Sonic Swing Music Column
Interview with Cynthia Bythell, lead vocalist and bandleader, Cynthia and the Swing Set, 2/22/00
We asked Cynthia:
"What makes a Boogie-Woogie boogie?"
Cynthia said: "The musical style known as Boogie-Woogie started in the
lower regions of the Mississippi river around the turn of the last century.
It moved North to Kansas City and Chicago, where it received further
input from local musicians. Then it traveled East and finally, it came
West. Rooted in the blues traditions, Boogie-Woogie has been one of
the most enduring forms of popular music. It was of course used throughout
the Swing Era, and then was later played without the swing feel in Rock
n' Roll music . Lately, the New Swing Revival has brought it back again
in all it's previous swingin' glory!"
We asked: "How do we recognize it?"
Cynthia said: "Boogie-Woogie Piano is best recognized by it's driving
8 to the bar left hand bass line with the right hand playing counter
rhythms. The accent is most commonly on the up beats: one AND two AND
three AND four AND. A less athletic version would be for the left hand
to play 4 to the bar while the right hand accents theup beats, thus
giving it an 8 to the bar feel. This idea is often used when the Boogie-Woogie
is adapted for a swing band, with the bass playing 4 to the bar while
the piano or guitar "comp" on the upbeat. The horns can also be used
to accent the up beats. In fact sometimes, a horn section is divided
into two parts with half playing a 4 to the bar base line while the
other half plays "hits" on the up beats. Boogie-Woogie can also have
a repetitive 8 to the bar bass line that stresses the first and third
beat or the second and fourth beat. To the non-musician this may all
sound a bit complex, but actually, almost everyone knows and loves a
Boogie-Woogie when they hear it!"
