Piano Blues: The Essential (2001)

About this title: Although blues is often thought of as a predominately guitar-based genre (thanks largely to the early record labels that seemed to prefer recording solo guitarists), the piano has had a large part in its development. The polyrhythmic possibility of blues patterns was easier to accomplish on piano, and indeed, many guitarists found that adapting boogie woogie piano techniques to the guitar helped keep the dancefloor filled. This two-disc collection features a cross section of 1920s and 1930s blues piano styles, including classics by Roosevelt Sykes ("44 Blues"), Clarence "Pinetop" Smith ( ... read more

Tracks:

1. Trenches
2. Ain't It a Shame [Carr]
3. Big Mama [Roland]
4. 44 Blues [Sykes]
5. Flying Crow Blues [Alexander]
6. I Don't Know
7. Rocks in My Pillow
8. Oh You Devil You [Brown]
9. Fat Fanny Stomp
10. Playing the Dozen
11. Lonesome Day Blues
12. Black Gal Makes Thunder
13. All Night Long [Johnson]
14. Whoopie
15. Pinetop's Boogie Woogie [Smith]
16. If You Haven't Any Hay Get on Down the Road [James]
17. The Dirty Dozen No. 2 [Perryman]
18. I'm So Glad I'm 21 Years Old Today
19. Honky Tonk Train Blues [Lewis]
20. Think You Need a Shot
21. Cow Cow Blues [Davenport]
22. Keep a Knockin' [Little Richard]
23. No. 29 [Wallace]
24. 31 Blues [Call]
25. Vicksburg Blues [Montgomery]
26. Black Gal, What Makes Your Head So Hard?
27. Joe Louis Strut [McCoy/McCoy]
28. Dearborn Street Breakdown [Avery]
29. Lonesome Man Blues
30. East Chicago Blues
31. Pratt City Blues [Williams]
32. Shack Bully Stomp [Jones]
33. Soon This Morning [Spand]
34. Five O'Clock Blues [Yancey]
35. Detroit Rocks [Taylor]
36. Head Rag Hop [Nelson]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.