Various Artists - The Rough Guide to Barrelhouse Blues

Named after the rough and ready bars where labourers gathered to drink and dance, barrelhouse was a raucous form of piano blues that got the juke joints swinging. From early pioneers such as Cow Cow Davenport and Speckled Red to the boogie-woogie legends Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons, this collection charts the rise and incredible influence of this good-time blues.

Featuring many legendary blues pianists including Leroy Carr, Cripple Clarence Lofton and Montana Taylor, this album highlights how the piano has always been at the very core of the blues. It includes many forgotten gems by artists shrouded in mystery.