Filmed backstage at The Continental Club in Austin Texas , December 13, 2021 by John Tennison , nonjohn.com
Dale Watson Guitar and Vocals/ Huck Johnson- Upright Bass/ Manny Pagan- Slap Bass Percussion
Foreward by Alan Loudermilk ( Owner of The Ginocchio Restaurant in Marshall, Tx)
A month or so ago, a man came into the Ginocchio with his wife. They headed to the Ginocchio trackside patio, and I went out to introduce myself. While I was familiar with his music, this was my first time to meet Dale Watson and his wife Celine.
As we talked on the patio, we discussed Dale and Celine’s purchase of a historic home in Marshall, his frequent performances in Austin and his music venue in Memphis, and the reason that he chose Marshall - it was a small town with rich history that happened to be roughly halfway between Austin and Memphis. The discussion quickly turned to the fact that we were standing around 10 feet away from the Texas historic marker commemorating Marshall as the Birthplace of Boogie Woogie. Dale noted the important influence of Boogie Woogie in much of his music and also on the music of countless artists in Texas and around the world, playing a wide variety of music. What a remarkable turn of events - Dale and Celine (a singer-song writer who often joins Dale on stage) chose a new town to call home, midway between Austin and Memphis, and they found themselves in the birthplace of a music genre that they celebrate almost daily in their performances.
I connected Dale with Dr. John Tennison, the doctor-musician-film maker-historian whose extensive research indicated that Marshall and the surrounding area is where Boogie Woogie music originated. John and I agreed to meet Dale at the Continental Club in Austin, where Dale was to perform. There was a wonderful gift awaiting us in Austin - the first public performance of a song that Dale had written on his train ride from Marshall to Austin - The Marshall Boogie.
John recorded the performance, and perhaps most interestingly to me - the non-musician - recorded the backstage rehearsal. I was witnessing something special - the birth of a song that celebrates Boogie Woogie, the railroad, Marshall, and the spirit of movement and enjoyment that is the essence of Boogie Woogie. Wow - blown away.
The Marshall Boogie - a most wonderful Christmas gift from Dale Watson to the City of Marshall and to all of us who appreciate how the world of music has been enriched by the ever-widening influence of Boogie Woogie. Thank you Dale, Celine and the band, and thank you John for recording the performance.
Enjoy....