Description

Pitch a Boogie Woogie soundtrack recording
recorded  by Lord-Warner Pictures, Greenville NC 1947
restored soundtrack by American Film Institute, Washington, DC, 1986
7″ 33 rpm vinyl recording
published by AudioArts, Greenville, NC 1987

Soundtrack band The Rhythm Vets, from Greensboro, NC, was comprised of World War II Navy band veterans who were students at or graduates of North Carolina A&T, including Lou Donaldson, whose alto is featured prominently in “The Grand Finale.” Vocalists included Tabu Mike, also an A&T student; Evelyn Whorton from the Brown Skin Models; Rosa Burrell from Winstead’s Mighty Minstrels; and locals Joe Little and Esther Mae Porteur, from Greenville, NC.

To get the full effect of the soundtrack, though, you can also see the various dancers featured with each number by , watching the featurette “Pitch a Boogie,” which is contained within “Boogie in Black and White,” a 1988 UNC-TV documentary about its making, restoration, and re-premiere.