Winifred Atwell Plays "The Black And White Rag"

[holstenpils]

blown away, heard mum talk about her, but seeing live is a different matter

[MooPotPie]

Nice to see someone gave her a decent instrument to play before she died. The one in the second clip is firewood. LOL

[tileajb1]

Great piano player, my mum used to call her " My Winnie" We had many 78 rpm records, unfortunately none were ever kept. Great memories, thanks for posting.

[spangleJ]

Pot Black! ~God, that theme tune takes me back.

[WifflePig]

toe-tapping goodness

[ruandted]

Respected her as a kid , love her now . beaut memories .RIP

[TheMouse1950]

I was actually lucky to know her well she was a great friend of the family she was a great woman warm kindheart and if there was a piano in the room she always wanted to start playing so thanks for a great video

[blonde7000]

i saw her tonight on an old tv program. i think it said she passed away in 2003. i had never heard of her but her music was cheerful

[mikewoollett]

@blonde7000 She actually passed away February 28th 1983......a great loss.

[jen22e]

Winnie was my godmother and I was too young to appreciate what a grand and generous woman she was......now I am appreciative of her great talent.

[pyrofella]

A lovely and talented lady.... she came to Australia in 1955 and was very successful here..... she died in Sydney in 1985 and was laid to rest at Lismore NSW.. RIP

[andrew34430]

she always be the queen of the honky tonk

[PianoFreak0127]

okay honestly, what stupid person would dislike this!? That just makes me mad. This woman is so talented

[sardonicus1966]

This is my best friend Dave's Auntie so i heard a lot of her music as we grew up together. We just used Black & White Rag at his Mum's funeral to cheer everyone up!!

Love it!! Thanks for the upload.

[walshamite]

We grew up in the 1950s listening to her LPs with the Ted heath Orchestra ( a UK big band of the time) on a small Elac record player in Cyprus. My brother and I knew every note she played back then. it still comes back, as fresh as ever. Great to see and hear, thanks for the posting.

[Offshoreorganbuilder]

Mesmerising. The lady had STYLE.

[moggs69]

ABSOLUTLY AMAZING

[se20ka]

im related to her im j****** atwell p.s not a swearword

[reetpeet]

Sent shivers up my neck, tears to my eyes and a huge grin to my face. Happy music!!

[insomnia320]

my sicilian grand dad used to play this while I as a 7 year old danced around, huge curly hair flying, fantastic

[Pugophile]

Thank you so much for this, Mike Woollett. Glorious Winnie! Unforgettable.

[mikewoollett]

@Pugophile Thanks for enjoying....glad you enjoyed!!

[Pugophile]

@mikewoollett Good of you to reply, Mike. I would love to have all her recordings because she was the happiest music maker of all. I defy anyone to listen to her (particularly if it were in video) and not smile. What a talent!

[lilchody]

Thats so amazing......She is one talented women

[Cylowatt]

We all love you Winifred! Hope you have Internet up there in Heaven to watch all of your fan's comments. =) xD

[ruandted]

what a talented LADY .

[ivehadit1]

dont care how old ya aere you just cant listen to this without a grin for ear to ear lol ... fab aint she 

[CynergeticSystems]

I'm stuck half way though learning this song...

[MustaffaCuppa]

Great stuff. That certainly had my foot tapping & my face grinning all the way through!  What a happy sound.

[davidpibworth]

Superb. Great lady all round.

[london1073]

Too fucking cute!! she's amazing

[HaroldHanlon]

Oh, how I wish we had the full -length versions of these clips.

H

[mikewoollett]

@HaroldHanlon The last clip (yellow dress) is her very last TV performance. Before "B&W" she had played "Choo Choo Samba". Wish I had that one to show you!!

[wildkatmike]

Little known facts about Winnie Atwell...she made a fortune and with her money bought a lot of property in London..renting it out as flats. Unfortunately, as a landlord she was a failure and was charged and convicted with failing to keep the apartments up to a safe standard and although she had retired, she had to come back to playing to pay off her legal bills.

[HaroldHanlon]

I love watching this over and over.

H

[VincentiusFaust]

I love her "That's it!" look! :) :D

[pickledpork]

I think this was used as the jingle for the show"Pot Black".

[mikewoollett]

@pickledpork Yes that is correct!!

[CountryBoy749]

@mikewoollett "... and for those of you watching in black & hite, the pink ball is next to the brown"

[Factnotfictionpeople]

@CountryBoy749 Ah, those were the days.........:-)

[mikewoollett]

@100Meadows Glad you have discovered the wonderful Winnie!! (Just a note it's Miss Atwell!)

[100Meadows]

@mikewoollett That is what I have come to love about Youtube: finding all those wonderful people with wonderful talents you never had occasion to know. Simply great! Miss Atwell is phenomenal.

[geordo2001]

She was also always had such nice clothes,

[54mayford]

Loved Winnie's playing as youngster in the 1950... Still great to hear and see!

Thanks for posting this.

[jaycethepianist]

ammmaaazinggg,. so stylish, sophisticated and tallented ahahaha :) love it

[mikewoollett]

@jaycethepianist That's Winnie.....!!!

[54mayford]

Always  a Winnie fan!

[crimadram]

I only came across Winifred Atwell while looking at the Xmas Number 1 Hits. I found Let's have another Party on Youtube... and discovered what a genius Winifred was. Just superb!!!!

[DamballaWedo]

Great!!!!!!

[revoxy]

What an outstandingly talented lady unfortunately unknown by many of today's generation. Thanks for posting this wonderful perfomance.

[wurli239]

One of the all time greats. . . . .

[50plus6]

Not the best ever piano player but certainly one of the greatest piano entertainers of all time - appealing to the unwashed masses. Much loved and still much missed.

[honkytonkpiano]

I've probably already said this, Mike, but this really is a most interesting video. Many thanks for posting it. And let's hear more of your own playing soon!

All the best, Mike

[Inmanparks]

this is awesome!!!! :)

this is soo my JAM

rock on!!!

[pyrofella]

What a treasure -- thanks for posting

[Caramartelli]

I'm ashamed to admit that until today I had no idea who this talented woman was, and the fact that I'm a native of her birthplace makes it even worse. I will pass on the news of her legendary prowess to all I know. Thank you for posting this!

[mikewoollett]

@Caramartelli Winnie was-and still is-the best. Glad you enjoyed!

[vimana19]

Hey look Magnus its Art Tatum's mommy.

[cogidubnus1953]

As a kiddie in the 50s and 60s I grew up with this talented lady's music...simply...the best...

[jnorman737]

There is so much magic in this gem of a performance. That saucy little wink at (whoever) on 1.13, the segue into Twelfth Street Rag on 1.33 and that knowing little smile when she successfully pulled off that augmented fill-in on 3.00. She was way ahead of her time, full of confidence and the ultimate professional pianist.

[jpstenino]

@jnorman737  Thank you for pointing our the fill-in at 3:00 much appreciated.

[JannyPanny59]

WOW!! She makes it look so darn easy.

Winnie you are a star. Long that has been so overlooked.

WOW!! Again.

[lordcroesus]

I love the winks bahaha

[ZXC5000]

Love the wink at 1.12

[vimana19]

'n your the king dude. Check out my medley the boogie to the humoresque on vimana19 piano medley. In fact I'll just post it t'ya, giz a mo 'n there you go.

[vimana19]

Whoever found this an' put it on Utube deserves the George Cross or at the very least a medal. It's what I've been lookin' for all along.

[mikewoollett]

It was me!!! Winnie was the very best-never been another like her has there?!!

[vimana19]

Was she Art Tatum's mom?!

[mikewoollett]

NO!! But she could've been lol

[vimana19]

I'll bet the queen was there.

[mikewoollett]

Well actually she was-Winifred Atwell "The Queen Of The Keyboard" that is!!

[fannycraddock99]

Winnie was FAB. Thanks. 5*

[Beckam134]

I luv her!

[nashnosh]

Oh, this lady is awesome. I only just got into piano recently, I wish I watched her when she was still here. Incredible!

I read she was every bit a nice away from the piano too. What a lady.

They'll be foot-tappin to this 200 years from now.

[Caribman9999]

Very, very few know or care to recall that Winifred Atwell was born and educated in the island of Trinidad - where even today her work and talent are celebrated, but, sadly, not fully recognized. Look for her album "Ivory and Steel" if you want to hear her in full recital with a Steel Orchestra!

[HindsxOurxSound]

I love her smile :D

[TreblePop]

That's wonderful. Thanks so much for posting.

[CooCurrent]

That was Awesome! She really seems to enjoy what she does & knows how to captivate people! I don't have anything bad to say about her playing, it was great.

[tonyalfdean]

Her talent may have died with her.

Her smile is eternal.

[AAErikCO]

At 1:35 she goes into 12th Street Rag by Euday Bowman :)

[kagyukid]

Which she does very well. Hers is probably a bit closer to how 12th St was written, but I think I like Fats Waller version even more, partly because he has additional musicians who all seem to be having a great time.

[tonyalfdean]

have watched and listened to this many times. I don't know whether her smile or her talent pleases me most.

For me there will never be another like Winnie.

[Broadclystboy]

What a superbly talented woman - classical music and Jerry Lee piano!

[DAVIDUK2381]

That woman can certainly play the piano!

[boondoggle6]

wow - with fingers that move so fast I am surprised she ever had time to paint her nails!

[IVORIESMAN]

Mike - I've just purchased a DVD called 'It's great to be young' starring John Mills. In it he plays the piano in a pub, but guess who's REALLY playing?!?! You got it - Winnie. She plays three items: The Original Dixieland one-step, a party medley, and a manic version of Brahms' Hungarian Dance No 5. Incredibly Winnie gets no mention whatsoever either on the opening credits or on the packaging - disgraceful. I've lifted the relevant bits (analogue of course) and transfered them to CD - sorted.

[IsherwoodWilliams1]

She was also an accomplished classical concert pianist, trained at the Royal Academy of Music.

[Troybeallad]

Not her "other" piano? Wonderful Winnie!

[TheBestRichy]

Now I think about it, she is a true hero of mine - I didn't really realise that until today - if anyone ever asks me who my hero is I know now the answer! Winnie Atwell, you are amazing

[tomhamilton8]

pot black

[aidan0212]

my great uncle father dessie always played this tune but hes dead now rip he died before i was born but i can also play the piano

[Ludwag511]

whats the part at 1:52 thats actually a part on spongebob. they modify the sound and insturment and all but its the same music!!! whats it called?

[Brandotuomikoski]

lol. I noticed that when I watched spongebob one day. Its actually 12th street rag in spongebob, not black and white rag.

[Dudley9454]

I would kill for a CD of all of her music... nothing on ebay.

Kevin, Albany Western Australia

[TheReturnOfStephan1]

CDUniverse. com has nearly a dozen of her CDs for sale. Amazon has a few, as well.

[suffbagrub]

Look on Amazon UK there the have several cd's of Winnifred .

[1987madeline]

omg she is so great ..

what an inspiration

luv her

[bkgangstapianist]

did she change to the 12 street rag midway thru the video? jus wondering

[mikewoollett]

Yes she does!

[chunkyhugo]

Brilliant.

[lincsposter]

Thanks for posting these rare clips! It is great to she her again! And what skill on the piano!

[EuropeDriving]

I wonder if she ever suffered with RSI

[bubbelah]

I love her!!!

[HappyHallelujah08]

She's AMAZING!!!!

[mikewoollett]

THE Best!

[paulprocopolis]

Great stuff from a great ragtimer - but how could she bare to play that EXECRABLE piano between 0'16" and 0'36"?

[glenrea]

that was the "other" piano. I'm sure Mike would correct me but I read somewhere she bought it second hand in the 40's and it toured the world with her without ever being tuned, for her ragtime numbers.

[paulprocopolis]

Interesting! I wonder if she had the dampers removed too!

[glenrea]

Probably just worn out!

[mrspivvy]

yes, that's true, it came from an east end pub I believe and as it sounded "just right" she kept it and insured it for a fortune

[wilkes85]

Is that piano still around anyhere? It should be in a museum!

[davebournemouth]

ive been informed that the "other" piano is now owned by Richard Stilgoe,and lovingly looked after.according to Wikipedia.

[IVORIESMAN]

Mike, thanks so much for keeping Winnie's music alive. I've been a fan since I was born in 1954! (I still have my Mum and Dad's 78s). Did you know that before she hit the big time in 1951 she made several records as "The Duchess". So if you ever come across anything by The Duchess - it's Winnie before she found her 'Other Piano' - a rare Atwell treat. Keep the videos coming. All the best.

[MoJoPiano]

She was one of the most incredible piano players EVER! Her touch, rhythm/tempo, stride, chords, all of it, JUST PERFECT. No matter how complex the fingerwork, she did it ALL with perfection. Her playing was so clean and crisp. Just an amazing musician. Never be another like her in my book! Thanks-A-Million for posting this one. You just don't know how much I enjoyed it. Mike

[mikewoollett]

Couldn't have said it better myself!!

[glenrea]

It's amazing wherever she went, so did that old piano!

[NormaStitz]

I learned to play the Black and White Rag (by George Botsford - I think) when I was a teenager. It made my forearms burn like hell, but it was worth it :)

Winifred Atwell was great.

[LilacFratillery]

wow, how can she play with those long fingernails??

[binny0400]

Im related to her... She's related to my Gramma Grace Atwell. Haha. I winz.

[se20ka]

she is my auntie

[Bboyswift20]

shes a legend i love her song :D

[mikewoollett]

WInnie is the best of 'em all!!

[auctioneer2007]

IS SHE STILL ALIVE

[mikewoollett]

Only in our hearts sadly. Winnie passed away 28th February 1983 shortly before her 73rd birthday.

[yannickplace]

At 1:32, she actually switches to the "12th Street Rag", if I'm not mistaken.

Anyway, I like the way she smiles sometimes, as if to say "Yes! That was the key, and I got it right..."

[forwardtenth]

You have done it again. It was good to see Winnie once more. How many more clips have you got there in the land of Oz. Regards David