Honky Tonk Train Blues

recording by Lewis

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July 16, 2026

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"Honky Tonk Train Blues" is a famous boogie-woogie piano piece recorded by Meade Lewis in 1927. While initially overlooked, it gained prominence in 1935 after producer John Hammond discovered Lewis. The recording is celebrated for its vibrant and exhilarating boogie-woogie style, significantly contributing to the idiom's popularity in the late 1930s. Lewis's playing, characterized by insistent right-hand figures and powerful left-hand rhythms, greatly influenced the boogie-woogie genre. It's important to note that this recording is by Meade Lewis, not Jerry Lee Lewis, who is a rock and roll pioneer.12

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Meade Lewis
His most famous recording, “Honky Tonk Train Blues,” was one of the most vibrant and exhilarating of all boogie-woogie expositions and was a key factor in the feverish, if transient, craze for the idiom in the late 1930s. It was recorded in 1927, issued in 1929, and largely ignored…
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His most famous recording, “Honky Tonk Train Blues,” was one of the most vibrant and exhilarating of all boogie-woogie expositions and was a key factor in the feverish, if transient, craze for the idiom in the late 1930s. It was recorded in 1927, issued in 1929, and largely ignored…
Read More