Jim Hession / Master of Stride/ The Charleston /James P. Johnson /

New piano CD’s available as of April,2008 James P. Johnson, the father of stride piano, made history in 1923 by penning the quintessential pop tune and dance craze of the 1920’s{better known as the “jazz age“}. Johnson, a student of Eubie Blake, followed Blake’s 1921 “Shuffle Along“ Broadway success with his own show, “Runnin’ Wild“. Here he utilizes the “Habenera“ rhythm as the distinctive musical feature of the Charleston. This rendition leads off with a rubato treatment of the original verse. This piece was posted at the request of a YouTube viewer. Martha and I have done this as a piano/vocal feature in concerts for many years. This is a totally improvised rendition and stylistic elements of both Eubie Blake and James P. Johnson appeared as inevitable contributions to the mix. What a great addition to the stride re