Boogie-woogie music dominated John Peel’s playlists in early 1993. Compilation albums such as Speciality Legends of Boogie Woogie, Lucille Bogan/Walter Roland 1927-1935 and Barrelhouse Blues 1927-1936 were providing multiple tracks for his January shows. But none held his attention and admiration more than those of Camille Howard, pianist with various groups led by Roy Milton, and who enjoyed a number of hit singles through the 1940s and early 1950s.
Both pieces date from 1949 and were released as b-sides to exquisitely performed supper club jazz standards drenched in immaculate good taste: Fiesta in Old Mexico and The Mood I’m In respectively. Perfect songs to sit down and eat to in other words. But both Miraculous Boogie and Instantaneous Boogie work as perfect antidotes for getting patrons up out of their seats and dancing off the food and drink. If the b-side of a single can be seen as the opportunity for artists to express their true selves - at least as would have been the case before artists starting using the LP to do so - then these show Howard in a dazzling light. Out of the two, I marginally prefer Miraculous Boogie, mainly because of the bluesy major key interval section between 0:57 and 1:10. But the unbridled, infectious, joyous sound of both recordings cannot fail to raise heart, mind and spirit.
As to why Peel was giving so much air time to boogie-woogie music, a remark that he made before playing Jookit Jookit by Walter Roland on 2/1/93 appears to have been his main motivation: As a chap who doesn't go to a great number of parties but when I do, I’ve always hoped.... I’d love to be able to, when someone says, “Anybody play the piano?”, just to be able to sit down, smile around the room - and do this. And that, I think is one of the most transcendent qualities of great music, to make us, the listener yearn to be able to do what Camille Howard and co could do as effortlessly as they were able to. (See also Leo Kottke on acoustic guitar and The Mono Men on electric guitars).
Videos courtesy of Top of the Pops Fan and 78RPM Studio
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