What sort of music would you identify as being uniquely American? If you think about it, there are countless genres and aesthetics that would fit the bill, and among them is a tradition known as stride piano: a technique born from ragtime that would later influence the development of jazz, and even western classical music – at least one piece in particular. Hey there – I’m Loki Karuna, and on this edition of Noteworthy you and I will honor the tradition of stride piano, as brought to the orchestral stage, by a man named James P. Johnson.
James P. Johnson was born in New Jersey in the late 1800s, not far from New York City. His ability to go over to the Big Apple to experience everything from cabaret music to the symphony played a big role in his development as a pianist, and he quickly became one of the city’s most well-known musicians. His abilities as a composer quickly emerged, and he used his gift to honor American communities not often highlighted in concert settings, including this 1928 composition that he called the Yamekraw Negro Rhapsody.
In addition to musically honoring the Yamekraw community of Georgia, James P. Johnson would later write a work called The Harlem Symphony, in addition to countless show tunes that can still be heard on Broadway today. It goes without saying that he helped define America’s unique place in the world of music, making him one of history’s most Noteworthy composers.
Noteworthy is a production of WDAV classical public radio.