• Track Listing

Primitive Piano is an important historical collection of blues and boogie-woogie recordings and it will delight listeners. It was originally recorded in 1957 by Erwin Helfer (master blues, boogie, and jazz pianist) and William Russell (one of the most highly regarded jazz historians; he was the author of chapters on Louis Armstrong and boogie-woogie piano in the 1939 classic book Jazzmen). This reissue includes newly discovered tracks of low-down blues, church hymns, and New Orleans jazz by Billie Pierce (the grand dame of New Orleans piano music); house rent party boogie-woogie by Doug Suggs; and a Suggs interview with exciting revelations about Yancey, Ammons, and PineTop Smith. These recordings, as well as classics from the renowned Speckled Red and James Robinson, make Primitive Piano an essential collection for anyone interested in blues and jazz piano.