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
Discography
10 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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The First Day
Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis
Jazz - Released by Blue Note Records on Jan 15, 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cat House Piano
Jazz - Released by Verve Reissues on Jan 1, 1954
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Boogie Woogie Trio vol. 1
Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons
Jazz - Released by Storyville on Aug 20, 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Barrel House Piano
Jazz - Released by Archive of Folk & Jazz Music on Oct 22, 1957
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
The Meade Lux Lewis Collection 1927-61
Blues - Released by Fabulous on May 6, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Meade "Lux" Lewis (1939 to late 1940s)
Blues - Released by Document Records on Sep 13, 2005
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Honky Tonk Train
Jazz - Released by Beat Machine Records on Nov 15, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Ultimate Jazz Archive 17 - Boogie Woogie (2 Of 4)
Jazz - Released by Carinco AG on Feb 18, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo