Eight to the Bar

This phrase comes from boogie-woogie music's use of eighth notes in a 4/4 measure.  It was made popular by the 40s tune, "Beat Me Daddy Eight to the Bar" which saw a resurgence in the 70s on  Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen's first album. 

Aside from virtuosity and a strong left hand, a good nickname is needed to be a boogie-woogie piano player: Memphis Slim, Professor Longhair, Cow-Cow Davenport, Piano Red, Speckled Red (these "Reds" were brothers who were both albinos) and Pinetop Smith. 

Many credit Smith with the style's first hit, "Pinetop's Boogie-Woogie", recorded on Vocalion Records in 1928. He was scheduled to go back to the studio in 1929. However Pinetop was shot dead in a dance hall before the session could occur. It's not clear whether he was the bullet's intended target or not. About 10 years later, a newly formed Downbeat Magazine printed an article about it titled "I Saw Pinetop Spit Blood". - as ever- BB

"I don't care much about music. What I like is sound." - Dizzy Gillespie