I love lots of our Palladium shows but as a piano player myself, the Boogie Woogie Blues Piano Stomp has to be my favorite night of the year.
We first presented the show last January and it returns on Saturday, Jan. 29, with four more rockin’ pianists. This year’s model features Joe Krown, the New Orleans piano master; Los Angeles’ own Rob Rio who has played and recorded with lots of blues legends; the 82-year-old legend of Boogie Woogie piano, Bob Seeley, who studied with the great Meade Lux Lewis and played Carnegie Hall; and St. Pete’s own Liz Pennock, along with guitarist Dr. Blues.
Liz and I put the show together last year based on her history with a similar show in Cincinnati. The Arches Boogie Piano Stage at the Cincinnati Blues Festival started 16 years ago and Liz and Doc have played all but one since then.
“Cincinnati has a long tradition of blues and boogie woogie players,” Liz said. “Pigmeat Jarrett was in his ‘90s when he played the stage. Big Joe Duskin was another famous one. I was in heaven hearing my favorite kind of music all in one place.”
The stage was so popular it spawned the Boogie Woogie Hall of Fame, which inducts one of the players each year. Four of our players this year – Liz, Dr. Blues, Bob Seeley and Rob Rio – are inductees and Joe Krown has been a featured player.
Liz met Bob Seeley in Cincy at the 1995 fest. Bob lives in Detroit and vacations in Florida in the winter and Liz thought we should put together a show. Bob and Liz did a sold-out show in our Side Door Cabaret in 2009 and that spawned the 2010 Stomp that featured Liz, Bob, Ricky Nye (of Cincy fame) and Key West’s Barry Cuda.
Like last year, we’ll have two grands on stage and each pianist will do a 20-25 minute set. They’ll be some duets through the show and a big jam at the end.
Tickets for this one are going fast. And advance tickets are only $20.
If you love great boogie woogie and blues piano please join me at the Stomp!
2 comments
Seeley was just great-try to bring him back. The sound system was too loud initially, but figured out with the appearance of Joe Krown into Bob Seeley. I heard people say they would have enjoyed one or two more of Joe’s.
Congratulations of a real “smash” performance. Robert Zito
Thanks. I loved Joe’s music but would have really loved another song or two. But it was a great night and we’ll do it again next year.