!943 recording for Bob Thiele's Signature label, featuring introductory piano solo by James P. Johnson. Issued  originally on Signature 78, and Brunswick 10" LP.

When I Grow Too Old To Dream  ( Yank Lawson  w James P. Johnson, piano solo )

Joe Turner ( piano ) Paris, France, January, 1936 / P77604 Liza Ultraphon (F) 

Liza   Joe Turner   Paris   1936

Piano Moods

Ralph Sutton   Keep Your Temper ( Willie the Lion Smith )

Recorded for Emerson 1921  
take 6
The second surviving take,  # 4, is usually found in jazz compilations. 
Take # 6 is the one usually included in ragtime compilations.

Eubie Blake  Sounds of Africa / Charleston Rag

Jazz piano solo recorded for the Library of Congress, by Alan Lomax, Dec 24, 1938. This was the day after the  first Spirituals to Swing concert at Carnegie Hall. Lomax terminates the session rather abruptly. He may very well  have thought, at least initially,  that he was speaking to Pete Johnson, as the recording card identifies Jimmy as a " blues pianist from Kansas City ".  Story of Johnson's life.

Library of Congress

James P. Johnson   Snowy Morning Blues

Willie Eckstein   A Musical Massacre

Johnny Windhurst, James P. Johnson, and Baby Dodds                  Jazz at Town Hall. September  21 , 1946

Jazz at Town Hall   Xtra 1003/10043

James P. Johnson   I've  Found a New Baby

Voices of Fats Waller, Eubie Blake, James P. Johnson, Willie The Lion Smith, Jimmy Francis, Bill Nevius, Ken Macomber

Todd Mundt Show NPR 1-2-03

Voices from " The Gathering " c 1937  Home of Fats Waller

Jelly Roll Lipschitz  Blues

Piano solo by Johnny Guarnieri based on Niccolò  Paganini's 24th Caprice

Johnny Guarnieri /  Piano Paganini

Complete Commodore And Decca Eddie Condon And Bud Freeman Sessions

James P. Johnson w Eddie Condon Just You, Just Me (Alt Tk -2)

Smithsonian  Folkways  masters

James P. Johnson  Carolina Balmoral   ( Breakdown )

Among my earliest experiences with stride piano, c 1979. Also my intro to the recordings of Dick Hyman, who's name I knew already from his Complete Joplin set, done for RCA. Further, my first encounter with the name of Mike Lipskin, who wrote the liner notes.

Popular tracks by Mark Borowsky