One of the men who bridged the gap between ragtime and jazz was stride pianist James P. Johnson, who literally wrote the book on the two fisted style of jazz. He was on some of the most important recordings on the early days of jazz, and this 6 cd limited edition set by Mosaic Records does a yeoman’s job of re-introducing the world to the maestro.
While it doesn’t include everything Johnson recorded (What? No “Harlem Shot” or “Charleston”?!?) it does an impressive job of giving an overview of the remarkable breath and width of the artist. Essentially, his career is able to be categorized into three division; solo piano, small groups and duets accompanying vocalists. Mosaic had a tough call in collating the music either according to style or chronologically, and chose the latter. There are arguments either way.
The solos here are simply a library of what jazz stride piano should sound like. Unlike other contemporaries, Johnson had a lyrical and smooth touch, giving hints of later evolutions like Art Tatum. Dashes of classical, ragtime and two stepped dancing are felt on pieces like “Caprice Rag,” “Glory Shout” and “Toddlin’” from his early days in 1923, while his later recordings around two decades later have a more patient flow as on “Blues For Fats” and a swingingly buoyant “If Dreams Come True.”
The small group sessions in the early days have Johnson buried underneath on “Dear Old Southland” but the pianist is able to pop out his head just enough to be appreciated. Much more fun is the teaming of Johnson with Fats Waller at the organ and Armstrong-influenced Jabbo Smith on “Willow Tree” and “’Sippi.” A vintage mix of swing and the traditional are found in the late thirties with Frankie Newton’s trumpet, Mezz Mezzrow’s clarinet and Pet Brown’s alto as Johnson glistens underneath before his solos on “Rosetta” and “Who?”. Even better is an All Star band that includes Charlie Christian/eg, Hot Lips Page/tp, JC Higgenbotham/tb, Ed Hall/cl, and Lionel Hampton for some blues, while an orchestra with Sid Catlet/dr, Allen, Higgenbotham and Gene Sedric’s warm tenor sublimely swing on “Memories of You” and “Havin’ A Ball.” This stuff is a hoot!
Johnson’s work with vocalists is legendary. His ability to provide an obbligato underneath a singer without overwhelming her (or him) set the standard to this day. While his sessions with Lavina Turner, Eva Taylor and Clara Smith have moment of interest, they pale in comparison to his work with Ethel Waters as on “My Handy Man” and “Guess Who’s In Town,” and this STILL is in a distant second place to his highest plane of existence material with blues legend Bessie Smith. They team up for gut wrenching material like “Lock and Key” and “Worn Out Papa Blues” with a fervency that startles to this day. This is music that has only been approached but never exceeded.
Check out this limited edition 5000 set. It will be a sell out. The 30 page booklet has tons of nice photos and excellent analysis by Scott Brown. Get it!
Mosaic Records