Merrill Moore

Jerry Lee Lewis is going to pop up alot in this
blog. Sorry, he was a big influence on the Stones.
He's a touchstone for all of us. I figure if he's
still around, and Keith is still around, there's
hope for the rest of us!

One of Jerry's Lee's big influences was
Merrill Moore. Like most pianists, he started
early- at the age of 9 in Des Moines. I think the
biggest influence on Jerry Lee's playing, is Merrill's
muscular pumping playing style. All these
country and blues guys started playing in some
pretty tough juke joints, gambling joints, and
for lack of a better word, "Man-Bars".
If anyone remembers the scene in the Jerry Lee Lewis
movie where he plays behind chicken wire in a bar
for protection, that was no joke. As a result
most of these musicians learned to play "No Matter
What"! Bottles breaking, guns blasting, knives-a
knifing. It's exciting to think that at one time
people were literally playing as if their lives
depended on it.

I wish there was more available on cd from him
aside from one title, a great compilation from the
Bear Family "Boogie My Blues Away"

Here's one of hell of a cowboy...Merrill Moore.