More on "Barrelhouse" Piano
By glogleemus@aol.com, forwarded by Dan Wilson
We haven't heard the last of barrelhouse on Usenet:
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Article: 25744 of rec.music.makers.piano
From: glogleemus@aol.com
Subject: Re: what is barrelhouse piano?
Date: 3 Feb 1997 04:12:00 GMT
> Barrelhouse developed in particular during the clear-cutting of the
> southeastern forests...the lumber companies would literally build the
> railroad track as they cut, inching their way into the virgin
> wilderness.
>
> The crews that worked on the tracks and cut the trees were pretty
> much out in the middle of nowhere for months at a time. They used to
> roll a piano in on a flatbed and set up a makeshift bar using planks
> laid across barrels. Thus the name and some of the earliest
> historical incidences of the genre.
>
> Michael Parrish
That's not what I have heard.
The term that I heard was that it came from prohibition days. When people would make their own beer in the bathtub. (They used barrels to store it in.) From time to time a particular house would have a party, either to let the neighbors sample their brand of beer, or to help pay the rent. Since the turn of this century, there was an abundance of pianos in the parlors of houses throughout America. The "Professors" were asked to come out and play them at these rent parties. Since dancing was needed, the style was born. Eight-to-the-bar is another term for the style. Some of the greats include Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons. Pete Johnson. Anyone from pretty music the late '20s til the end of the war found great Barrelhousers still plying their trade.
PianoMan Dan / Glo Glee Music . . . When You've Got to Shine and Smile / Original Chicago Music Production--Jingles--Film Scores--Custom Songs http://members.aol.com/GloGleeMus/index.html
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