He shot out of the Louisiana bayous in the 1950s, pounding the piano with a frenzy which accentuated his self-proclaimed artistry.

Jerry Lee Lewis joined a roster of other rockabilly singers and musicians at the fabled Sun Recording Studio in Memphis. He and label mates Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison created a new type of music — rockabilly — and each went on to legendary careers.

Now Lewis is the last man standing, the only survivor of the five. “Last Man Standing” is also the title of his new album — and what an album it is.

On one of the album tracks, Robbie Robertson’s “Twilight,” Lewis sings “Don’t put me in a frame up on the mantle. Old memories turn dusty, old and gray.”

With “Last Man Standing,” Lewis figuratively kicks in the front door, grabs the frame from the mantle and hurls it against the wall.

Now in his 70s, Lewis is not going gentle into that good night. He’s playing and singing as well — and sometimes even better — than he ever did.

“Last Man Standing” features Lewis and a guest artist on each of its 22 tracks. Although it’s billed as a series of duets, The Killer is not about to shift into low gear.

“Grab hold boys and hang on if you can,” is the message Lewis sends. Some can hang better than others.

Many end up serving as background singers. As for those who go face-to-face with Lewis — well, he didn’t get his nickname of The Killer for nothing.

So what if Bruce Springsteen wrote “Pink Cadillac?” He’s lucky to jump in the passenger’s seat with The Killer at the wheel. By the time Lewis finishes the song, it’s a rockabilly rave-up that sounds as if it had been waxed in 1950s Memphis.

The guests who fare best are those who don’t challenge The Killer (big mistake) but help him make the best Jerry Lee Lewis record possible. Who knew Keith Richards is a great country harmony singer? (Well, anyone who listened closely to Rolling Stones chestnuts such as “You’ve Got the Silver” and “Dead Flowers” probably had a clue.)

One track that could have been left off “Last Man Standing” is the Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women” — and not because of Lewis, who reworks the song as a faster, blues-tinged number.

Unfortunately, Lewis’ producers must have decided the ubiquitous Kid Rock would be a great addition to the track. Although Rock’s relegated to the role of a background singer, he’s still irritating.

Eric Clapton joins Lewis on one of the album’s best cuts, the blues standard “Trouble in Mind.” Clapton wisely lets his guitar do the talking with tasty blues licks as Lewis laments about laying his head “on that lonesome railroad line.”

B.B. King also sticks with his guitar on the rhythm-and-blues number “Before the Night is Over.” On another cut, Lewis rips out a version of John Fogerty’s “Traveling Band” that’s even more manic than the original.

The Killer does turn the heat down a notch on a few tracks, especially with a couple of his country music pals.

He’s joined by Merle Haggard on a laid-back version of “Just A-Bummin’ Around.” Lewis and George Jones exchange quips on a rambunctious rendition of Bob Wills’ “Don’t Be Ashamed of Your Age.”

Lewis’ piano playing is at the heart of “Last Man Standing.” It’s great to hear him play a real piano with wood and steel strings, instead of an electronic keyboard.

In selecting the album’s songs, Lewis stayed away from his most well-known numbers.

Instead, he makes every song his own. Take “Lost Highway,” for example. In Hank Williams’ chilling version, Williams sings like he’s driving down the road with a hellhound nipping at the wheels.

Lewis has a different take. Joined by Delaney Bramlett, Lewis sings as if he’s rolling down the “Lost Highway” in a convertible, with the top pulled down and the wind whipping through his hair. If Lewis is heading down the lost highway, he’s going to enjoy the ride.

Lewis is definitely having fun on the album, as evidenced by the studio banter on some tracks.

At the conclusion of a rollicking version of “Sweet Little Sixteen” in which Lewis and Ringo Starr trade verses, Lewis tells Starr he simply had to jam one last note in at the song’s end.

“You’ve got more lung power than me, Jerry Lee,” Starr says.

“What can I say?” Lewis coyly answers.

The Killer, indeed.

Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.