Bob Seeley – 4 sets – soloist – The world renowned Boogie-Woogie pianist of industrial strength from Michigan was back for (I believe) his 5th straight year. Simply Wow! He and Jeff did a four-hands-on duet in his second set that had the audience on their feet for a standing ovation when finished. There are very few that can do what Bob Seeley does!                                       Lauren Humpage

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An 83-year-old scamp, who jumps up and down from the stage like a teenager. Bob Seeley takes boogie woogie tunes of the masters he learned from, like Mead Lux Lewis, Pete Johnson,  and Albert Ammons, as well as contemporaries, just to see what he can do with them.   History lessons are part of his package.

He said during WWII, most of the music was Pop.  Boogie Woogie was a fast, happy Blues.  Sippy Wallace’s Suitcase Blues.

In 1948 Freddy Martin and Josh Pinochle took  Rimsky Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumble Bee and turned it into a boogie. 

Lewis, Johnson and Ammons hung out of Mead. Jimmy Yangtze was older, they listened and learned from him.  Many songs at the time referred to railroads and trains.  Yangtze Special was named after a steam train, you can actually hear the engine start, the wheels slipping. 

He said he’d try a classic Bish boogie woogie that was done on two pianos back when he was about 16 years old. He managed it one one piano, with flying fingers!

Boogie Woogie doesn’t have to be fast. He slowed down for a boogie Freddie Slack played in the 40’s.  Strange Cargo was Freddie’s theme song.

When the war ended, boogie-woogie faded. Freddie played piano for a little while, drinking heavily, he died at 52.  People who hit the top did not live a full life.  Seeley says “The music business is not easy.”

There was a request for WC Handy, his most famous tune, St. Louis Blues – he played the Earl Hynes version.  Fast bouncy, boogie, with some stride.  Then moved to something not boogie, Malagueña, written by Ernesto Lecuona.  He played it in stride, quoting a big of “She don’t wear no pants in the southern part of France”. 

Meade ‘Lux’ Lewis was about 5 feet tall and weighed about 300 pounds. His boogie – Tell Your Story Blues tells a story.  The right hand holds the conversation, while the left hand keeps the eight-beat. 

Cow Cow Davenport was a boogie woogie player in the 20’s and 30’s.  He composed Cow Cow Boogie.  Sold it outright.  Trad bands play it too.

Mama Don’t ‘low – that song is usually used to identify the players in a band. He used it to enumerate all the different kinds of music, citing examples.  Mama Don’t ‘low no Scott Joplin, Irving Berlin. Ragtime (Maple Leaf Rag) James P. Johnson (Charleston) Fats Waller (Honeysuckle Rose) Duke Ellington (A Train – left hand traveling all over the low end of the piano).  George Gershwin (I Got Rhythm) left hand in a hopping stride.  He ended with an Irving Berlin (God Bless America.)

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Amazing pianist.  His second set was totally different. and just as fascinating.

Mead Lux Lewis’s Six Wheel Chaser, Juan Tisol’s Caravan, going from boogie into rapid stride. He slowed for Jelly Roll Morton’s Dead Man Blues (“a favorite in the nursing homes.  Another one is After You’ve Gone“.)  

Boogie Woogie Man, his Bumble Boogie cannot be described – you must see it!  Eric Devine videotaped it.  All in good time.

Mr. Freddie Blues.  He moved quickly from one to another pianist, remembering all the best pianists of the past.

He said Errol Garner was “one of the greatest ever”. 

Jerome Kern’s Yesterdays started with as a ballad, morphing into an lively boogie, fingers dancing across the keyboard.

Pete Johnson – stride pianist – wrote Death Ray Boogie – named after that look, that stare, that Benny Goodman gave his players.  He played more leisurely for Fats Waller’s  Cuttin’ The Boogie.

He said Jelly Roll Morton hated the boogie, but it was ‘in’ at the time so they all had to play it. So Fat’s contribution in a cutting contest was Handful Of Keys.  That should show them!

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Bob had the last set on Sunday afternoon in the Hole in the Wall Tent, Galvanized was playing in the Louis Armstrong Tent.  Fred Vigorito led the Galvanized Jazz Band marching into the tent and there was a free-for-all.

If you look carefully, you’ll find Joel Schiavone on banjo, hiding in the background. 

That concluded a fine weekend of great jazz. Bands have already been booked for next year. Volunteers – get ready for another one!!