James Price Johnson

James P. Johnson is known as the Father of Stride Piano, and composed the most iconic work that captures the essence of the Roaring Twenties, the Charleston. Both pianist and composer, he not only wrote jazz but also music for theatrical shows, symphonic works and opera too. He performed alongside jazz greats such as Fats Waller, Willie The Lion Smith and Sidney Bechet, and also collaborated with George Gershwin as well. Johnson was an early pioneer in the recording industry, and made many studio recordings as a soloist and with his own jazz band. Yet despite all of this, his name has been largely forgotten today. One possible reason for this is that being a transitional figure between ragtime and jazz, he’s been hard to categorise.

This week, Donald Macleod will explore five periods in Johnson’s life where Johnson strove to achieve a different role: recording artist, theatre composer, performer and teacher, and also a Tickler - a ragtime saloon pianist.

Music featured:

Charleston Carolina Shout Fascination Concerto Jazz A Mine Caprice Rag Empty Bed Blues Daintiness Rag Twilight Rag Steeplechase Rag There’s No Two Ways About Love My Sweet Hunk O’Trash Charleston Alabama Stomp My Headache My special friend is back in town Lonesome Swallow Guess who’s in town Victory Stride Drums Harlem Strut Snowy Morning Blues Keep off the grass Havin’ a ball A Porter’s Love Song to a Chambermaid Toddlin’ Home Runnin’ Wild Medley After Tonight Old Fashioned Love If I could be with you Jingles I Need Lovin’ Yamekraw, A Negro Rhapsody Backwater Blues Charleston Stop That Dog Lock and Key Sweet Mistreater Don’t Cry Baby Riffs You’ve Got to be Modernistic Sippi Charleston American Symphonic Suite Put Your Mind Right On It Go Harlem A Porter’s Love Song to a Chambermaid Hungry Blues Harlem Hotcha Ain’tcha Got Music Harlem Symphony Lonesome Reverie Gut Stomp Blues for Fats You Can’t Lose a Broken Heart Charleston

Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Luke Whitlock, for BBC Wales

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for James Price Johnson https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000p7mr

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z