Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu (Huey Smith / Johnny Vincent)

Huey “Piano” Smith, along with Fats Domino, Professor Longhair and others, was a pioneer of the rollicking and joyous New Orleans rhythm and blues sound. His combination of shuffle/second-line left hand groove and infectious rhythmic right hand figures was readily identifiable and a staple of so many recordings coming out of NOLA in the 1950s. As a session keyboardist for the likes of Little Richard, Lloyd Price, Smiley Lewis (“I Hear You Knockin’”) and others, as well as leader of his own band The Clowns, his sound was an integral part of that era. Huey “Piano“ Smith vacated this planet last February, but his music and spirit live on. His 1957 “Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu” is just one of the many gems he left us.