James P. Johnson

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

James P. Johnson is called the father of stride piano. He grew up in New Jersey, learned classical music and ragtime, and played in clubs and at rent parties in New York. His Carolina Shout appeared as a piano roll in 1918 and on record in 1921; pianists learned the piece by heart, note for note. For Broadway he wrote the song Charleston (1923), which set off a dance craze. Johnson accompanied Bessie Smith and was Fats Waller's teacher. He also wanted to be recognised as a composer of concert music and wrote, among other things, the rhapsody Yamekraw. After a stroke in 1951 he could no longer play; he died in 1955.

Listening

• 
  Snowy Morning Blues · James P. Johnson, 1927
• 
  You've Got to Be Modernistic · James P. Johnson, 1930
• 
  Charleston · James P. Johnson, 1944
• 
  Carolina Shout · James P. Johnson, 1921

Discography

Studio albums

• 1946Fats Waller Favorites
• 1958W. C. Handy Blues Sung by his Daughter Katharine Handy Lewis in Traditional Style
• 1962Yamekraw
• 1963New York Jazz
• 1973The Original James P. Johnson
• 1975Charleston
• 1991Snowy Morning Blues
• 1994Ragtime
• 1994Victory Stride: The Symphonic Music of James P. Johnson
• 1995James P. Johnson & Coleman Hawkins
• 1997Runnin' Wild (1921-1926)
• 2003Symphonic Jazz of James P. Johnson
• 2023De Organizer, The Dreamy Kid (Excerpts)

Other work

• 1921Carolina Shout
• 1923Charleston · voor de musical Runnin' Wild

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• Jazz Map^NL Map
• After Hours: Session 1^NL Reader
• Magazine: Rent parties en stride^NL Magazine

See also

• Harlem Renaissance
• Thelonious Monk