2 years ago

126

Fascination by James P. Johnson
Sequenced and Arranged by: John Farrell

Wikipedia:
James Price Johnson (February 1, 1894 – November 17, 1955) was an American pianist and composer. A pioneer of stride piano, he was one of the most important pianists in the early era of recording, and like Jelly Roll Morton, one of the key figures in the evolution of ragtime into what was eventually called jazz. Johnson was a major influence on Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, and Fats Waller, who was his student.

Johnson composed many hit songs, including the unofficial anthem of the Roaring Twenties, "The Charleston," and he remained the acknowledged king of New York jazz pianists through most of the 1930s. Johnson's artistry, influence on early popular music, and contributions to musical theatre are often overlooked, and as such, he has been referred to by musicologist David Schiff as "The Invisible Pianist."

Johnson was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States. The proximity to New York City meant that the full cosmopolitan spectrum of the city's musical experience, from bars, to cabarets, to the symphony, were at the young Johnson's disposal. Johnson's father, William H. Johnson, was a store helper and mechanic while his mother, Josephine Harrison was a maid. Harrison was a part of the choir at the Methodist Church and was also a self-taught pianist. Johnson later cited the popular African-American songs and dances he heard at home and around the city as early influences on his musical taste. In 1908, Johnson's family moved to the San Juan Hill (near where Lincoln Center stands today) section of New York City and subsequently moved again to uptown in 1911. With perfect pitch and excellent recall he was soon able to pick out the piano tunes that he had heard.
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My free practice recommendations I use myself:
►Perfect Ear app to train your hearing (Android & IOS) 👂🏽: http://gestyy.com/w65gXL
►Complete Music Reading Trainer (Only Android) 👀: http://gestyy.com/w65jdn
►Hanon exercises to improve the piano fingerwork 🖐🏽: http://gestyy.com/w64QhM
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Things I recommend that I paid for to practice Jazz Piano:
►My current digital piano is the Roland RP501r 🎹: https://amzn.to/2QB4SvG
►iReal Pro app to practice with backing tracks 📲: https://amzn.to/2MS0Ca3
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