| Title: | BLUES and R&B Interest Group |
| Notice: | Welcome to the Blues/R&B Conference! |
| Moderator: | OSOSPS::SYSTEM A |
| Created: | Tue Apr 04 1989 |
| Last Modified: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 557 |
| Total number of notes: | 7144 |
Branching from topic 553, "From Sprituals to Swing", this is a topic for James P. Johson. (You can say James P. Johnson is a jazz musician basically. And if we discuss him, we should deal with his blues side and as an accompanist to blues singers. But I'm not so rigid as a noter and a moderator.) First his biography from CD universe Web site. James P. Johnson Born: February 1, 1894 Birth Place: New Brunswick, NJ Death: November 17, 1955 One 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 Waller's 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 Porter's 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 1951 finished off his career. Most of his recordings have been reissued on CD. ~ Scott Yanow Information supplied by All Music Guide
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 554.1 | OSOV03::KAGEYAMA | I Got Rhythm! | Sat May 17 1997 23:33 | 57 | |
re> 553.1
> In the 70s when I first listened to James P, there wasn't much recorded
> material in print. I expect more is available now, and someone
> (Smithsonian? Rhino? CBS?) is likely to have done a skillful compilation.
I looked into the Web and found following two CDs are promissing. One is
"Harlem Stride Piano 1921-29" from unkown, at least to me, French label,
which is consisted of his very first recordings in 1920s. The other is
his complete recordings, I believe, at Decca in 1930s and 1940s. They
seeems to share many numbers, but I cannot say which one prevails
definitely. Both are now on my purchasing list.
- Kazunori
+ Harlem Stride Piano 1921-29, James P. Johnson
Street Date: May 14, 1996
Label: EPM/HOT 'N SWEET (FRA)
Catalog#: 151032
Album Review:
This European import consists of the first 24 recordings led by the great
stride pianist James P. Johnson plus the piano roll version of his hit "The
Charleston." Many of these performances have been formerly issued in
haphazard or incomplete fashion but this exciting CD has all of Johnson's
dates up until his 1930 solos. There are three early band sides from 1921
(including Johnson's "Carolina Shout"), 13 piano solos ("Snowy Morning
Blues," "Riffs" and "Feeling Blue" are particularly memorable) and hot
combos that feature such sidemen as cornetists/trumpeters Louis Metcalfe,
Cootie Williams and King Oliver and (on two songs) fellow pianist Fats
Waller. The somewhat obscure CD is the perfect way to accumulate these
historic performances. ~ Scott Yanow [All Music Guide]
+ Snowy Morning Blues, James P. Johnson
Street Date: Oct 8, 1991
Label: UNI/DECCA
Catalog#:604
Album Review:
James P. Johnson was one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time and in
the 1920s was considered the "king of the stride piano." This Decca reissue
CD contains a great deal of valuable music. Johnson is first heard on four
classic piano solos from 1930 ("You've Got to Be Modernistic" and "Jingles"
are particularly memorable) and then on eight Fats Waller-associated tunes
in duets with drummer Eddie Dougherty from 1944; the latter performances
differ from the eight identical Waller songs that Johnson had recorded
earlier in the same year as solos. Since Waller (who had passed away in
1943) was his close friend and former student, there is a lot of emotion in
the tributes but also much joy. This highly recommended CD concludes with
James P. Johnson romping on eight of his own timeless compositions including
"Carolina Shout," "Old Fashioned Love" and "If I Could Be with You." ~ Scott
Yanow [All Music Guide]
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