SAMMY PRICE
Texan Sammy was a versatile pianist whose long career encompassed Blues and boogie-woogie and took in swing and jump-blues. Starting in Dallas as a singer and dancer in Alphonso Trent’s Orchestra, Sammy recorded his song ‘Blue Rhythm Stomp’ in 1929. He formed the Texas Bluesicians based in Kansas, moving the band on to Detroit and eventually to Chicago. Sammy spent some time playing boogie-woogie around New York’s 52nd street at the end of the 30s, and as a house pianist for the Decca label, he backed many stars like Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Trixie Smith. Sammy was equally at home playing the Blues in a trio or leading a bigger band playing the jump-blues people loved to dance to, and he also had a long residency at the upscale Roosevelt Hotel in New York.