Boogie-woogie is a driving blues piano style that features a rolling, “eight-to-the-bar” rhythm. It’s based on ostinato bass figures in 8/8 time, and mostly uses the 12-bar blues harmonic scheme.

It's 1937. The singing Andrews Sisters -- Patti, Laverne, Maxene -- were broke and on the verge of heading back home to Mound, Minn., their brief try at show biz a bust. A Decca recording executive ...