I Met the Boogie Woogie Man

745

 

-By Orv Alveshere-

 A welcome school visitor on Fridays
Once there was a special piano stool,
Years ago at our little country school.
With various pretenders to the throne
Beginners with musical skills to hone.
It stood next to the Steinway piano
Along with tenors, altos, and sopranos.
Nary a bass voice in this grade school room
Along came this tune like a sonic boom!

Dancing Prancing Overshoes
This music gave a wond’ous expression.
A catchy tune would be my impression.
Keeping you in suspense, let me explain.
I still hear that tune down memory lane.
It was a snowy, northern, winter day
On which the teacher’s brother passed our way.
As Friday was the end of her week’s stay.

Playing the Boogie Woogie
A man whose music I would recommend,
With an upbeat that I could comprehend.
A lively revved up walking bass boogie,
A reprise, in my mind, Boogie Woogie.
I breathlessly asked, “What was that tune?”
A fever so infectious I was not immune.
“It’s a standard boogie, not a tune, son. 
Now listen to this rebounding over run.”

12th Street Rag
Then a tune so fast, like notes playing tag.
My first exposure to the ‘12th Street Rag’.
While he switched to playing ‘Piano Roll Blues’
We were watching his dancing overshoes.
Freddie arrived in over shoes and coat
Sat down to play the ‘walking’ Boogie note,
The best entertainment I could find.
He would wind it up and then unwind.

Freddy’s Flying Fingers and Dancing Overshoes
His zipper overshoes were unzipped,
Feet and fingers moving at a fast clip,
We were captivated by his flying fingers
In my mem’ry Freddy’s Boogie lingers.
A word of thanks is overdue but owed.
Freddy’s overshoes ‘flaunted’ the dress code.
Play through the ‘12th Street Rag’, ‘Boogie and Blues,’
So I can watch your ‘dancing’ overshoes.



©  Copyright Orv Alveshere, 1993

Orv Alveshere, an award-winning writer of humorous cowboy poetry and stories, “grew up hanging on a horse.” He writes about his lifetime of adventures.