They're also some of the least ostentatious piano-boogie recordings of all time. The feeling throughout is loose and relaxed, as both pianists are inclined to paw through ambling themes rather than do the high-octane show-off thing. Lewis is the nuts-and-bolts guy; his pieces move at an easygoing clip, and drift out of tempo every once in a while. Ammons is the barn burner: His "Boogie Woogie Stomp" swings with a giddy ferociousness, like he's dancing with the piano. His aptly titled "Bass Goin' Crazy" is a series of scale-like runs with a serious wow factor.
Lots of boogie had that impact. What sets Ammons and Lewis apart is their shared insistence that there's more going on than just dazzling look-how-fast-the-left-hand-moves demonstrations. The First Day has the expected bells and whistles—the wildcatting lines, irreverent shout choruses, and slipping and sliding mayhem that spans the length of the keyboard. But it's also got some blues reflection in it, and moments of poignancy that are precious now, considering how showbiz-sensational boogie-woogie soon became.