Left Hand Like God: Study of Boogie-woogie

by Peter J. Silvester

The Story of A Left Hand Like God examines the socio-historical background of the boogie-woogie piano style, from its early appearances in the barrelhouses of lumber, turpentine, and railroad camps in the southern United States, to its emergence at rent parties in Chicago and St. Louis, to its rise as a popular form of music in the nightclubs of New York, to its status as an international craze during World War II. In this enhanced revision of A Left Hand Like God , Peter J. Silvester presents a comprehensive history of boogie-woogie, describing the style's appearance and development, its offshoots, and the pianists who made it famous, and studying its impact on rhythm and blues, urban blues, and big band swing, leading to the eventual revival of "classical" boogie-woogie in concerts and festivals.Silvester discusses significant European and American pianists of boogie-woogie throughout history, providing biographical information about their life styles and musical influences and offering an analysis of their important recordings. The book also includes a new chapter on the contribution of national and independent record companies to the recording of boogie-woogie music. A thorough bibliography and a final appendix providing many of the bass patterns common in boogie-woogie make this a valuable reference.

Genres: Music

336 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1988

About the author

Peter J. Silvester, now retired, was a record reviewer for Jazz Journal International and Storyville, and authored liner notes for numerous boogie-woogie records released by Honky Tonk Productions.

Reviews

[Cynthia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a racist piece of trash! The author continually calls music of African origin 'primitive'. He considers it so because it does not adhere to the European model. This book is full of asinine passages such as: "As the boogie-woogie tidal wave swept America, a number of black pianists working with bands or as solo performers also came into prominence but none of them added anything of significance to the evolution of the genre. The best of them was Mary Lou Williams..." Are you FREEKING KIDDING ME?! Nothing of any significance? Mary Lou Williams was one of the greatest most influential boogie woogie piano players that ever existed!
And how about this: "At the turn of the century, ragtime was the most popular form of syncopated music and the search for its roots is just as complex as attempting to trace the genesis of the blues." What two-bit researcher can't find the origins of the blues? The blues came from Negro spirituals to which the words were changed to fit the situation of the post emancipation African Americans. This is common knowledge.
He says that: "Black pianists probably interpreted European tunes of the mid-nineteeth century like 'Old Dan tucker', and the quadrilles and Schottisches brought to America by early settlers, with a predominantly African conception of rhythm in view of their ancestral heritage in that continent." Seriously?
This book is full of racist comments demeaning the contribution of Black people and attributing the success of boogie woogie to white piano teachers, white musicians and white composers. Skip this trash, you can find more accurate history of this great music on Wikipedia.

[Diane Dunham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could not get through the entire book. A little too boring and slow for me.

[Roddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic on the history and players of Boogie-Woogie piano. My struggle to play it fluently goes on......