Piano Blues Revue
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Piano Blues Revue is the staged, multi-performer presentation of blues and boogie-woogie piano, often featuring cutting-contest energy, alternating soloists, vocal guests, and rhythm-section support. The sound emphasizes contrast: one pianist may play slow blues, another train boogie, another stride, another jump blues, turning keyboard style into a show of personality and stamina.
History
The format became famous around the late-1930s boogie boom, especially after the "From Spirituals to Swing" concerts helped bring Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis, and Pete Johnson to national attention. Café Society, Blue Note recordings, touring packages, and later festivals used piano revues to present boogie-woogie and blues as both virtuoso art and popular entertainment. The model survives through blues festivals, heritage concerts, piano summits, and recordings pairing veteran pianists in tribute to the barrelhouse and boogie lineages.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Peter J. Silvester, A Left Hand Like God
- John Hammond, From Spirituals to Swing documentation
- AllMusic
- The Blues Foundation