In the late '30s, a boogie-woogie craze was launched, helped greatly by the exciting recordings and performances of pianists
Albert Ammons,
Pete Johnson, and
Meade Lux Lewis, both as soloists and in various combinations. On the first of two CD volumes released by Storyville, there are ten exciting selections (five previously unreleased) from 1944 featuring the three pianists as a trio (including "Boogie Woogie Prayer," "Jumpin' the Boogie," "St. Louis Blues," and "Lady Be Good"), four solos by
Pete Johnson from 1947 (including "Swanee River" and "Yancey Special"), and eight solos by
Meade Lux Lewis that were broadcast from San Francisco's Hangover Club during 1953-1954. The recording quality is pretty decent and the playing by the three boogie-woogie masters is consistently heated and swinging.