The Original James P. Johnson 1942-1945

James P. Johnson

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 24, 1996)
• Original Release Date: September 24, 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Smithsonian Folkways
• ASIN: B000001DM5
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #84,520 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #49 in	Music > Jazz > Traditional Jazz & Ragtime > Ragtime
  #65 in	Music > Jazz > Traditional Jazz & Ragtime > Stride Piano

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

When James P. Johnson made these solo recordings for Moe Asch's Folkways label, Asch gave him the freedom to record what he wished. The pianist took the opportunity to document some pre-jazz piano music, a few favorite tunes, some improvised blues, and piano reductions of his own unperformed concert works. It's a remarkable release, including among the early piano music Jesse Pickett's "The Dream," Scott Joplin's "Euphonic Sounds," and two blues by W.C. Handy. While Johnson's ambitions to mount an indigenous concert music, one melding jazz and ragtime rhythms with classical forms, were frustrated, you'd never know it from these vibrant performances of "Yamekraw--A Negro Rhapsody," "Jazzamine Concerto," and a fragment from "Jungle Drums." The 1996 CD issue includes eight previously unissued tracks. --Stuart Broomer

Product Description

Seventy-four minutes of solo piano from the father of Harlem stride piano. Includes eight previously unreleased tracks, including Yamekraw and Jazzamine Concerto. 20 vibrant performances, including Joplin and Handy, a Gershwin hit, and Johnson's own compositions-1917 Classic rags, a 1923 show tune, newly discovered blues improvisations, and three of his pioneering "third stream" symphonic works. 28-page booklet contains wonderful reproductions of the original LP covers, historical and biographical annotation on the period, the artist, and the songs. Reissued from Folkways 2850. "It was me, or maybe Fats, who say down to warm up the piano. After that, James took over. Then you got real invention-magic, sheer magic." - Duke Ellington

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Piano Jazz, February 19, 2000

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

James P. Johnson is one of the most influential and neglected figues in 20th century American music. Best known as the teacher of Fats Waller, he was the composer of "Charleston", THE song that exemplified the 1920s, a writer of serious orchestral works, a magnificent accompanist of Bessie Smith and others, and the leading figure in the Harlem stride piano style. As such, he influenced Ellington, Basie and Thelonious Monk amongst others.

He recorded extensively, but for a long time little of his material was available on CD. Classics has now completed a reasonably comprehensive eight volume reissue, which is a must for Johnson fans. This CD, however, encapsulates most of Johnson's genius in one disc.

The recordings, made for Asch, cover most facets of Johnson's career. His ability as a stride virtuoso is demonstrated in "Liza" and "Twilight Rag", his ragtime roots in Scott Joplin's "Euphonic Sounds", and his empathy for the blues in a number of tracks, the best being "Snowy Morning Blues", given two markedly different performances and the poignant "Blue Moods Sex".

His neglected serious compositions are demonstrated with "Yamecraw", "Jungle Drums" and "Jazzamine Concerto", all well worth hearing in the only recording opportunity Johnson ever received to air them. (They have since been rediscovered and recorded by the Concordia Orchestra, and are well worth hearing. They compare favourably with the grossly over-rated Gershwin).

All in all, this is a splendid disc that does justice to Johnson's multi-faceted genius. While it is a little short of full-blooded stride piano (why was Asch's version of "Carolina Balmoral" not included?), no one with more than a passing interestin jazz piano should be without it.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Big Jim's Left hand, July 27, 2001

By	Michael F Heintz "slipjig" (Clearlake, CA United States) - See all my reviews

I found out about James P. Johnnson just recently and I'm a senior. Wow! This album has better sound than some others and a real long serious number which was later orchestrated. Johnson's playing is pure magic, as Duke Ellington says, and if you play piano yourself, you must hear his left hand! Never too much or too little, always supportive of the top line and always just right. Maybe I'm just in the first flush of enthusiasm about this guys stuff, but this makes me want a time machine. I'da like to ah bin there.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creme de la creme, August 30, 2007

By	jive rhapsodist (NYC, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Beautiful! And beautifully presented, annotated, remastered...everything. By the way, I' d also like to hear the Asch Carolina Balmoral, but as far as I know, it remains unissued (the Blue Note one is awesome!). Jazzamine Concerto (which reappears, in part, at the end of the CD as Blues For Jimmy) is as deep as Stride gets. Such a great composition, and so movingly (not perfectly) played. The CD will explain why Johnson was considered the Dean. Waller is a more note-perfect pianist, with a unique drive, Willie the Lion has his amazing impressionism, but Johnson is the master. The extended work Yamekraw is not a great piece of music - too episodic to be - but it too is so moving. Funky, romantic and loveable. As is the whole CD.