The Original James P. Johnson 1942-1945

Johnson, James P.

album cover

The Father of Stride Struts His Stuff

In stride-style piano, the left hand leaps wildly between bass notes and chords plinked in the center of the keyboard. Meanwhile, the right hand is busy doing cartwheels and backflips and triple-lutz reverses. The masters of the form, including father and self-proclaimed "dean" of stride James P. Johnson, make this juggling act sound like the most natural thing in the world.

Johnson (1894–1955) brought stride to a rococo peak in the late 1920s. He wrote fanciful inventions streaked with childlike optimism and an irreverent sense of humor—one characteristic tune is "The Charleston." He also wrote intricate "suites," like "Yamekraw: A Negro Rhapsody," in which he contrasts brief episodes of improvisation with more elaborate composed-in-advance themes. He could play lightning-fast tempos—jazz historian Marshall Stearns once described a Johnson performance this way: "It was as if Franz Liszt had discovered ragtime."

A native of New Brunswick, New Jersey, Johnson first attracted attention in 1913, playing small clubs in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York. He began recording in 1920, often performing original tunes like "Harlem Strut" and "Jingles." He attracted a coterie of worshippers and students, including Fats Waller and Duke Ellington, and within a few years, he was among the city's celebrated instrumentalists, backing Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters. Johnson also found himself in demand as a composer—he wrote for nightclub revues and Broadway musicals. The writing took over his schedule, and Johnson didn't perform regularly again until the early 1940s, during a resurgence of interest in "traditional" jazz.

These recordings, made between 1942 and 1945, demonstrate Johnson's ability to rock the keyboard. Though his approach is a touch more refined, he's still gunning through demanding pianistic agility trials. His left hand doesn't always stride steadily—sometimes he'll sneak in an unexpected pause, or break the flow of a melody like "Sweet Lorraine" with unusual offbeat syncopations. These are kinetic. As he moves up the keyboard from the bass line, through the clipped chords, and into the delicious top octaves of the piano, Johnson pirouettes like a ballerina, making every note seem perfect.

Genre: Jazz
Released: 1996, Smithsonian Folkways
Key Tracks: "Liza," "Jersey Sweet," "The Dream," "St. Louis Blues," "Twilight Rag."
Catalog Choice: King of Stride Piano, 1918–1944.
Next Stop: Willie "The Lion" Smith and Luckey Roberts: Harlem Piano
After That: Dick Wellstood: Live at the Sticky Wicket
Book Pages: 401–402