Clarence “Pinetop” Smith, the ‘King of Boogie-Woogie Piano,’ was born today in 1904. Even though he died young in 1929, the influence of his piano style can still be heard today, along with this tune, first recorded in 1928.
The incredible jazz/classical pianist and vocalist Hazel Scott was born in Trinidad in 1920 (d. 1981).
And here she plays two pianos and sings:
Joey Dee, of Joey Dee and the Starliters, was born this day in 1940. Between him and Chubby Checker, they are responsible for the ‘Twist’ dance craze of the early 1960s.