Meade "Lux" Lewis

In 1997, the Document historical reissue label brought out a CD packed with rare recordings dating from 1939 through 1947 featuring boogie-woogie piano master Meade "Lux" Lewis. Its 31 tracks contain material harvested from Blue Note, V-Disc, Asch, Disc, and Black & White studio recording sessions; from Camel Caravan, Command Performance, and Jubilee radio broadcasts; from Panoram cinematic juke box "soundies" and commercially released motion picture soundtracks, as well as live sessions both public and private. Tracks one through four have introductory announcements by Benny Goodman and Johnny Mercer, and Goodman's big band chimes in on Mary Lou Williams' "Roll 'Em." Other announcers include gangster flick mainstay George Raft (track six) and Ernie "Bubbles" Whitman (tracks 9 and 17). Vocalists are Big Joe Turner (tracks 13 and 15) and Helen Humes (track 24). Lots of variety and not a few surprises make this an exciting core sample from the Mighty Meade's eventful career. Those who appreciate historic cinema and/or have a taste for the bizarre will want to swoop down on this CD in order to have these marvelous film soundtrack excerpts: a full three minutes from the film New Orleans during which Lewis interacts with Louis Armstrong and plays the "Honky Tonk Train Blues"; 32 seconds from the scene in It's a Wonderful Life where George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) squares off with Nick the surly bartender (Sheldon Leonard) while Lewis pounds the keys of an old upright piano, and a set of "Untitled Phrases" from the soundtrack of a cartoon titled "Cow-Cow Boogie" (1943). This minute-long sequence is rendered extremely weird by the inclusion of rowdy barnyard sound effects. Without a doubt, it's the most unusual Meade "Lux" Lewis compilation you'll ever encounter. ~ arwulf arwulf, All Music Guide