
Although the music is quintessentially rhythmical, a cause-and-effect softly delicate treble chimes of the introduction contrast with, and give
link with African drumming and racial memory patterns brought to emphasist o, the powerful bass. Ammons also employed the samee ffect in
'Mecca
America by slavest ransported from Africa is both tenuous and simplistic his recording of Flat Blues'.
as a means of explaining the dynamic qualities of boogie-woogie. The Typical of many of the eady practitioners of boogie-woogie was the
music does have certain melodic featuresw hich are frequently omitted unrecordeda nd unschooledp ianist \Tilliam Turk. Probably born around
from its analysis.B oogie-woogiew as music of its time and it was shaped L866, he was a massivet hree hundred pounds in weight and nearly six
by elemental sounds heard and memorized by pianists. Trains provided feet tall. He died about 1911 and his piano playing was described by
endless themes, as it was possible to represent the haunting sound of Eubie Blake in these words:
whistles, expressesr omping along on a full head of steam, wheels
clattering over points and, of course, the insistent rhythm of the driving He had a left hand like God. He didn't even know what key he was
wheels. Examples of this kind of musical onomatopoeiac an be heard in playing in, but he played them all. He would play the ragtime stride
'Streamline
many recordings of train numbers: ClarenceL ofton's Train', bass, but it bothered him becauseh is stomach got in the way of his
'Cow 'Number
Charles Davenport's Cow Blues', \Tesley \Tallace's arm, so he used a walking bass instead. I can remember when I was
'Honky
Twenty-nine', and later compositionsb y MeadeL ux Lewis such as thirteen - this was 1896 - how Turk would play one note with his
'Six-wheel 'Chicago
Tonk Train Blues', Chaser'a nd Flyer'. right hand and at the same time four with his left. \7e called it
'Express 'sixteen'-
An early recording, Lemuel Fowler's Train Blues' (1925), they call it boogie-woogien ow.2
which might be expected to be one of the eadiest recordings of a train
boogie, turns out, on examination, not to possessa ny of the qualities From Blake's description it is clear that the style was nor then called
'real' 'Pinetop's
described.I t is a droll, jazz noveky piecec omplete with train noises, boogie-woogie. The first use of the term is claimed to be
in which far more is heard of trumpet, clarinet and saxophonet han of Boogie-woogie', a composition by ClarenceP inetop Smith and recorded
'1129
Lemuel Fowler'sp iano. Another recording, Romeo Nelson's Blues', on the Vocalion record label on 29 December 1928. Smith used the term
plods along with a steady four-to-the-bar bass and has little if any both as a title and, in talking on the record, to infer music and dancing.
connection with the train topic: the vocal, with its referencest o the By the following year, other performers were doing the same thing and
'Pitchin'
policeman and the gaoler, expressesm ore concern with the consequences copying Smith's successfufl ormat on record. Boogie' (192D by
of breaking the law. Neither of the pieces,t hough possessinga train title \Ufill Ezell similarly employed the term both as a title and, in talking on
'we're
and being played by acknowledgedb oogie-woogiep ianists, is connected the record, to indicate dancing. His srarement going to pitch the
in any way with the boogie-woogie train-blues tradition. boogie right here' is possibly indicative of the term also being used to
'breaks' 'Head
Bugle calls were used either as chorusesi n the melody or as mean a party. Rag Hop' (1929) by Romeo Nelson usedt he term, in
'feeling'
between choruses. The best-known example is provided in Jimmy talking on the record, to indicate dancing and ('makesm e feel so
'Yancey's 'Hastings
Yancey's Bugle Call'; other pianists who made useo f them were boogie-woogie');t he composition Street' (r92, recorded as a
'Lowdown
Montana Taylor in Blues', Jabo Williams in Jab Blues' and duet by Charlie Spand (piano) and Blind Blake (guitar), informs us,
Albert Ammons in'Reveille Boogie'. through their patrer, that the rerm boogie-woogie was used to mean
The word 'chimes' was once thought to be a synonym for boogie- either dancing or music in the city of Detroit. Also of interest is the
but an examinationo f two numbers,' ChimesB lues'by Davenport referencem ade in three of the recordingst o a gid (one of thosed ancing at
.woogie
and 'EasternC himes Blues' by Henry Brown, suggestst hat this is not so. these recorded re-creationso f the barrelhouseo r rent-parry scene)i n a
In spite of the former having an occasionapl assageo r two of walking bass, coloured dress. The colour varies: in Pinetop's piece she is the girl 'with
neither piece could be said to fall into a typical boogie-woogief orm. In the red dress on' who is encouraged to stand up by the piano to do the
fact, the complete melodic structure of Brown's piece is built around a boogie-woogie;C larenceS mith's wife Saraha lways maintained that the
descending sequenceo f chiming chords. Chime effects were sometimes referencew as to a red dresst hat she owned which was a favourire with her
used to introduce a number, as in Ammons's 'Shout for Joy' in which the husband. Romeo Nelson wishes to inspire a gid with 'a black dresso n',