Tommy Dorsey—”Boogie Woogie” (1938)

Pianist Pine Top Smith gained posthumous fame when a decade after composing his “Pine Top’s Boogie Woogie” it was arranged for Tommy Dorsey’s big band by Deane Kincaide. A bestseller in 1938, 1944 and 1945 it became Dorsey’s best-selling record after the war, with over 5 million copies sold.

Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra recorded it in New York City on September 16, 1938. The trumpet section consisted of Charlie Spivak, Yank Lawson and Max Kaminsky. For this recording session only, Kaminsky had replaced Lee Castle, even though Caste is mentioned by his real name Castaldo on the Victor label.

Besides bandleader Tommy Dorsey, the trombone section musicians were Les Jenkins and Muni Zudkekoff, better known to us as Buddy Morrow, the future leader of the Dorsey band. Johnny Mince played the clarinet and alto sax, while the other alto saxophonists were Fred Stulce and Hymie Schertzer. The two tenors were Skeets Herfurt and arranger Deane Kincaide. The rhythm section was formed by pianist Howard Smith, guitarist Carmen Mastren, bassist Gene Traxler and drummer Maurice Purtill.

Alabaman pianist/composer Charles “Pine Top” Smith (1904-1929) was an autodidact who moved to Pennsylvania in 1920 to work as an entertainer in vaudeville. While in Pittsburg, he also provided the accompaniment for blues singer Ma Rainey.

In 1928 Pine Top Smith , with his wife and son, moved to Chicago where they lived in the same rooming house as pianists Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis. While in the Windy City, “Pine Top” also met blues pianist Cow Cow Davenport, who arranged Pine Top’s first recording date for Vocalion. On December 29, 1928, Smith recorded his “Pine Top’s Boogie Woogie,” the first record ever to name that style of piano playing in its title. Pine Top said he originated the number at a house rent party in St. Louis, Missouri.

We will never known what more Pine Top Smith might have had in store for us. The day before his next recording session, the 24-year old young man died after he was accidentally shot at a dance hall fight by a man called David Bell. No photographs are known to exist of Pine Top Smith, but he did leave us a music style which influenced a lot of piano players around the globe. In his vocals Pine Top was also the first ever to record phrases like “mess around,” “girl with the red dress on” and “shake that thing,” which were often repeated thereafter, notably in songs by Ray Charles.