Biography
Albert Clifton Ammons was born on September 23, 1907, in Chicago, Illinois, into a musical family—both parents were pianists, and he began playing by age ten[1][4]. Growing up in the heart of Chicago’s burgeoning jazz scene, Ammons was deeply influenced by local pianists like Jimmy Blythe, Jimmy and Alonzo Yancey, Hersal Thomas, and Clarence ‘Pinetop’ Smith, who personally encouraged him[1][5]. His early friendship with Meade Lux Lewis, with whom he practiced intensively, was pivotal in shaping his boogie-woogie style[1][2]. By his late teens, Ammons was performing professionally, often alongside Lewis at Chicago clubs and rent parties, while both worked as taxi drivers[1][3].
Ammons’ career took off in the mid-1930s when he formed his own band, the Rhythm Kings, at Chicago’s Club DeLisa, and began recording for Decca Records in 1936[1][3]. His recordings of “Boogie Woogie Stomp” and “Swanee River Boogie” became hits, helping to ignite the national boogie-woogie craze[1][3]. In 1938, Ammons, along with Meade Lux Lewis and Pete Johnson, performed at the historic “From Spirituals to Swing” concert at Carnegie Hall, which brought boogie-woogie to a wider audience and led to the founding of Blue Note Records, with Ammons and Lewis recording the label’s first session in 1939[3][5]. Ammons’ style was marked by a powerful, rock-steady left hand and a versatile repertoire that blended blues, jazz, swing, and pop[2]. Despite a hand injury in the early 1940s, he returned to recording and performing, including a notable appearance in the film “Boogie-Woogie Dream” and a performance at President Harry Truman’s 1949 inauguration[3]. Ammons passed away later that year, leaving a lasting legacy as one of the foremost exponents of boogie-woogie piano.
Fun Facts
- Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis famously practiced together on a player piano, marking the keys with a pencil to learn chords—a creative, self-taught method that contributed to their distinctive sound[1].
- Ammons’ 1936 recording of “Boogie Woogie Stomp” is considered the first 12-bar piano-based boogie-woogie and was widely imitated by jazz bands[1].
- He performed at President Harry Truman’s 1949 inauguration, a rare honor for a jazz musician of his era[3].
- Ammons’ injury from a cooking accident in the early 1940s temporarily halted his career, but he made a successful comeback later in the decade[3].
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Jimmy Blythe - Early Chicago jazz pianist and influence (N/A) [1920s]
- Jimmy Yancey - Blues and boogie-woogie pianist, major influence (N/A) [1920s]
- Alonzo Yancey - Blues pianist, influence alongside brother Jimmy (N/A) [1920s]
- Hersal Thomas - Chicago blues pianist, early inspiration (N/A) [1920s]
- Clarence 'Pinetop' Smith - Boogie-woogie pioneer, personal encourager and teacher (N/A) [1920s]
Key Collaborators
- Meade Lux Lewis - Childhood friend, frequent duo partner, co-founder of boogie-woogie craze (Blue Note sessions (1939), Carnegie Hall concert (1938)) [1920s–1940s]
- Pete Johnson - Key collaborator in boogie-woogie scene, Carnegie Hall concert (Carnegie Hall concert (1938), Cafe Society performances) [1930s–1940s]
- Gene Ammons - Son, saxophonist, recorded together on blues sessions (Sippie Wallace sessions) [1940s]
Artists Influenced
- Gene Ammons - Son, became a major hard bop tenor saxophonist (N/A) [1940s–1970s]
- Countless jazz and blues pianists - Ammons’ recordings and style inspired generations of boogie-woogie and jazz musicians (N/A) [1930s–present]
Source: Wikipedia
Connection Network
Discography
Albums
| Title | Release Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| The First Day | 1992-01-01 | Album |
| Shout For Joy | 1938-12-25 | Album |
| The Boogie Woogie Trio vol. 1 | 1995-08-20 | Album |
| Complete Jazz Series 1939 - 1946 | 2008-10-15 | Album |
| Boogie Woogie Stomp | 1998-01-01 | Album |
| The Original Boogie Woogie Piano Giants | 2023-03-17 | Album |
| Giants Of Boogie Woogie | 2015-06-18 | Album |
| Boogie Woogie Man | 1999 | Album |
| Boogie Woogie | 2024-06-14 | Album |
| His Best Boogies | 2021-06-11 | Album |
| Complete Jazz Series 1946 - 1948 | 2008-10-15 | Album |
| The First Day | 1992 | Album |
| Boogie with Albert, Vol. 1 | 2024-07-26 | Album |
| Hot Lips Page: Feelin' High & Happy - His 48 Finest 1929-1953 | 2022-07-01 | Album |
| 8 to the Bar - Two Piano Boogie Woogie for Dancing | 2019-11-28 | Album |
Top Tracks
- Boogie Woogie Stomp (The First Day)
- Boogie Woogie Blues (The First Day)
- The Blues, Part One (The First Day)
- Boogie Woogie Prayer (The Boogie Woogie Trio vol. 1)
- Suitcase Blues (The First Day)
- Boogie Woogie Prayer - (Alternate Version) (Shout For Joy)
- Barrelhouse Boogie (Shout For Joy)
- Swanee River Boogie (Shout For Joy)
- Twos And Fews (The First Day)
- Shout For Joy (Boogie Woogie Stomp)
External Links
Heard on WWOZ
Albert Ammons has been played 4 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 12, 2025 | 10:10 | Sweet Patootie Bluesfrom Blues Songbook (Disc 2) | Traditional Jazzw/ the Jazz Police | |
| Sep 22, 2025 | 15:25 | Boogie Woogie Bluesfrom THE FIRST DAY | Blues Eclecticw/ Andrew Grafe | |
| Sep 22, 2025 | 15:09 | BASS GOIN CRAZYfrom SAVOY COLLECTION | Blues Eclecticw/ Andrew Grafe | |
| Sep 22, 2025 | 14:14 | boogie woogie stompfrom savoy collection | Blues Eclecticw/ Andrew Grafe |