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The Sounds of Boogie-Woogie
Smithsonian's own jazz man, John Edward Hasse, gives a lesson on the influential music genre. (2:44)
Produced by: Brendan McCabe, Ryan Reed and Brian Wolly
Related:
The Smithsonian's Ambassador of Jazz
Music curator John Edward Hasse travels the globe teaching the genre that revolutionized American music
September 2010 |
By Erica R. Hendry
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Comments (17)
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I've always been fascinated by this style of music.
Hazel Scott's Boogie Woogie is also a great piece to play. It's definitely a challenge to play, but great fun.
The examples on here are great to hear. What a refreshing video!
Posted by Cindy Shollenberger on October 6,2010 | 08:38 PM
WOW! So glad to see this ya'll. I am self taught and find Boogie Woogie quite entrancing and satisfying to say the very least. Then progressing to learned music reading slowed down the improvisational but motivating. Thanks for the fun and history you add to our lives.
Posted by Lynne Roberts-Broderius on October 6,2010 | 12:09 PM
To Sidney Lawrence: I believe the first recorded instance of the bass Mr. Hasse plays was in 1936, on Meade Lux Lewis' "Yancey Special." The piece is a sort of tribute to Lewis' mentor, Jim Yancey, pioneer boogie player and longtime groundskeeper for the Chicago White Sox. Later, Yancey recorded his own version of the "Yancey Special." The beginning of Mr. Hasse's piece is his own recreation of the way Jimmy Yancey played Leroy Carr's "How Long Blues," although Yancey used a somewhat different bass line. It owes virtually nothing to the understated piano accompaniment of the Carr originals (wonderful versions of which Carr recorded many times)in the late 20s and early 30s.
Posted by Posted by Caleb Crowell on October 5,2010 | 12:43 AM
A good selection of originals is found on "Boogie-Woogie and Blues Piano", a 3-CD set (www.mosaicrecords.com). A number of CD reissues are available. Search www.amazon.com for "boogie woogie" and read reviews to find examples which might meet your needs.
Posted by Ed Smith on October 5,2010 | 11:19 PM
My first introduction to Boogie-Woogie was in the early 40's when the American troops came to Townsville, my hometown in North Queensland and my sister and I used to watch the Americans dance to this music in the local cafe.
From the first time I heard it I just loved Boogie Woogie and still do. It does something to me and I just want to get up and dance when I hear it....which I still do. In my teen years, I was lucky to have a sister who played piano and did play boogie woogie but I now live in Sydney, too far away, and even though I have a piano, I do not play myself. Such a shame and I regret not having learned. Sadly, I find it is difficult, even impossible, to find boogie woogie to buy in the various music stores. I did have many cassettes featuring boogie woogie of the late 30's/40's but unfortunately they were destroyed when we moved at one stage and water entered the container so I am always on the lookout for some boogie woogie music. Can anyone help?
Daphne Williams October 6, 2010
Posted by Daphne Williams on October 5,2010 | 06:50 PM
I really appreciate hearing about the music I so enjoyed in my high school years and now want to learn more about. Please keep things like this coming so we don't lose this great music and the people who made it happen
Posted by Nancy Jenkins on October 5,2010 | 02:46 PM
As someone who is in his 80's and who as an old infantryman who once served in Company B I remember well the tune "Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B". I loved the music, danced to it and thoroughly enjoyed John Hasse' history lesson but I am surprised that he never mentioned the most famous boogie-woogie legend of the 1940's ... Pine-Top Smith and his fantastic tune "Pinetop's Boogie-Woogie."
Posted by Jim on October 5,2010 | 01:14 PM
....Agree with all above comments. Exemplary 'increase and diffusion of knowledge'! The left-hand rhythm of the piece you played (note to filmmaker: not in sync with the footage... tsk tsk) invoked to me at least '50s rock and roll; I'd be curious to know when it was written (much earlier?) and by whom. Thanks.
Posted by sidney lawrence on October 5,2010 | 01:08 PM
Check out Bob Seeley in Detroit -- a Meade Lux Lewis protégé. I have sat for hours at his piano in Charlie's Crab. Alas, I'm in CA now, and miss him terribly.
Posted by Mike Briggs on October 5,2010 | 11:35 AM
You've provided a great service-explaining and 'exposing' this exciting style to a greater potential audience. I'm hoping that I'm able to download this, and use it in my Introduction to Jazz class. We've just gone over this style, and the presentation you have here will be very useful to this and future classes. Thanks
John Harding
p.s. I've always like Pinetop Smith's style of playing boogie.
Posted by Dr. John Harding on October 5,2010 | 11:31 AM
I'm 85 and fingers don't work well enough to play the piano but BOY, did I enjoy playing boogie woogie in the early forties. Thanks for a wonderful memory revisited. Some of my students enjoyed playing also. Enjoyed your efforts so much.
Posted by sue partington on September 12,2010 | 05:23 PM
I had great fun playing boogie when I was in high school in the l940's and can still tickle the ivories with a rousing jump. I like it. I am 80 years young. Boogie helps me stay that way. I hit it a little bit nearly every day.
Posted by james boyd on September 11,2010 | 04:51 PM
Jazz is difficult, I play cello, guitar and keyboard. I amend anyone who tries to play this wonderful, inspiring piece of music.
Posted by Sabrina R. on August 30,2010 | 12:30 AM
Great piece.....you could read an article about this but hearing the songs on the internet points out the value of having both sound and written work available electronically.
Posted by R K Smith on August 26,2010 | 03:26 PM
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