When was boogie woogie popular

The Swing Era. Post Bebop Straight-Ahead. Soul Jazz. Ethnic Jazz. Liturgical Jazz. Boogie Woogie was the first and to date the only exclusively piano music to issue from the blues. Boogie Woogie, a term used to describe the blues piano playing that thrived roughly between the years and , was a highly popular music in tenements. The very name Boogie was another name for the "house rent party.

Because poverty was a way of life, black people learned quickly to depend on each other to band together and to work toward common goals. One such goal was that of simply being able to pay the rent. With unemployment at a normally high level at least for blacks , men long accustomed to surviving under the most adverse conditions ingeniously devised a technique that served the combined purposes of raising the rent and providing a means of social intercourse.

For the nominal sum of "two bits" or "four bits," the tenant's neighbors were treated to an evening of boogie woogie piano by some local hero, some southern culinary treat such as catfish and Kentucky oysters bring your own drinks , as well as some "hangin' out. For this reason, the blues pianist was somewhat of a cosmopolite, traveling when the mood, or the local Sheriff, struck him.

Logically enough, the first generation of blues pianists who were born in the 's were influenced by ragtime, but the second generation were exclusively blues players.

Some of the characteristics of boogie woogie are: It was born in gin mills, lumber camps and rent parties. It being, at the time, an aural tradition, sheet music was late on the scene too, but once there, it helped crystallise improvisations into defined pieces. By that time, boogie-woogie was already on the move, spread by the railroad.

Almost all the different boogie-woogie elements are there, and it became a standard set-closer among performers during the s.

And by then the Thomas brothers had followed the tide of southern popular music and migrated to Chicago, taking boogie-woogie with them. Boogie-woogie really hit its stride no pun intended over the next couple of decades.

Smith had moved to Chicago in and recorded the song in late December that year. He would have made a follow-up in March had he not been shot dead in a dance-hall altercation, possibly accidentally, the day before the session.

The tide was becoming a flood. Before then, though, boogie-woogie became a staple of the big band repertoire. Thanks so much for this wonderful course. The History Of Boogie-Woogie Piano Boogie-woogie is pretty much the only piano-specific style that has developed and emerged from blues music.

Lesson Downloads. Join PianoGroove Pro to access all downloads and learning resources. Practice Tips You must start your boogie-woogie journey by seeking out and listening carefully and joyfully!

Check out the Boogie Woogie Recordings forum thread for the best records and albums:. Comments 1 Comment. Log in to Reply Ask questions and get instant replies from our team of teachers.