From: "Dik de Heer" 
Date: Fri Jul 8, 2005 1:50am 
Subject: This Is My Story : Bob Seeley  
 
BOB SEELEY

Pianist, born circa 1932, Detroit, Michigan

Bob Seeley is arguably America's greatest living boogie woogie pianist.
Until recently I knew very little about him. Peter Silvester's book on the
history of boogie woogie, "A Left Hand Like God" (1988), mentions him
extensively, but at the time that book was written, Seeley had not yet
been recorded. Since then, Seeley has released five CD's on his own
label (Bob Seeley Music), and I had the chance to buy them all when
he performed at the Second International Boogie Woogie Festival in
Noordwijk (Netherlands, on the North Sea Coast), on April 30, 2005,
where he was the closing act, long after midnight.

Seeley's background was typical of that of many white boys raised in a
comfortable city home in the 1940s. He began piano lessons at about
the age of nine and was introduced to boogie-woogie in his teens when
an older brother brought some sheet music home. While still a teenager 
studying at the Detroit Institute of Musical Arts, he would ride his bike
to Baker's Bar and listen in at the back door to Fats Waller's protégé
Pat Flowers. His most conspicuous influence, however, was Meade 
Lux Lewis, one of the three giants of boogie woogie (along with Albert 
Ammons and Pete Johnson), and a great friend of Seeley's. Bob first 
met the maestro during a Detroit gig in the late 1940s and a longstanding
friendship in the 1950s and 1960s developed, which influenced Seeley's
piano styling and has resulted in a very rhythmical form of boogie woogie.
He also had a chance to chauffeur and play piano for none less than Art
Tatum, who reportedly was duly impressed with the music of the relative
youngster. Eubie Blake was also among Seeley's circle of friends and 
mutual fans.

Well versed in classic blues, Seeley worked for a while as accompanist
to Sippie Wallace, the great blues vocalist who was rediscovered in the
1980s and would eventually be nominated for a Grammy.

Seeley is an all-round pianist whose interest and repertoire span piano
music from the entire 20th century. It includes the music of Kern, Gershwin
and Debussy as well as the standard works of ragtime, stride, blues and
of course boogie woogie. Peter Silvester writes "His solos are notable
for their coherence and logical progression, which propels them to a
satisfying climax. Of all the contemporary pianists, Seeley reproduces
the sound and spirit of Meade Lux Lewis with the most conviction and
sometimes even surpasses the master" (p. 247-248).

Though Seeley has held down a steady Tuesday through Saturday (7-11 pm)
nightclub spot in the bar at Charley's Crab, an upscale restaurant in Troy,
Michigan (suburb of Detroit) since it opened in 1972, he has also played
solo at Carnegie Hall as well as at some of the most prestigious concert
venues and festivals in Europe.

Seeley made a deep impression on me in Noordwijk. His technique is
amazing, especially his left hand. He played two of the famous Ammons-
Johnson duets from 1941 and it really sounded as if there were two pianos
playing at once. However, what really brought the house down was when
Bob invented a 13-year old local Dutch kid, whom he had met the day
before during rehearsals, to play with him. Tim van Beelen, if I caught his
name correctly. A child prodigy. Boogie woogie is alive and well, especially 
on this side of the Atlantic.

More info: http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=4386

CD discography (all on Bob Seeley Music):

CD 101 Industrial Stength. Boogie Woogie and Blues Piano.
This is my personal favourite of the five CD's. Starts off with
fantastic versions of "Bumble Boogie", "After Hours" and
"Amazing Grace"(!).
CD 102 Classic Boogie Woogie and Blues Piano
CD 103 Detroit Style Boogie Woogie & Blues Piano
CD 104 Burnin' the Boogie. Contains eight of Bob's own compositions.
CD 105 Hot Keys

Also available from Bob (at 6287 N. Shore Drive, West Bloomfield, MI,
48324) : two cassettes, "Boogie and Blues, Vol. 1 and 2".

Dik