Ammons, Albert (C.)

Ammons, Albert (C.), boogie-woogie pianist, father of Gene Ammons; b. Chicago, Sept. 23, 1907; d. Chicago, Dec. 2, 1949. Ammons was a leader of the boogie-woogie movement for solo piano from the late 1930s on, often paired in concert and on recordings with Pete Johnson. He began playing piano at age ten, and later worked as a soloist before touring with territory bands, including François Moseley's Louisiana Stompers (summer 1929), William Barbee and His Headquarters (parts of 1930 and 1931), and drummer Louis Banks and His Chesterfield Orch. (1930–34). Ammons headed his own group at several Chicago clubs from 1934 to 1938, making his first records …