Seeley & Baldori

Artist Information

Biography

Two Bob's, four hands, twenty fingers, 100 years of boogie. Two phenomenal performers have combined their talents to perform extraordinary jazz, blues, boogie, stride and rock. Bob Seeley and Bob Baldori are both living connections to a musical heritage that is the backbone of American music.

Both Bob's play a relentless keyboard in the truest sense of jazz playing — Infectious rhythm and dizzying improvisation. Both have unparalleled credentials in the genre.

Bob Seeley spent his formative years playing with Meade Lux Lewis and other jazz greats in the 1950s and early 60s. Over the years Seeley has become known as the best boogie woogie and stride player in the world.

"Boogie" Bob Baldori has been playing piano and harmonica with Chuck Berry since 1967. In addition to fronting his own group he has spent years playing blues, boogie and backbeat rock and roll in Chicago and Detroit.

Together, their styles are at the crossroads of American music.

The relationship started when they met at a tribute to Chuck Berry's original piano player, Johnny Johnson. They started working together soon after Baldori sat in at Seeley's regular gig at Charley's Crab in Detroit. A mutual interest in the "two piano" boogie style of Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons led them to work out some of the original four hand classics. They also discovered a repertoire of mutually familiar blues, boogie and jazz tunes that Baldori could double on harmonica. From there it was a short step to creating original pieces for their live show.

Between them, they have an encyclopedic repertoire of jazz, boogie, stride, blues and backbeat rock and roll.

Since starting to work together, the duo has been recognized internationally as the world’s premier performers of American piano music. From Chicago to Moscow, the two Bob’s have been thrilling audiences at venues like the Chicago Jazz Festival, Birdland in NYC, Moscow’s International House of Music, The Glenn Gould Theater in Toronto and similar venues.

They continue to expand their range and their audiences as they pursue their mission to bring back “America’s forgotten music” - the foundation of modern jazz and American pop music.

Instrumentation

Boogie Bob Baldori - Vocals, Piano, Harmonica
Bob Seeley - Piano

Discography

Seeley & Baldori
Boogie Stomp!

Boogie Stomp! The New CD from Seeley & Baldori Track Listing: BOOGIE STOMP! SEELEY & BALDORI 1. Boogie Stomp! (4:45) 2. Foot Pedal Boogie (3:36) 3. Honky Tonk Train (4:07) Live at the Creole Gallery 4. 6th Avenue Express (3:00) 5. The Fives (3:21) 6. St. Louis Blues (6:07) Seeley Solo 7. Hyper Inflation Boogie (1:35) Baldori Solo 8. Suitcase Blues (4:24) Live at the Creole Gallery 9. Okemos Breakdown (5:56) 10. Hot Kelly (2:02) Baldori Solo 11. Amazing Grace (5:51) Seeley Solo 12. Boogie Rocks (3:43) Copyright 2006 Spirit Records

The Woolies
Ride, Ride, Ride

The newest release from The Woolies. Digitally remastered classics. Raw backbeat rock'n'roll guaranteed to blow your speakers! The Woolies - Ride Ride Ride Track Listing: 1. Superball (Baldori, Groendal & Baldori) Blue Swan Publishing, BMI 2. Ride Ride Ride (Victoria Spivey), BMI 6-19-1971 3. Black Crow Blues (Van Zandt Townes), Siver Dollar Music, Inc. - ASCAP 4. Love Words (Baldori, English & Rice) Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI 5. Bring It With You When You Come (Jim Schwall), Little Sandy Music, BMI 6. Morning Dew (Bonnie Dobson) Nina Music, BMI 7. Chuck's Chunk (R. Baldori) Blue Swan Publishing, BMI 8. Who Do You Love (E. McDaniels) Arc Music, BMI 9. Feelin' Good (J.B. Lenoir) Arc Music - BMI 10-30-1972 10. Can't Get Stuff (Jeff Baldori) Blue Swan Publishing, BMI 9-17-1974 11. Hootchie Cootchie Man Is Back (Baldori & Boorke) Blue Swan Publishing, BMI 9-17-1974 12. Back For More (Baldori, Groendal & Baldori) Blue Swan Publishing, BMI 13. Duncan & Brady ( Baldori & Rice) Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI 14. Vandegraf's Blues (R. Baldori, W.A.Baker) Blue Swan Publishing, BMI 4-20-1970 15. Two Way Wishen ( Lowell Fulsom) Modern Music, BMI

“Boogie” Bob Baldori
Who Do You Love

The Woolies
Basic Rock

"It seems to me there is little reason for living unless you enjoy what you are doing. That goes double for music. Listening to this record, it's obvious the Woolies enjoy their music. When I met them about five years ago, they were already into blues, skiffle music, and good hard rock'n'roll. For the last three years, they've taken breaks from playing their own music to work with Chuck Berry and this has added another important influence. These are all kinds of music that you can respect and have fun with, and the Woolies do have fun. They smile, laugh and joke while they are playing, and they surely had a good time recording this. I had a good time listening." --Jim Schwall --Chicago 1970

“Boogie” Bob Baldori
I'm Almost Famous

Put together from a session at Rick's almost ten years after LIVE AT LIZARD'S. Bob had written a play capturing the insanity of the music business. He was backed into the project by Boarshead artistic director Richard Thomsen who, along with the theater crowd were among Boogie Bob's biggest fans at Rick's, which was a makeover of Lizard's. In the late 70's, Bob had started a Sunday night gig at Rick's, which for several years had been closed on Sunday night. Within a short time, the madness of Lizard's on Thurdays had returned to Rick's on Sunday. Thomsen recognized the excitement and theatricality of these wild performances and convinced Bob there was a way to put it on the legitimate stage. And therein lies a long story... For a several years Bob worked the gig with an ever changing alumni of sidemen, including John Roach, John Lepard, Stu Francke, Slippery Steve Pinckney, Anders Thomsen, Andy Durocher, Rob Namowicz and many others. His favorite partner was the dog, Chris B. Bacon, who, like Pinckney, went from folky to hard core blues and rock working with the boogie man. Of course, the dozens of play dates backing Chuck Berry didn't hurt. These tracks are a significant step forward in recording technology for Boogie Bob. The tracks were recorded on a 24 track deck with a truck provided by Gary Reed from MSU, and the recording engineer was Robin Jenny, who came in from Cincinnatti for the session. For the first time, the hot musicianship was captured by state of the art equipment.

The Woolies
2-Way Wishin'

The Woolies Single - "Two Way Wishen" Side A: The Woolies - "Two Way Wishen" (2:35) Side B: The Woolies - "Chuck's Chunk" (2:05)

“Boogie” Bob Baldori
Hyper Inflation Boogie

Boogie Woogie Bob 45 Original Single Spirit Records # 0019 Side A: Boogie Woogie Bob - Hyper Inflation Boogie (1:57) Side B: Boogie Woogie Bob - Walken My Monkey (2:29)

The Woolies
Reelin' And Rocker

The Woolies - 45 - Reelin' and Rocker Side A : The Woolies - Reelin' and Rocker G (3:18) Side B : The Woolies - Reelin' and Rocker R (3:18)

The Woolies
Super Ball

The Woolies - 45 Single Side A: The Woolies - "Super Ball" Side B: The Woolies - "Back For More"

The Woolies
The Hoochie Coochie Man

 The Woolies - "The Hoochie Coochie Man is Back" / "Can't Get Stuff" Vinyl 45 Side A: The Woolies - "The Hoochie Coochie Man is Back" (2:38) Side B: The Woolies - "Can't Get Stuff" (3:23)

The Woolies
Vandigraf's Blues

The Woolies - Vandegraf's Blues (Vinyl Single 45) Side A: The Woolies - Vandegraf's Blues (2:45) Side B: The Woolies - Vandegraf's Blahs (2:46)

Links

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• Ourstage
• ReverbNation
• StereoFame
• Pure Volume

Audio

• 01 Boogie Stomp!
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• 03 Honky Tonk Train [Live]
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• 08 Suitcase Blues [Live]
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Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Seeley & Baldori Performance [+ Show ]
  

  "Bob Seeley and Bob Baldori are currently performing the most authentic and crowd-pleasing show of B..."Bob Seeley and Bob Baldori are currently performing the most authentic and crowd-pleasing show of Boogie Woogie and Rhythm and Blues that can be seen anywhere in the world. This is truly an amazing show that provides a unique historical and entertaining overview of the hot, Blues-based music that is at the heart of Rock & Roll and Jazz, but more importantly this is the real stuff --"killer" performances of the classics. These guys are the masters."

• Rob Gibson's Review of Seeley & Baldori [+ Show ]
  

  "Every year, our Piano Showdown concerts have been among the first to sell out. Crowds clamor for th..."Every year, our Piano Showdown concerts have been among the first to sell out. Crowds clamor for the Boogie Woogie wizardry of icon Bob Seeley, thrilled by his roaring piano duets with Boogie Bob Baldori. The two are masterful entertainers."

• It changed my life.. [+ Show ]
  

  "When Bob played it changed my life. I had never heard anything like he was playing. I went bananas...."When Bob played it changed my life. I had never heard anything like he was playing. I went bananas. I was crazy for it. I felt something change in me chemically. It ruined me. I flunked out of college, quit my job, and started learning how to play boogie-woogie piano..."

• A Left Hand Like God [+ Show ]
  

  Detroiter Bob Seeley is a piano player like Mickey Mantle was a ball player. The 77 year-old pianist...Detroiter Bob Seeley is a piano player like Mickey Mantle was a ball player. The 77 year-old pianist was a fixture at the piano bar at Charlie’s Crab in suburban Troy, Michigan, just outside of Detroit, where he entertained the locals and visiting dignitaries for 32 years. It isn’t just that he’s an extraordinary pianist. He’s an indomitable soul, universally hailed as possibly the greatest proponent of boogie woogie and stride alive today.

• Boogie Stomp! A Celebration of American Music [+ Show ]
  

  It was a night of authentic American music as played by two American Masters, with its own point of ...It was a night of authentic American music as played by two American Masters, with its own point of view, deep intentions and traditions, and total freedom from the traps of age, fashion, era, whatever. I'm not into the whole “old is better” thing either; there's plenty of valuable and great music being made today. This show just had all the goods.

• Letter from Director Eugene A. Jenneman [+ Show ]
  

  Seeley and Baldori played with a virtuosity that left the audience excited and amazed, and at times ...Seeley and Baldori played with a virtuosity that left the audience excited and amazed, and at times simply stunned with the power of their performance.

• Letter from Artistic Director Kristine Thatcher [+ Show ]
  

  So if you are looking for new ways to engage your audience I highly recommend you consider these two...So if you are looking for new ways to engage your audience I highly recommend you consider these two fabulous performers. You'll be glad you did.

Setlist

TWO BOOM MICS—ONE AT EACH PIANO
ONE CENTER STAGE MICROPHONE
ONE HARMONICA AMPLIFIER, OR STAND TO PLACE AMP ON
DEPENDING ON THE VENUE, PIANOS AND HARMONICA AMP COULD BE
MICED

ACCEPTABLE HARP AMPS
Roland Microcube
Fender Twin or Pro
Vox DA5

Our set list varies from show to show, here are some standard selections:

1. Boogie Stomp! (4:45)
2. Foot Pedal Boogie (3:36)
3. Honky Tonk Train (4:07)
4. 6th Avenue Express (3:00)
5. The Fives (3:21)
6. St. Louis Blues (6:07)
7. Hyper Inflation Boogie (1:35)
8. Suitcase Blues (4:24)
9. Okemos Breakdown (5:56)
10. Hot Kelly (2:02)
11. Amazing Grace (5:51)
12. Boogie Rocks (3:43)

Basic Requirements

Calendar