James P. Johnson

by Scott YanowOne of the great jazz pianists of all time, James P. Johnson was the king of stride pianists in the 1920s. He began working in New York clubs as early as 1913 and was quickly recognized as the pacesetter. In 1917 Johnson began making piano rolls. Duke Ellington learned from these (by slowing them down to half-speed) and a few years later Johnson became Fats Wallers teacher and inspiration. During the 1920s (starting in 1921), James P. Johnson began to record, he was the nightly star at Harlem rent parties (accompanied by Waller and Willie The Lion Smith) and he wrote some of his most famous compositions. For the 1923 Broadway show Running Wild (one of his dozen scores), James P. composed The Charleston and Old Fashioned Love, his earlier piano feature Carolina Shout became the test piece for other pianists and some of his other songs included If I Could Be with You One Hour Tonight and A Porters Love Song to a Chambermaid.Ironically James P. Johnson, the most sophisticated pianist of the 1920s, was also an expert accompanist for blues singers and he starred on several memorable Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters recordings. In addition to his solo recordings, Johnson led some hot combos on records and guested with Perry Bradford and Clarence Williams; he also shared the spotlight with Fats Waller on a few occasions. Because he was very interested in writing longer works, Johnson (who had composed Yamekraw in 1927) spent much of the 1930s working on such pieces as Harlem Symphony, Symphony in Brown and a blues opera. Unfortunately much of this music has been lost through the years. Johnson, who was only semiactive as a pianist throughout much of the 1930s, started recording again in 1939, often sat in with Eddie Condon and was active in the 1940s despite some minor strokes. A major stroke in 1955 finished off his career. Most of his recordings have been reissued on CD.