German blues/boogie-woogie pianist Axel Zwingenberger was born in Hamburg on May 7, 1955. Originally, Zwingenberger studied classical piano (for 11 solid years), before discovering such authentic blues artists as Albert Ammons, Meade "Lux" Lewis, and Pete Johnson, who served as an immediate influence on the pianist. Along with three other piano playing friends, Zwingenberger began playing blues concerts and festivals on a regular basis, including the 1974 First International Blues and Boogie Woogie Festival for a West German radio station in Cologne, as well as Hans Maitner's ...