Queen of the Boogie and More

Liner Note Author: Tony Rounce.
Recording information: 01/18/1947; 02/1946; 02/21/1946; 04/27/1946; 05/05/1951; 05/19/1947; 06/16/1947; 07/02/1946; 09/03/1947; 10/06/1946; 12/02/1947; 12/03/1945.
Illustrators: Roger Armstrong; Tony Rounce.
Ace's 2014 release Queen of the Boogie and More greatly expands Hadda Brooks' 1948 78 rpm album, offering 18 bonus tracks to the original six-cut LP. These 24 cuts are all showcases for Brooks' good-natured boogie woogie, which makes it a contrast to the 2005 compilation That's Where I Came In, which collected material recorded between 1946 and 1947 and focused on her vocals. By focusing on Brooks' instrumental prowess, this compilation might be more representative of what she released on Modern in the '40s, plus the extra 18 tracks give compiler/annotator Tony Rounce ample room to showcase all sides of the pianist. There are some boogie versions of classical pieces -- "Schubert's Serenade in Boogie," "Melody in F Boogie," etc. -- which aren't just merely clever larks, they go a long way to explain the crispness that distinguishes Brooks' attack. She never got down and dirty; she walked the line between blues and jazz with a bit of precise flair, and the results are enjoyable if perhaps a shade dated. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine