A Nod of Slack

There has, in the last few years, been a slow and enjoyable revival of the Boogie-Woogie  piano music of Freddie Slack.  A somewhat obscure small band leader during the 1940's, Slack was instrumental in the roots of Boogie-Woogie, Jazz, and Blues.

Born in Viroqua, WI in 1910, Freddie Started playing the Drums as a boy.  Some Biographical Websites list his Boyhood home as being Westby, LaCrosse, or Viroqua.  More research will be done on this.  He switched to the the Xylophone early, (likely at school) Survived the 1919 Flu outbreak, and by 13 was beginning to play the piano.  This would have been in 1923, and a Local Viroqua Music teacher (yet unknown) mentored young Mr. Slack through High School.

At 17, His parents moved to Chicago, and here, as the depression hit, his musical life was about to explode.

To be continued........