Meade Lux Lewis
One of the three great boogie-woogie pianists (along with Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson) whose appearance at John Hammond's 1938 Spirituals to Swing concert helped start the boogie-woogie craze, Meade "Lux" Lewis was a powerful if somewhat limited player. He played regularly in Chicago in the late '20s and his one solo record of the time, "Honky Tonk Train Blues" (1927), was considered a classic. However, other than a few sides backing little-known blues singers, Lewis gained little extra work and slipped into obscurity. John Hammond heard Lewis' record in 1935 and, after a search, found Lewis washing cars for a living in Chicago. Soon, Lewis was back on records and after the 1938, concert he was able to work steadily, sometimes in duets or trios with Ammons and Johnson. He became the first jazz pianist to double on celeste (starting in 1936) and was featured on that instrument on a Blue Note quartet date with Edmond Hall and Charlie Christian; he also played harpsichord on a few records in 1941. After the boogie-woogie craze ended, Lewis continued working in Chicago and California, recording as late as 1962, although by then he was pretty much forgotten. Lewis led sessions through the years that have come out on MCA, Victor, Blue Note, Solo Art, Euphonic, Stinson, Atlantic, Storyville, Verve, Tops, ABC-Paramount, Riverside, and Philips.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo
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Guitar Town Music
Blues - Released by GTM restart rec. on 12 Jun 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Boogie Woogie Trio, Vol. 2
Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis, Pete Johnson
Jazz - Released by Crazy Warthog Media on 1 Jan 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Listen This Music
Blues - Released by Archive Catapult on 1 Jan 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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In That Golden Summer Time
Blues - Released by golden times on 18 Jul 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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