Editorial Reviews

Boogie-woogie had two major periods of popularity, first in the 1910s and '20s strictly as a solo-piano phenomenon, then during World War II as a large-group style and popular phenomenon. Jasmine's four-disc compilation of boogie-woogie could well have been an exhausting proposition if it had kept only to solo piano players, but since it expands the curriculum to the latter-day swing groups and big bands, it's a much more palatable set. Early on, the set airs Tommy Dorsey's "Boogie Woogie," the 1939 chart that led directly to the style's resurgence, and proceeds to great swing/boogie-woogie crossovers -- from Benny Goodman, Woody Herman, Gene Krupa, Harry James, Bob Crosby, and Jack Teagarden -- as well as a few of its original practitioners like Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson. Principle compiler Chas Hall also features a few flirtations with boogie-woogie by some of the greatest talents in jazz, including Earl Hines ("Boogie Woogie on St. Louis Blues"), Sidney Bechet ("Preachin' the Blues"), Count Basie (several titles), and Stan Kenton ("Artistry in Boogie"). John Bush, All Music Guide

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