From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Fri Sep 13, 2002  1:19 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Meade Lux Lewis
 
MEADE LUX LEWIS

Born Meade Anderson Lewis, 13 September 1905, Chicago, Illinois
Died 7 June 1964, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Meade "Lux" Lewis was one of the three great boogie-woogie pianists
(along with Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson) whose appearance at
John Hammond's 1938 Spirituals to Swing concert helped start the
boogie-woogie craze. Influenced by Jimmy Yancey, he played regularly
in Chicago in the late '20s and his one solo record of the time, "Honky
Tonk Train Blues" (1927), was/is considered a classic. However, other
than a few sides backing little-known blues singers, Lewis gained little
extra work and slipped into obscurity.
John Hammond heard Lewis' record in 1935 and, after a search, found
Lewis washing cars for a living in Chicago. Soon, Meade was back on
records and after the 1938 concert he was able to work steadily, some-
times in duets or trios with Ammons and Johnson. He became the first
jazz pianist to double on celeste (starting in 1936) and was featured on
that instrument on a Blue Note quartet date with Edmond Hall and Charlie
Christian; he also played harpsichord on a few records in 1941. After the
boogie-woogie craze ended, Lewis continued working in Chicago and
California, recording as late as 1962, although by then he was pretty
much forgotten.
Apart from "Honky Tonk Train Blues", his best known compositions are
"Yancey Special", "Six Wheel Chaser" and "Chicago Flyer".
Through the years his recordings have come out on MCA, Victor, Blue
Note, Solo Art, Euphonic, Stinson, Atlantic, Storyville, Verve, Tops,
ABC-Paramount, Riverside, and Philips. He was killed in a car crash,
on the way home from an engagement in Minneapolis, at the age of 58.

Further reading: Peter J. Silvester, A left hand like God : a history of
boogie-woogie piano. London : Quartet, 1988.
This book mentions 13 September 1905 as Meade's date of birth. But
during the last few days I discovered that the correct date is September 4,
1905.

Recommended listening:
Boogies & Blues - Topaz Jazz TPZ 1069
(With Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson) The Boogie Woogie Trio, Vol. 1 -
Storyville STCD 8025, and Vol. 2 - Storyville STCD 8026.