James P. Johnson
Background information
Birth name	James Price Johnson
Born	February 1, 1894(1894-02-01)
Origin	New Brunswick, New Jersey
Died	November 17, 1955 (aged 61)
Genre(s)	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Composer Musician
Instrument(s)	Piano

James Price Johnson (February 1, 1894–November 17, 1955) was an African-American pianist and composer. Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 1894 ( MDCCCXCIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common New Brunswick, also known as "the Healthcare City" or "Hub City" is a city and the County seat of Middlesex County Events 284 - Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 1894 ( MDCCCXCIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 284 - Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa A pianist (/'piənɪst/ is a Musician who plays the Piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces play with an ensemble or Orchestra A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance With Luckey Roberts, Johnson was one of the originators of the stride style of jazz piano playing. Charles Luckeyeth Roberts, better known as Luckey Roberts ( 7 August, 1887 – 5 February, 1968) was a Composer and Stride, also known as New York ragtime, is a jazz piano style where the pianist's left hand may play a four-beat pulse with a bass note or tenth interval on the first and third The piano is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard that produces sound by striking steel strings with Felt covered hammers

Biography

Johnson was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. New Brunswick, also known as "the Healthcare City" or "Hub City" is a city and the County seat of Middlesex County His family moved to New York City in 1908. The City of New York Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year His first professional engagement was at Coney Island in 1912. Coney Island is a Peninsula, formerly an island in southernmost Brooklyn, New York City, USA with a Beach on the Atlantic Ocean Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting In 1911, while he was "still going to school in short pants", he attended Jelly Roll Morton's performance in Harlem and was inspired by the blues. Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton ( ca September 20, 1885 or October 20, 1890 – July 10, 1941) was an

Beside being a jazz piano pioneer, and a most spontaneously inventive performer, Johnson penned hit tunes: "Charleston" (which debuted in his Broadway show Runnin' Wild in 1923,^[1]although by some accounts Johnson had written it years earlier) became one of the most popular tunes and arguably the definitive dance number of the Roaring 1920s. The Charleston was a jazz orchestration meant for the Charleston (dance composed in 1923, with lyrics by Cecil Mack and music by James P Johnson Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar Others are "If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)," "You've Got to Be Modernistic," "Baby Don't Cry," "Keep off the Grass," "Old Fashioned Love," "A Porter's Love Song to a Chambermaid," "Carolina Shout," and "Snowy Morning Blues". " If I Could Be with You (One Hour Tonight " is a popular Song. He wrote music in many styles, including waltzes, ballet, symphonic pieces, and light opera; many of these ambitious, long-form pieces are presumed lost. The waltz is a ballroom and folk Dance in time, performed primarily in Closed position. Ballet is a formalized form of Dance with its origins in the French court further developed in France and Russia as a Concert dance A symphony is a Musical composition, often extended and usually for Orchestra. Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto

James Weldon Johnson, a pioneer of the African-American musical theater and renowned choral director, had this to say about Johnson's style of playing: "It was music of a kind I had never heard before. James Weldon Johnson ( June 17, 1871 – June 26, 1938) was an American author politician diplomat critic journalist poet anthologist . . The barbaric harmonies, the audacious resolutions, often consisting of an abrupt jump from one key to another, the intricate rhythms in which the accents fell in the most unexpected places, but in which the beat was never lost, produced a most curious effect - the dexterity of his left hand in making rapid octave runs and jumps was little short of marvelous; and with his right he frequently swept half the keyboard with clean cut chromatics which he fitted in so nicely as never to fail to arouse in his listeners a sort of pleasant surprise at the accomplishment of the feat. "

James P. Johnson taught Fats Waller and got him his first piano roll and recording assignments. Fats Waller (born Thomas Wright Waller on May 21, 1904 &mdash December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist A piano roll is the music Storage medium used to operate the Player piano, pianola or a Reproducing piano. Along with Fats Waller and Willie 'The Lion' Smith, 'The Big Three' defined the Harlem Stride piano style. Fats Waller (born Thomas Wright Waller on May 21, 1904 &mdash December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist William Henry Joseph Bonaparte Bertholoff Smith ( 23 November, 1893 &ndash 18 April, 1973) aka "The Lion", was an "Carolina Shout" was their "Maple Leaf Rag" - the test piece that put every pianist on notice. Even Duke Ellington recorded it; ragtime infused with blues had become jazz.

Johnson recorded dozens of superb player piano roll recordings for the QRS Piano Roll Company in the 1920s and the Aeolian Company in the teens. The player piano is a self-playing Piano, containing a pneumatic mechanism that plays on the piano action pre-programmed Music via perforated paper rolls QRS Records is a United States Record label which produced notable Jazz and Blues recordings in the early Twentieth century. Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar It was during this period that he met and influenced George Gershwin, who was also a young piano-roll artist at Aeolian. George Gershwin (September 26 1898 &ndash July 11 1937 was an American Composer. He was also a strong influence on Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, and Thelonious Monk. William "Count" Basie ( August 21, 1904 &ndash April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, Organist Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29 1899 &ndash May 24 1974 was an American Composer, Pianist, and Bandleader. Arthur Tatum Jr ( October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was an American Jazz Pianist and Virtuoso. Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 - February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz Pianist and Composer. His influence continues to this day in the work of Cyrus Chestnut, Harry Connick Jr., Mark Birnbaum and Reginald Robinson. Cyrus Chestnut (born January 17, 1963) is an American Jazz Pianist, Songwriter, and producer. Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr (born September 11, 1967) is an American singer, Pianist, Composer, Actor, Mark Birnbaum (born 1952 is an American Musician. A classically-trained Composer and Pianist, and a Television personality Reginald R Robinson, born October 19 1972 is a noted composer and performer of Ragtime music

In addition to being a lyrical pianist with a warm, hearty sound, Johnson was also a sensitive and facile accompanist; Johnson often recorded with Ethel Waters and Bessie Smith, and was reportedly the latter's favorite pianist. Bessie Smith (July 9 1892 or April 15 1894&ndash September 26 1937 was an American Blues singer Even guitarist Chet Atkins credited Johnson and "stride piano" as a major influence on his early style; Atkins covered Johnson's compositions on an early solo album of his, as well as his 1979 collaboration "The First Nashville Guitar Quartet. Chester Burton "Chet" Atkins ( June 20, 1924 &ndash June 30, 2001) was an influential Guitarist and Record producer "

In the late 1930s, Johnson was intermittently incapacitated by several strokes. Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain When he returned to active performing in the early 1940s, he demonstrated his adaptability by leading a small swing group and performing regularly with Eddie Condon. Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of Jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and had solidified as a distinctive style by 1935 in the United Albert Edwin Condon ( 16 November, 1905 &ndash 4 August, 1973) better known as Eddie Condon, was a Jazz Banjoist He also did some studying and composing in these last few years with Maury Deutsch. Maury Deutsch (born 1918 in New York City) is a Musician who has played the Trumpet from an early age

Johnson permanently retired from performing after a severe stroke in 1955. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) He died in Jamaica, New York. Jamaica is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens in New York City.

Honors and recognitions

On September 16, 1995 the U.S. Post Office issues a James P. Events 1400 - Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 This article lists people who have been featured on United States Postage stamps Since the United States Post Office issued its first stamp in 1847 over 4000 stamps have been issued and Johnson 32 cent commemorative postage stamp. ^[2]

Film Scores

Johnson's compositions as a film score were used in a number of movies, which were compiled from previously written musical compositions. The American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers ( ASCAP) is a non-profit Performance rights organization that protects its Down Beat is an American Magazine devoted to "jazz blues and beyond" to indicate its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. A film score is a broad term referring to the music in a film which is generally categorically separated from songs used within a film Partial list includes:^[4]

Footnotes

External links

• James P. Johnson on RedHotJazz.com Biography with RAM files of many of James P. Johnson's historic recordings
• James P. Johnson: A Composer Rescued -- The story of the discovery of "Victory Stride" and James P. Johnson's other lost symphonies by Leslie Stifleman
• The James P. Johnson Foundation For Music and The Arts

References

• Allen Lowe. Perfect Stranger is a 2007 Psychological thriller Film starring Halle Berry and Bruce Willis. Halle Maria Berry (ˈhæli ˈbɛri born August 14 1966 is an Academy Award - Emmy Award - and Golden Globe -winning American actress former Walter Bruce Willis (March 19 1955 is an American actor and Singer-songwriter. Southland Tales is a 2006 Science fiction / Drama / Black comedy Film, written and directed by Richard Kelly. " If I Could Be with You (One Hour Tonight " is a popular Song. Alex & Emma is a Warner Bros Romantic comedy starring Kate Hudson and Luke Wilson. Kate Garry Hudson (born April 19, 1979) is an American Film actress. Luke Cunningham Wilson (born September 21, 1971) is an American film actor The Charleston was a jazz orchestration meant for the Charleston (dance composed in 1923, with lyrics by Cecil Mack and music by James P Johnson The Majestic is a 2001 American Drama film, directed by Frank Darabont and starring Jim Carrey. James Eugene Redmond "Jim" Carrey (born January 17 1962 is a Canadian-American Film actor and Comedian. Cobb is a 1994 baseball film starring Tommy Lee Jones as the legendary baseball player Ty Cobb. Tommy Lee Jones (born September 15, 1946) is an Academy Award - Golden Globe - Screen Actors Guild - and Emmy Award -winning Lolita Davidovich (born July 15, 1961) is a Canadian actress. Billy Bathgate is a 1991 film starring Loren Dean as the title character Dustin Hoffman as Dutch Schultz, Nicole Kidman, Steven Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8 1937 His brother Ronald is a lawyer and economist Walter Bruce Willis (March 19 1955 is an American actor and Singer-songwriter. Rambling Rose is a 1991 film set in 1930s Georgia starring Laura Dern and Diane Ladd. Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967) is an Academy Award -nominated American Actress. Robert Selden Duvall (born January 5, 1931) is an American Film Actor and director who has won an Academy Award The Joker is Wild ( 1957) is a film starring Frank Sinatra, Jeanne Crain, and Mitzi Gaynor, and Eddie Albert which Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (December 12 1915 &ndash May 14 1998 was an American singer and actor Flamingo Road ( 1949) is a Warner Bros Feature film starring Joan Crawford, Zachary Scott, Sydney Greenstreet Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; ( March 23, 1905 - May 10, 1977) Crawford was signed to a motion picture The Man I Love is a noir film made in 1947 based on the novel Night Shift by Maritta M Ida Lupino (4 February &ndash 3 August) was an English film actress, director, and a pioneer among women filmmakers Robert Alda ( February 26, 1914 – May 3, 1986) born Alfonso Giuseppe Giovanni Roberto D'Abruzzo, was an American It's a Wonderful Life is a 1946 American Film produced and directed by Frank Capra and based on the short story " The Greatest James Stewart may refer to Actors James Stewart (actor (1908&ndash1997 Hollywood movie actor and USAF Brigadier General Donna Reed ( January 27, 1921 - January 14, 1986) was an Academy Award -winning American actress. Lionel Barrymore ( April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American Academy Award -winning actor of stage radio Stormy Weather is the title of an American musical Motion picture produced and released by 20th Century Fox in 1943 Lena Mary Calhoun Horne (born June 30, 1917) is an iconic American singer and Actress. Cabell "Cab" Calloway III ( December 25, 1907 &ndash November 18, 1994) was a famous American Jazz Singer Fats Waller (born Thomas Wright Waller on May 21, 1904 &mdash December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist Arthur "Dooley" Wilson ( April 3 1886 &ndash May 30 1953) was an African American Actor and Singer Casablanca ( is an American Romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and (ˈbærjman in Swedish but usually ˈbɝgmən in English (August 29 1915 &ndash August 29 1982 was a Swedish three-time Academy Award -winning and two-time Emmy Arthur "Dooley" Wilson ( April 3 1886 &ndash May 30 1953) was an African American Actor and Singer For the time period see Roaring Twenties and 1920s. Also there was a 1960s television series and 2008 Irish sitcom of the same name James Francis Cagney Jr ( July 17, 1899 &ndash March 30, 1986) was an Academy Award -winning American Film The Big Broadcast of 1938 is a Paramount Pictures film featuring W W C Fields ( January 29, 1880 &ndash December 25, 1946) was an American Juggler, Comedian, and Actor Dorothy Lamour ( December 10, 1914 – September 22, 1996) was an American motion picture actress. Bob Hope, KBE KCSG ( May 29, 1903 &ndash July 27, 2003) was an American comedian and actor who appeared in Dancing Lady is a 1933 musical Motion picture starring Joan Crawford, Clark Gable and Franchot Tone. Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; ( March 23, 1905 - May 10, 1977) Crawford was signed to a motion picture Clark Gable (February 1 &ndashNovember 16) was an iconic American Actor nicknamed "The King of Hollywood" in his heyday Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 &ndash June 22, 1987) was an American Academy Award The Show of Shows was a 1929 lavish Revue film which cost $850000 and featured most of the contemporary Warner Bros John Sidney Blyth Barrymore ( February 15 1882 – May 29 1942) was an American Actor, frequently called the greatest Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr, KBE, DSC ( December 9, 1909 &ndash May 7, 2000) was an American Actor Myrna Loy ( August 2, 1905 – December 14, 1993) was an American Motion picture Actress. Liner notes from CD Runnin' Wild (1921–1926)', James P. Johnson (Tradition)