James P. Johnson: A Case of Mistaken Identity [Hardcover]

Scott E. Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1992

Known to serious students of jazz as the "Father of Stride Piano," James P. Johnson has only recently begun to receive the acclaim he merits. Born in New Brunswick, NJ and reared in the cultural hotbed of Harlem, Johnson spanned the ragtime era, through the roaring twenties (to which he contributed its theme song the Charleston) and into the swing era.

Part I is a chronological biography, with listings of his musical revues, extended compositions, film work, and all other song and instrumental pieces; a comprehensive bibliography; and photos. Part II is an exhaustive discography.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A thorough, scholarly, interesting account of Johnson's contributions...Impressively documented [discography]... (Sonneck Society Bulletin )

The first comprehensive account of James P. Johnson's career...his analysis of the pianist's style and devices are usually helpful and clear. (Jazz Times )

Brown's painstaking research is the first comprehensive effort to place Johnson's considerable contributions to American music in proper perspective...an important addition to the literature...an indispensable reference tool. (Choice )

A very worth-while book... (Storyville )

[The discography] is excellent in every way...can stand proudly on the shelf next to the earlier, and equally outstanding, volumes in the series... (Iajrc Journal )

A thorough, scholarly, interesting account of Johnson's contributions...Impressively documented [discography]....... (Sonneck Society Bulletin )

[The discography] is excellent in every way...can stand proudly on the shelf next to the earlier, and equally outstanding, volumes in the series....... (Iajrc Journal )

...an important contribution to the history of American music...indispensable reading for scholars and students in the field of American music, black or white. (Black Perspective In Music )

...this look at the...stride piano giant is long overdue...observations on Johnson's contributions to jazz harmony and rhythm--which in Brown's view make James P. the first modern jazz pianist--are sound and clearly made... (Cadence )

About the Author

Scott Brown received a BA from Yale University, where he spent his senior year as a Scholar of the House working on James P. Johnson. He is a graduate of Rutgers Medical School (NJ) and is pursuing a career in surgery. Robert Hilbert, Director of Audiovisual Services at Miami-Dade Community College, Miami, Florida, has written numerous articles on jazz and has contributed to many standard discographies. His column, "Discographical Forum," has appeared regularly in Joslin's Jazz Journal.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 522 pages
• Publisher: Scarecrow Press (February 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810818876
• ISBN-13: 978-0810818873
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,433,818 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars OK but...., April 15, 2001

By 

B. D. Tutt (London, UK.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: James P. Johnson: A Case of Mistaken Identity (Hardcover)

James P. Johnson (1894 - 1955) is one of the great neglected figures of 20th century American music. He composed the "Charleston", accompanied Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters, was the acknowledged champion of the Harlem stride school of jazz piano, taught piano to Fats Waller, influenced Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Thelonious Monk, and wrote some of the first symphonic music by an African-American that sought to fuse European and American music into a coherent whole.

This book is the only full scale biography of Johnson to be written so far. As such it is a valuable addition to our knowledge. It was originally written as a senior honors project at Yale, and although expanded, still bears signs of its origins. It is strong on the development of the Harlem stride piano style and has a good chapter on Johnson's pianistic approach.

However, it also has some flaws: it is based largely on secondary sources, has little to say about Johnson's "serious" music (most of which was not rediscovered until after 1986), is unbalanced in its emphasis on the 1920s while neglecting Johnson's jazz revival in the 1940s, and offers only limited analysis of his recordings.

Bob Hilbert's discography is a very useful addition, although it is now 15 years out of date and therefore omits both CD releases and some recent discoveries.

For Johnson fans or those interested in the history of stride piano or in the New York jazz scene of the 1920s, this is well worth getting. However, it is not the definitive scholarly biography that Johnson's stature ultimately deserves.