Ethan Leinwand - East Chicago Blues (The Sparks Brothers)

Though the title of this song is East Chicago Blues, this tune is all about St. Louis - style piano! In particular the playing of Aaron “Pinetop“ Sparks. In the 1920s and 30s , St. Louis had arguably the richest piano blues scene in the country. Piano roots run deep in St. Louis. It was one of the cradles of ragtime, and by the pre-war blues era, singers here were much more likely to be accompanied by a piano player than a guitarist. The players had a distinctive “low down“ feel, with the left hand plodding a steady, mid-tempo pulse. Right hand generally had an overall sparse quality, but it was filled with rapid single note hits and unexpected Major 7th harmonies that create a haunting beauty heard no where else. Subscribe to my channel to learn more about barrelhouse blues, early boogie-woogie, and other low down piano blues stylings. To learn more about Ethan , visit: