Overview

James P. Johnson (1894–1955) is one of the most important figures in twentieth-century American music. However, few people other than scholars and serious fans know of his life and work. Rare jazz aficionados know him as the Father of Harlem Stride piano but his other monumental contributions to American music are seldom acknowledged. Speakeasies to Symphonies: The Jazz Genius of James P. Johnson seeks to rectify this. Johnson, born in New Jersey, absorbed many musical elements in his youth, especially the African American culture of the Southeastern Seaboard, to create a new musical and rhythmic force for jazz, musical theater, and symphonic music. Johnson’s career stretched from the early 1910s to the early 1950s. His heyday was the 1920s—the decade known for the Jazz Age, the Harlem Renaissance, rent parties, classic blues singers, the first golden age of Broadway and the great American song book, and, perhaps most notably, the worldwide music and dance phenomenon, the Charleston. Johnson not only composed the signature tune that has come to define the decade but was a critical part of the other seminal cornerstones of American music. Speakeasies to Symphonies presents a detailed portrait of Johnson’s life, music, teachers, associates, protégés, and activity right up to his death. Scott E. Brown explores primary sources previously unavailable, including Johnson’s personal papers, to fill in many gaps and answer lingering questions in his biography, painting a complete picture of his essential legacy.

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9781496857521

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Reviews

""This is the kind of research scholars must do when writing about the lives of Black Americans in the early twentieth century. By turning to other and sometimes nontraditional primary and secondary sources, Brown creates a menagerie of scenes straight out of Johnson’s life that illuminate his career’s resonance with early Black entertainment. Speakeasies to Symphonies: The Jazz Genius of James P. Johnson is not just a biography of an artist but a rich text providing endless insight into the experiences of many Black Americans leading up to, during, and beyond the Harlem Renaissance."" - Stephanie Doktor, assistant professor of music theory at Temple University. ""This is the most comprehensive book to date on James P. Johnson, ‘The Father of Stride Piano.’ Anyone interested in jazz, popular music, Broadway shows, and the struggles of African American artists trying to find success in the white world of classical, or so-called ‘serious’ music, will find much value in this book."" - Vincent Pelote, senior archivist and digital preservation strategist at the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University.

Author Information

Scott E. Brown is an independent jazz researcher. He has written two books on James P. Johnson and has published several articles and lectured widely about jazz. He is a practicing physician and holds a master’s degree in jazz history and research.

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