Boogie-woogie facts for kids

Boogie-woogie is a super fun and energetic style of piano music! It became really popular in the late 1930s and early 1940s. This exciting music style first started in the southern parts of the USA. Boogie-woogie is often connected with dancing because its lively beat makes you want to move!

What makes boogie-woogie special is its strong, repeating bass rhythm played by the left hand on the piano. This repeating pattern is called an ostinato. The right hand plays catchy melodies and improvisations, often changing the level or feel of the music to keep it exciting.

A typical boogie-woogie bassline, showing the repeating pattern often played by the left hand.

Famous Players

Many talented musicians helped make boogie-woogie famous. Here are some of the most well-known boogie-woogie piano players:

• Albert Ammons
• Deanna Bogart
• James Booker
• Eddie Boyd
• Eden Brent
• Cleo Patra Brown
• Leroy Carr
• Cow Cow Davenport
• Champion Jack Dupree
• Big Joe Duskin
• Erwin Helfer
• Jools Holland
• Dr. John
• Pete Johnson
• Meade Lux Lewis
• Memphis Slim
• Big Maceo Merriweather
• Amos Milburn
• Piano Red
• Pinetop Perkins
• Martin Pyrker
• Ann Rabson
• Mike Sanchez
• Pinetop Smith
• Otis Spann
• Speckled Red
• Roosevelt Sykes
• Montana Taylor
• Hersal Thomas
• Sippie Wallace
• Vince Weber
• Katie Webster
• Mitch Woods
• Jimmy Yancey
• Axel Zwingenberger

Festivals and Connections

Boogie-woogie is closely related to blues music, and you can often find boogie-woogie performances at blues festivals around the world.

See also

In Spanish: Boogie-woogie para niños