Boogie Woogie

By Geoffrey

Sun, 25 Sep 2011
  • 1876 reads
9 comments
 

I love Boogie Woogie
Oh how I longed to play
But nobody encouraged me
So I practiced scales all day

Walking bass and high speed runs
Look simple on a page
But my fingers wouldn’t do it
No matter what my age.

I’m sitting at the old piano
A present to my mum
From dad so very long ago
When she was twenty one

A roll unwinds before me
Each slot precisely cut
Copied from the music sheets
Of the tutor I have got

Now the rhythm of Boogie Woogie
Resounds loudly near and far
The piano thumping out the bass
Eight beats to the bar

I always wanted to play like this
And now I really can
Nothing to do with practice
‘cos I’m a player piano man

Certificate U
Story
Geoff's poems
Miscellaneous

Comments

Submitted by seashore on
Thanks for alerting me to this, Geoff. Nice one. PS. What is Boogie Woogie?!?! (Before my time...)

Submitted by Geoffrey on
Oh the youth of today! Boogie Woogie is a heavily accented 8 to the bar piano (usually) music. Came out in the early forties as I found out a lot later.

Submitted by oldpesky on
Much fun had here. Are you cheating mister player piano man? Oh ah!

Submitted by oldpesky on
Well before my time, young Geoffrey. Anyway, why is this poem lurking in the story section?

Submitted by Geoffrey on
Posted in the first of my POEMS sections. The second section was a mistake made when I first joined abc. Isn't 'before my time' and 'young geoffrey' a contradiction in terms? My friends and I used to play this 78 as loud as possible, (big thick needles) on the gramophone. I wore out two copies and the third was getting pretty scratchy before I finally recorded it on tape!! The record in question was 'Down the road apiece' by Albert Ammons. I had to wait another 40 years before I could actually play it with my feet using a piano!

Submitted by oldpesky on
As you are well aware, I am full of contradictions. Remember, it was I who spoke about finding my feet while finding my voice...or summat like that. 'I had to wait another 40 years before I could actually play it with my feet using a piano!' Are you Christy Brown in disguise?

Submitted by Geoffrey on
My turn to ask questions. Who on earth is Christy Brown? Whoever he may be I suspect the disguise would be a good one!

Submitted by oldpesky on
Christy Brown was played by Daniel Day Lewis in the film My Left Foot. He could paint with his foot. Not sure if he could play the piano though.

Submitted by Geoffrey on
With a player piano you need both feet!