James P. Johnson

Known as the Father of Stride Piano, James P. Johnson essentially invented the style that carried ragtime into jazz — a muscular two-handed approach pairing a swinging left-hand bass with inventive, orchestral right-hand melody. He was already a working pianist at rent parties and cabarets on Manhattan’s West Side by his late teens, developing a reputation for improvising fresh embellishments over popular songs of the day.

His 1921 solo recording of Carolina Shout is widely regarded as the first true jazz piano solo captured on disc, and his 1923 Broadway show Runnin’ Wild produced “The Charleston,” arguably the single most recognisable tune of the decade. He was also Bessie Smith’s favoured accompanist on record, and around 1919 took a teenage Fats Waller under his wing as a private student — a relationship that would carry stride piano to a much wider audience once Waller became a star in his own right.

Beyond the jazz standards, Johnson composed orchestral and classical works including Yamecraw and a piano concerto, though the racial prejudice of the era limited how far his reputation as a serious composer travelled during his lifetime. He died in 1955, having influenced nearly every major stride and swing pianist who followed him, from Duke Ellington to Art Tatum.

Because Johnson’s prime recording years predate the LP era, collectors are really hunting 78s and piano rolls, or well-curated reissue compilations that gather the scattered original sides — a 78 rpm original of “Carolina Shout” is a genuine centrepiece for a serious jazz collection.