The Boogie Woogie Blues of Clarence Pinetop Smith

Among the first musicians to record boogie woogie, as well as stop recording boogie woogie, was pianist, Clarence Pinetop Smith. Born on 11 June 1904 in Troy, Alabama, Smith is said to have come by "Pinetop" as child because he liked to climb trees. Raised in Birmingham, he moved to Philadelphia in 1920, there to begin his professional career before becoming a vaudeville entertainer as a comedian, pianist and vocalist. He also accompanied Ma Rainey as well as Butterbeans and Susie.

Upon recommendation from Cow Cow Davenport who had ventured to Chicago and good luck with Vocalion Records, Smith followed him with wife and son to record his first unissued tracks for Vocalion on December 4 of 1928 to come up with 'Pine Top Blues', 'Pine Top Troubles', 'I Got More Sense Than That' and 'Now I Ain't Got Nothing at All'. Three more sessions that month resulted in five more unreleased titles until the 29th when he laid out 'Pinetop Blues' with 'PineTop's Boogie Woogie' issued in March 1929 on Vocalion 1245 [Discogs]. Wikipedia has the latter as the first musical reference to "boogie woogie" as a term. Pinetop had composed it at a boogie, that is, a rent party. "Woogie" probably got appended as a little nonsense.

'Pinetop's Blues'   Clarence Pinetop Smith

Recorded 29 Dec 1928 in Chicago   Matrix C2725   Vocalion 1245 / Supertone S2217

Composed by Smith

'Pinetop's Boogie Woogie'   Clarence Pinetop Smith

Recorded 29 Dec 1928 in Chicago   Matrix C2726   Vocalion 1245 / Supertone S2217

Composed by Smith

American Music has Smith's first date of 1929 on January 14 to result in 'I'm Sober Now' with 'I Got More Sense Than That' (Vocalion 1266). Several titles ensued on the 15th.

'I Got More Sense Than That'   Clarence Pinetop Smith

With Mayo Williams ? [Lord / Wirz]

Recorded 14 Jan 1929 in Chicago   Matrix C2796   Vocalion 1266

Composed by Smith

'I'm Sober Now'   Clarence Pinetop Smith

Recorded 14 Jan 1929 in Chicago   Matrix C2797   Vocalion 1266

Composed by Smith

'Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out'   Clarence Pinetop Smith

Recorded 15 Jan 1929 in Chicago   Matrix C2801   Vocalion 1256

Composed by Jimmy Cox

Smith's next session was his last on March 13, 1929, for 'Driving Wheel Blues' gone unreleased. He was scheduled for another session with Vocalion the next day, but he didn't make it due to a gunshot wound received in a bar fight. He died two days later in Chicago on March 15th.