Hadda Brooks - Queen Of The Boogie And More (2014)

Tracklist
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01. Juke Box Boogie
02. Bully Wully Boogie (Take 3)
03. Sunset Limited
04. Boogie In The Bandbox
05. Night Life
06. Down Beat Boogie
07. Minuet In G Boogie
08. Hungara (Gypsy) [Rehearsal]
09. Sleepy Time Gal
10. 743 Blues
11. 134 Blues
12. Schubert's Serenade In Boogie (Unedited version)
13. Hadda's Honky Tonk Train
14. Humoresque Boogie
15. Melody In F Boogie (Take 4)
16. Hungarian Rhapsody No 2 In Boogie (Take 2)
17. Greig's Concerto Boogie In A Minor
18. Stardust
19. Strollin' 'n' Rollin'
20. Rollin' 'n' Strollin'
21. St Louis Blues Boogie
22. Basin Street Blues
23. Moonglow
24. Polonaise Boogie

Ace's 2014 release Queen of the Boogie and More greatly expands Hadda Brooks' 1948 78 rpm album, offering 18 bonus tracks to the original six-cut LP. These 24 cuts are all showcases for Brooks' good-natured boogie woogie, which makes it a contrast to the 2005 compilation That's Where I Came In, which collected material recorded between 1946 and 1947 and focused on her vocals. By focusing on Brooks' instrumental prowess, this compilation might be more representative of what she released on Modern in the '40s, plus the extra 18 tracks give compiler/annotator Tony Rounce ample room to showcase all sides of the pianist. There are some boogie versions of classical pieces -- "Schubert's Serenade in Boogie," "Melody in F Boogie," etc. - which aren't just merely clever larks, they go a long way to explain the crispness that distinguishes Brooks' attack. She never got down and dirty; she walked the line between blues and jazz with a bit of precise flair, and the results are enjoyable if perhaps a shade dated.

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