Boogie-woogie, or boogie for short, is a percussive style of jazz piano based closely on the 12-bar blues. It began as
barrelhouse music
in the early years of the 20th century. Barrelhouses were rough, tough saloons in some Southern states, such as Texas and Louisiana, where the drink was mostly served straight from the barrel. Music was often provided by pianists who had to play loud and hard to be heard above the noise of the bar's customers. They kept...
