Meade "Lux" Lewis ranked among the three leading boogie-woogie pianists of his era, sharing that distinction with Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson. His performance at John Hammond's 1938 Spirituals to Swing concert played a key role in igniting the broader boogie-woogie phenomenon. Although a forceful performer, Lewis operated within a somewhat narrow stylistic range. During the late 1920s he maintained a steady presence on Chicago stages, and his lone solo release from that period, the 1927 track "Honky Tonk Train Blues," quickly earned classic status. Beyond a handful of accompaniments for obscure blues vocalists, however, he secured little additional employment and gradually faded from view. In 1935 Hammond encountered the earlier recording, launched a determined search, and located Lewis working at a car wash in Chicago. The pianist soon returned to the studio, and following the 1938 concert he maintained consistent employment, frequently appearing in duo or trio formats alongside Ammons and Johnson. Beginning in 1936, Lewis became the first jazz pianist to add the celeste to his instrumental arsenal, showcasing the instrument during a Blue Note quartet session that included Edmond Hall and Charlie Christian; he also recorded on harpsichord for several dates in 1941. Once the boogie-woogie vogue subsided, he remained active in both Chicago and California, continuing to record until 1962 even as his profile had largely receded. Over the decades Lewis directed numerous sessions whose results appeared on MCA, Victor, Blue Note, Solo Art, Euphonic, Stinson, Atlantic, Storyville, Verve, Tops, ABC-Paramount, Riverside, and Philips.
