Podcast appearances and mentions of James P Johnson

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Best podcasts about James P Johnson

Latest podcast episodes about James P Johnson

The 1937 Flood Watch Podcast
"Backwater Blues"

The 1937 Flood Watch Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2025 5:40


People began to think Bessie Smith must be some kind of witchy woman. After all, they said, how else could she have recorded a song about the devastating Great Mississippi River Flood weeks before it even started?The lyrics of Smith's 1927 “Backwater Blues” certainly described perfectly the kind of misery that was being reported in the newspapers across the country that spring: It rained five days and the sky turned dark as night Then trouble's takin' place in the lowlands at night… When it thunders and lightnin', and the wind begins to blow There's thousands of people, ain't got no place to go… Backwater blues done called me to pack my things and go 'Cause my house fell down and I can't live there no more…To listeners, those words evoked pictures of what they were reading about. What then, other than hoodoo-y powers, could enable Smith to write and record a song about the flood and get the disc out before the rains even began to fall.To this day, Smith's Columbia record — with Bessie's vocal over James P. Johnson's stride piano — is often associated with the Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927. Some teachers even use the song in classrooms as an audio introduction to the topic of one of America's greatest 20th century natural disasters.But….The fact is, though, the Columbia release of “Blackwater Blues” is one of the great coincidences in blues history. That's because historians now know that Bessie actually wrote “Backwater Blues” about a different flood on an entirely different river.Ninety years after the disc's release, writer David Evans made the case in the British journal called Popular Music that Smith found inspiration for her composition on Christmas of 1926 when the Cumberland River flooded during her stay in Nashville. “With her show cancelled, she found herself in a boarding house above an undertaker's, crowded together with people who'd been displaced,” Evans wrote. Angela Davis, in her 1990 book Blues Legacies and Black Feminism, also reported that story, recounting these words of Smith's sister-in-law, Maud Smith: “There was a lot of other people there, and they were trying to get her to stay, so they started hollerin' ‘Miss Bessie, please sing the ‘Back Water Blues,' please sing the ‘Back Water Blues.'” Well, Bessie didn't know anything about any ‘Back Water Blues,' but after we came back home … [she] came into the kitchen one day, and she had a pencil and paper, and she started singing and writing.”The RecordingOn Smith's next visit to Columbia's studio on Feb. 17, 1927, she recorded the new song, which the record company released in March, which just happened to be the same time the Mississippi was starting to flood, reaching record depth upriver around Cairo, Illinois. In the weeks to come, the great river's levees were starting to fail downstream, from Greenville down to the Gulf of Mexico. Ultimately, the swollen river would inundate an area nearly the size of Scotland across seven states. A thousand people lost their lives. Almost half a million homes were destroyed. A million people became homeless. Entire neighborhoods were wiped out. Despite its actual origin story, Bessie Smith's composition has become the anthem of the 1927 flood and, by extension, of other devastating natural disasters. For instance, when Katrina flooded New Orleans in 2005, many were recalling Bessie's words: I went and stood up on some high old lonesome hill And looked down on the house where I used to live…More Blues?If this song has you hankering for a second helping, drop by the free Radio Floodango music streaming service and click into the Blues Channel. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 1937flood.substack.com

At the Jazz Band Ball
Mr. Haydn Gets Hip

At the Jazz Band Ball

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2025 40:10


Classical meets jazz. Featuring: John Kirby Sextet, George Gershwin, James P. Johnson, Duke Ellington, Carl Maria von Weber, Benny Goodman, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Art Tatum, Fats Waller. Music: Mr. Haydn Gets Hip, Beethoven Riffs On, Rhapsody in Blue, You've Got To Be Modernistic, excerpt from Black, Brown, and Beige, excerpt from Invitation to the Dance, Let's Dance, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (Var. 15), Honeysuckle Rose.

At the Jazz Band Ball
Jazz drummers, 1920s-40s - part 1

At the Jazz Band Ball

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2025 49:26


Featuring: Baby Dodds, Zutty Singleton, Sid Catlett, Viola Smith, Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, James P. Johnson, Pee Wee Russell; Songs include: Spooky Drums, China Boy, Sugar Foot Strut, I Found a New Baby, Moppin' and Boppin', Rose Room, Mop Mop, Steak Face.

On this day in Blues history
On this day in Blues history for February 1st

On this day in Blues history

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2025 2:00


Today's show features music performed by Sonny Boy Williamson I and James P. Johnson

Ian McKenzie's Blues Podcasts
Episode 657: DRIVETIME VOL 7 #11

Ian McKenzie's Blues Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2024 61:26


  | Artist  | Title  | Copyright  | Album Name  | Album Copyright  | Chris Yakopcic  |  Kind Hearted Woman  | Live At The Hidden Gem  | Chicago Bob And The Blues Squad  | Money Grows On Trees  | Gonna Hit The Bricks  | Katy Hurt  | Drink  |   | Unfinished Business EP  | Pat Fulgoni Blues Experience  | Drifter  |   | Pat Fulgoni Blues Experience  | On Parole  | Red Cadillac  | Barefoot Blues  |   | Tas Cru Band  | Stand Up - Live  | Tas Cru Live  |   | Duke Robillard  | Too Much Stuff  | World Full Of Blues Disk # 2 (Bonus Disk)  | James P Johnson  | Charleston (South Carolina) (1925) [piano roll]  | James P. Johnson (1891-1955): Piano Man  | Saints and Sinners  | Crossroads  | Saints & Sinners IBBA  | Two Gospel Keys  | Precious Lord  | Country Gospel 1946-1953  | Document Records  | Brian Setzer  | She's Got A Lotta… Soul!  | The Devil Always Collects  | Fats Domino  | My Toot Toot  | Little Richard and Friends:  Good Golly Miss Molly  | Peter Karp  | Sitting On The Edge Of The World  | Magnificent Heart  |   | Dinah Washington  | West Side Baby  | Original Queen of Soul: Three Decades Of Artistry, Disc 1  | J.J. Cale  | Playing In The Street  | Really  |   |   | Gary Nicholson  | God Help America  | The Great Divide (2019)

Jazz Focus
McKinney's Cotton Pickers-Don Redman Orchestra 1930-31

Jazz Focus

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2024 71:10


The last sessions by McKinney (led by alto player and arranger Don Redman) leading into his own orchestra - great early swing featuring Ed Inge and Benny Carter on clarinet, Sidney Deparis, Red Allen and Joe Smith on trumpet, Ed Cuffee and Benny Morton on trombones, Prince Robinson and Bob Carroll on tenor sax, Horace Henderson, Todd Rhodes and James P. Johnson on piano, Manzie Johnson and Cuba Austin on drums --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

At the Jazz Band Ball
James P. Johnson

At the Jazz Band Ball

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2024 50:21


The Father of Stride Piano. Featuring: Carolina Shout, Harlem Strut, The Charleston, Jingles, Blue Spirit Blues, You've Got to be Modernistic, Snowy Morning Blues, Yamekraw.

At the Jazz Band Ball
Fats Waller Duets

At the Jazz Band Ball

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2024 41:44


Featuring collaborations with: James P. Johnson, Alberta Hunter, Elizabeth Handy, Herman Autrey, Una Mae Carlisle, The Deep River Boys, Myra Johnson, Lee Wiley, Ada Brown.

On this day in Blues history
On this day in Blues history for July 2nd

On this day in Blues history

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2024 2:00


Today's show features music performed by James P. Johnson and Elvis Presley

Jazz Focus
Mezzrow and Ladnier - 1938/9 and 1959

Jazz Focus

Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2024 63:04


The remainder of the Panassie sessions of 1938 and the Rosetta Crawford Decca session of 1939 featuring trumpeters Tommy Ladnier and Sidney DeParis, clarinetist Mezz Mezzrow, James P. Johnson (piano), Teddy Bunn (guitar), Elmer James or Pops Foster (bass), Zutty Singleton or Manzie Johnson (drums). Two tunes from 1959 feature Mezzrow's Paris-based band. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

The New Criterion
Music for a While #88: Shout it out

The New Criterion

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2024 39:54


In this episode, Jay begins with a shout—“Carolina Shout,” the classic jazz number by James P. Johnson. There are songs by Schumann, Puccini, and Porter (Cole). There are piano preludes—starter pieces by their composers. At the end, there is a sunburst of calypso. Enjoy this smorgasbord. Johnson, James P., “Carolina Shout” Schumann, “Röseleine, Röseleine!” Bonds, Margaret, “Young Love in Spring” Szymanowski, Prelude in E-flat minor, Op. 1, No. 8 Gorecki, Prelude, Op. 1, No. 4 Puccini, “Bevo al tuo fresco sorriso,” from “La rondine” Puccini, “Chi il bel sogno,” from “La rondine” Young, Victor, arr., Evans, Bill, “When I Fall in Love” Porter, Cole, “Don't Fence Me In” Tanker, André, arr., Shaw, Theron, “Morena Osha”

AMERICAN GROOVES RADIO HOUR hosted by JOE LAURO

James P. Johnson was one of the forefathers of the Harlem Stride piano style - a progress from ragtime to jazz. He also was one of the most influential pianists of his day. We will explore some of James P's early piano solos from his groundbreaking CAROLINA SHOUT in 1921 to some of his band sides. We also will hear early recordings by perhaps his greatest disciple Thomas "Fats" Waller who took the Harlem Stride style even a step further! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/american-grooves-hour/support

Jazz Focus
WETF Show - James P. Johnson Piano Rolls 1917-1927

Jazz Focus

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2024 57:15


The great Harlem stride pianist Johnson recorded many piano rolls for various companies including QRS, Universal and Perfection, creating an early prototype of the stride style. Here he is featured playing his own compositions as well as interpretations of other tunes from Tin Pan Alley and the black theatre, including one duet with his erstwhile student Fats Waller --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

On this day in Blues history
On this day in Blues history for February 25th

On this day in Blues history

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2024 2:00


Today's show features music performed by one of my favorites, James P. Johnson

The 1937 Flood Watch Podcast
"St. Louis Blues"

The 1937 Flood Watch Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2024 6:22


“They say life begins at 40,” composer W.C. Handy once said, “but I wouldn't know.” Handy was 40 in 1914 when he wrote “St. Louis Blues,” and, he noted, “ever since, my life has revolved around that composition.”Well, if you're going to have a single song dominate your life, you could do much worse than have it be “St. Louis Blues.” Sometimes called “the jazzman's ‘Hamlet,'” this composition is one of the most enduring and recognizable pieces in all of American music.Classic versions of “St. Louis Blues” have been recorded by some of the world's greatest performers, from Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong to Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock, from Fats Waller and Benny Goodman to Dizzy Gillespie and Dave Brubeck.Origin StoryAs a 19 year old, Handy arrived in St. Louis, Missouri, penniless and slept on the cobblestones of the levee until he finally found work as a musician.Legend has it that his “St. Louis Blues” was inspired by his chance meeting with a woman who walked the city streets tormented by her husband's absence, wailing “my man's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea.” Handy's work was to memorialize that summer night, right from his opening line: I hate to see the evening sun go down.Handy, says jazz historian Tom Morgan, “drew inspiration for many of his songs from African-American words and music, so it is not surprising that he began to compose the theme to this woman's anguish.”His song touched people all around the world. In France, for instance, guitarist Django Reinhardt played and recorded the tune many times throughout the 1930s. (When Nazi Germany occupied France, American songs became frowned upon, if not banned outright. In order to play them, Reinhardt had to give them French names: “St. Louis Blues” became “La Tristesse du saint Louis.”)Films Two films — one in 1929 and one in 1958 — have made the song their title.The first — a 16-minute two-reeler — presents the only footage we have of the foundational, legendary and essential blues singer Bessie Smith performing. Directed by Dudley Murphy, the film is unique for its all-Black cast, presented in a relatively unprejudiced light for that time period. Its soundtrack featured Smith and her band made up of seminal early jazzmen, including pianist James P. Johnson, cornetists Thomas Morris and Joe Smith and guitarist Bernard Addison, along with the renowned choir led by Francis Hall Johnson. Thirty years later, the 1958 film was a full-length biopic of the composer. In it, Handy was portrayed by popular jazz vocalist Nat “King” Cole. Sharing the screen with him were Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Eartha Kitt, gospel icon Mahalia Jackson (and an 11-year-old Billy Preston, who would rock a later generation with tunes like “Nothing from Nothing” and “You Are So Beautiful”).By the time of Handy's death that same year, the songwriter was earning royalties upwards of $25,000 a year on that single composition. Our Take on the TuneThe Flood has been doing versions of this song for decades. In fact, in 2008 it was the first song featured in The Flood's inaugural episode of its weekly podcast.Now this 2024 rendition — episode #710 in that same podcast — comes from the first song of the evening at a Flood rehearsal a few weeks ago. Riding on the infectious rhythm laid down by Randy Hamilton and Jack Nuckols and framing the solos by Danny Cox and Sam St. Clair, the number heralded a particularly fun night at the Bowen house.Video ExtraFor many years, The Flood played “St. Louis Blues” as an instrumental, but it took on a whole new life when Michelle Hoge later claimed it for her own, as she did on New Year's Eve at our big “Flood at 50” birthday bash at Alchemy Theatre. Here's the video of that wonderful moment, shot by our manager Pamela Bowen: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 1937flood.substack.com

Tony Davenport's Jazz Session
Episode 266: The Jazz Session No.349, ft. 100 years of the blues

Tony Davenport's Jazz Session

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2024 120:00


The Jazz Session No.349 from RaidersBroadcast.com as aired in February 2024, featuring 100 years of the blues, from 1926 onwards. TRACK LISTING: Ruben's Blues - Stan Kenton; Blues In Thirds - Earl "Fatha" Hines; Smoke House Blues - Jelly Roll Morton; Back Water Blues - Bessie Smith & James P. Johnson; Mixin' the Blues - Pete Rugolo & His Orchestra ; The Blues Walk - Clifford Brown; Learnin' the Blues - Freddie Green; Ralph's New Blues - Modern Jazz Quartet; C Jam Blues - Clark Terry; Blues for Pablo - Miles Davis & Gil Evans; Wild Man Blues - Louis Armstrong & His Hot Seven, ft. Johnny Dodds; Jim Town Blues - Fletcher Henderson; New St.Louis Blues - Ottilie Patterson, w. Chris Barber's Jazz Band; Potato Head Blues - Kenny Ball & His Jazzmen; Blues for Mary Jane - Stan Getz; Blues in the Closet - Bud Powell; Terraplane Blues - Robert Johnson; Rockin' the Blues - Howlin' Wolf; Blues for Boppers - Sonny Criss Quartet; Cry Baby Blues - Chico O'Farrill & His Orchestra ; Calcutta Blues - Dave Brubeck; Blues Five Spot - Thelonius Monk; Showbiz Blues - Fleetwood Mac, w. Peter Green ; Statesboro Blues - Taj Mahal; Some Blues - Roger Beaujolais; Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) - Gil Scott-Heron.

PuroJazz
Puro Jazz 21 noviembre 2023

PuroJazz

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2023 58:48


SIDNEY BECHET / BUNK JOHNSON - DAYS BEYOND RECALL  - New York, March 10, 1945 Milenberg joys, Days beyond recall, Up in Sidney's flat Bunk Johnson (tp) Sandy Williams (tb) Sidney Bechet (cl) Cliff Jackson (p) Pops Foster (b) Manzie Johnson (d) EDMOND HALL - BLUE NOTE JAZZ MEN  - New York, November 29, 1943 High society, Royal garden blues, Blue Note Boogie Sidney DeParis (tp) Vic Dickenson (tb) Edmond Hall (cl) James P. Johnson (p) Jimmy Shirley (g) Israel Crosby (b) Sidney Catlett (d) JESS STACY - TRIBUTE TO BENNY GOODMAN  - Hollywood, CA, April 15, 1954 Goodbye (1) Ziggy Elman (tp) Murray McEachern (tb) Heinie Beau (as,cl-1,arr) Vido Musso (ts) Chuck Gentry (bar) Jess Stacy (p) Allan Reuss (g) Artie Shapiro (b) Nick Fatool (d) - Hollywood, CA, April 29, 1954 Don't be that way, Down south camp meetin' Ziggy Elman (tp) Ted Vesely (tb) Heinie Beau (as,arr) Babe Russin (ts) Joe Koch (bar) Jess Stacy (p) Al Hendrickson (g) Artie Shapiro (b) Nick Fatool (d)  - Hollywood, CA, October 6, 1955 You turned the tables on me, I must have that man Jess Stacy (p) Artie Shapiro (b) Nick Fatool (d) GEORGE LEWIS - AND HIS NEW ORLEANS STOMPERS, VOL. 1  - Hackensack, N.J., April 8, 1955 When you wore a tulip, Walking with the king (kh vcl), Gettysburg march, Bucket's got a hole in it (jw vcl) Kid Howard (tp,vcl) Jim Robinson (tb) George Lewis (cl) Alton Purnell (p,vcl) George Guesnon (bj) Alcide "Slow Drag" Pavageau (b) Joe Watkins (d,vcl)

Music From 100 Years Ago
National Recording Registry 2023

Music From 100 Years Ago

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2023 41:40


Songs include: Sugar Foot Stomp, Jesus Give Me Water, Walking the Floor Over You, Piano Sonata #13, El Chivo and Jeep's Blues. Performers include: Cuarteto Coculense, James P. Johnson, Ernest Tubb, Arthur Schnabel, FDR and the Soul Stirrers. 

The 1937 Flood Watch Podcast
"Jelly Roll Baker"

The 1937 Flood Watch Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2023 5:53


Born in New Orleans in 1899, Alonzo "Lonnie" Johnson was one of America's great blues and jazz artists, touring with Bessie Smith, recording with Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, with Charlie Christian and Eddie Lang, with stride piano giant James P. Johnson and so many more.He was a guitar pioneer. In fact, blues historian Gérard Herzhaft believes Johnson was "undeniably the creator of the guitar solo played note by note with a pick, which has become the standard in jazz, blues, country and rock.”He started that style as early as 1927 with his solo on "6/88 Glide" for Okeh Records.More Chops Than ThatBut while his guitar innovations reached both Delta blues and urban players who adapted and developed them into the modern electric blues style, Johnson also was known in the 1920s as a sophisticated and urbane singer and composer. In fact, "of the 40 ads for his records that appeared in The Chicago Defender between 1926 and 1931,” music historian Elijah Wald notes, “not one even mentioned that he played guitar."But when record sales plunged in the Depression, Johnson's output dwindled and he worked for a while at a Cleveland radio station, among other jobs, just to make ends meet. Things started looking up again in 1937 when he went to Chicago to begin recording for Decca. Two years later he joined Lester Melrose's roster at the new Bluebird Records, for which Lonnie recorded 34 tracks over the next five years.The SongA solo hit from one for the last of the Bluebird sessions was Johnson's composition, “He's a Jelly Roll Baker,” recorded Feb. 13, 1942, with Blind John Davis on piano and Andrew Harris on bass.In addition to its scintillating guitar break, the track's lyrics demonstrate Lonnie Johnson's growth as a savvy songwriter. “Jelly Roll Baker” presents a swaggering protagonist who proclaims his love-making prowess with women from all walks of society, from a judge's wife to a hospital nurse.InfluencesLonnie's second career — which included “I Know It's Love” on which he switched to the electric guitar that would be his signature instrument from then on — eventually disappeared under an avalanche of rock 'n' roll in the early ‘50s. Ironically, “Tomorrow Night,” a Johnson hit on King Records, was one of Elvis Presley's earliest pressings for Sam Phillips at the Sun studios. (Presley recorded it in September 1954, though it wasn't released for another dozen year.) Meanwhile, Lonnie Johnson gained acclaim with a new crowd 10 years later during the folk music revival. The Flood learned its version of “Jelly Roll Baker” from Tom Rush's debut Elektra album, released in 1965. Rush, who picked up the tune from fellow folkie Geoff Muldaur, recorded it with Bill Lee on bass and John Sebastian on harmonica.Lonnie's Last YearsJohnson life was cut short when he was hit by a car while walking on a sidewalk in Toronto in March 1969. Seriously injured, he suffered a broken hip and kidney damage. A benefit concert was held on in May 1969, with two dozen acts, including Ian and Sylvia, John Lee Hooker and Hagood Hardy. Never fully recovering from a subsequent stroke, Johnson died 13 months later.Our Take on the TuneAs noted, while this sassy song as written and recorded 80 years ago as a rhythm and blues hit, we owe our version to our folk music heroes of the 1960s.To this day, it's one of those perfect warmup tunes for us, because it provides plenty of stretching-out room for solos by everyone in the house, Danny and Sam, Randy and Jack.More Blues?If you're not ready to end today's blues infusion, you can get a big dose of Floodishness with the Blues Channel on our free Radio Floodango music streaming service. Click here to tune in and enjoy the jelly roll. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 1937flood.substack.com

Naxos Classical Spotlight
United at Last, 2 Operas by James P Johnson.

Naxos Classical Spotlight

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2023 29:32


This podcast features Raymond Bisha in conversation with conductor Kenneth Kiesler about the rediscovery, rescue and reconstruction of two operas by James P. Johnson (1894–1955), De Organizer with a libretto by Langston Hughes, and The Dreamy Kid, with words by Eugene O'Neill. JP Johnson was renowned as an influential jazz pianist but was largely unknown as a composer of opera.  It was Johnson's express hope that two of his short stage works, written in the late 1930s, would one day form a double-bill. Which they did, but not until they were finally performed in 2006, and released on disc in 2023.

Jazz Focus
Perry Bradford - blues, jazz and more in the 1920's

Jazz Focus

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2023 73:14


Perry Bradford was the epitome of a hustling musician in the 1910's and 20's - largely responsible for bringing the first black singer (Mamie Smith) into the studio to record blues, he also had a series of recordings under his own name, featuring his own compositions and singing. Featured are Louis Armstrong, Louis Metcalf, Bubber Miley, Gus Aiken, Bud Aiken, Jimmy Harrison, Don Redman, Buster Bailey, Bob Fuller, Garvin Bushell, Willie "The Lion" Smith and James P. Johnson among others. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

Jazz Focus
WETF Show - James P Johnson solos, 1921-1930

Jazz Focus

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2023 58:23


James P. Johnson solos - Great solo piano recordings by the great Harlem Stride master from 1921-1930. Several standards and pop tunes, but mostly originals by Johnson! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

At the Jazz Band Ball
Jazz Pianists, 1920s-1940s

At the Jazz Band Ball

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2023 40:26


With performances of Earl "Fatha" Hines, James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, Teddy Wilson, Stephanie Trick, and Dorothy Donegan we'll tickle some ivories — but only scratch the surface of — recorded piano delights from the 1920s through the 1940s.

The 1937 Flood Watch Podcast
"Ain't the Gravy Good?"

The 1937 Flood Watch Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2023 3:53


We tend to think of Duke Ellington and his orchestra as the epitome of cool, sophisticated jazz. “Mood Indigo.” “Caravan.” “Black And Tan Fantasy.” “Sophisticated Lady.”But Duke and the guys also could get down and party, especially when the festivities were organized by his lead trumpeter, Cootie Williams.Williams, a Mobile, Alabama, native, was just 18 when he joined Ellington's orchestra in 1929, rising to prominence when the group played in New York's famed Cotton Club. Despite his youth, Williams reached Ellington's aggregation with some pretty heady credentials. He already had played professionally for four years. He started with saxophonist Lester Young in The Young Family Band, working out of New Orleans and playing the black vaudeville and carnival circuits in the region.A year before joining Duke, Williams made his first recordings in 1928 with legendary pianist James P. Johnson in New York, where he also worked briefly in the bands of Chick Webb and Fletcher Henderson.The Ellington YearsBut it was his 11 years with The Duke Ellington Orchestra that made Cootie Williams internationally famous among jazz lovers. At first, Cootie's role in the band required him to play the so-called “jungle effects,” in the manner of Ellington's earlier trumpeter Bubber Miley and trombonist Joe “Tricky Sam” Nanton. However, Williams' rich open horn sound and his distinctive plunger-muted playing quickly became an important part of the bigger palette with which Ellington worked. By the time of his last year with the band, 1940, Cootie was one of the most distinctive musicians in a group of highly individualistic players.Duke wrote “Concerto for Cootie,'' which became — after Bob (“Don't Get Around Much Anymore”) Russell added lyrics — “Do Nothing 'til You Hear from Me.” Williams was also featured on numerous other major Ellington works, ranging from “Echoes of Harlem” and “Harlem Air Shaft” to the religious piece ''The Shepherd Who Watches Over the Night Flock.”Sing It, Cootie!Beyond being a celebrated trumpeter, Cootie Williams also had mad skills as a vocalist and band leader in his own right. This he began to demonstrate in the late 1930s when he routinely headed up one of the small groups drawn from the Ellington ranks.“Cootie Williams and His Rug Cutters” — featuring reed men Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges and Harry Carney — recorded more than a dozen tunes between 1937 and 1940.Notable among these releases was Williams' performance of Dave Heywood's novelty composition “Ain't the Gravy Good” in 1938. The song tells a sad story of a meal in which all the dishes in the main course go badly awry — “Your biscuits ain't hot, your cobbler ain't sweet” — but, lord, ain't the gravy good? Saucy!Our Take on the TuneTwenty years ago this summer, we were in the midst of planning our third studio album, I'd Rather Be Flooded, when our friend and producer, the late George Walker, showed up with that exact Cootie Williams recording. George thought the tune would be a good fit for us, and we immediately agreed. In fact, we fell in love with it and worked it up in time for the recording session. Ever since, whenever this song comes to mind — as it did at a recent Flood rehearsal — our thoughts race back to our good times with you, George. We miss you, buddy.These days that entire 2003 album is online and can be listened to for free on our Radio Floodango music streaming service. Click here to check it out.And for more back stories on the songs we sing and play, check out the “Song Stories” section of Flood Watch by clicking here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 1937flood.substack.com

Jazz Focus
WETF Show - James P. Johnson solos

Jazz Focus

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2023 58:23


Great solo piano recordings by the great Harlem Stride master from 1921-1930. Several standards and pop tunes, but mostly originals by Johnson! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

Jazz Focus
Go Harlem - Bingie Madison and His Orchestra with King Oliver, Clarence Williams and James P. Johnson

Jazz Focus

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2023 56:53


Reed player Bingie Madison had a big band in 1930-31 in Harlem that never recorded under his name but which backed Oliver, Williams and Johnson on a series of sessions. Soloists include Madison on tenor sax, Buster Bailey on clarinet, Fred Skerritt on baritone sax, Henry "Moon" Jones on alto, Gene Rodgers on piano, Goldie Lucas on guitar and banjo, Richard Fullbright on bass and tuba, Bill Beason on drums, Jimmy Archey on trombone, Ward Pinkett and Bill Dillard on trumpets. Great transition between "Hot Dance" and the Swing Era! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/john-clark49/support

Love is the Message: Dance, Music and Counterculture
Dancing with Finesse: History of Social Dance pt.1

Love is the Message: Dance, Music and Counterculture

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2023 66:56


We say that LITM is a podcast about music, the dance floor, sound systems and counterculture, but we realise that we haven't dedicated a show to dance floor practices for some time. So in this episode, Tim is in the hot seat to give us a quick primer on the history of social dance in the USA and beyond. With reference to the prevailing gender, class and power relations of their time, we learn about the surprising sensuousness of the Waltz, James P Johnson and the Charlston, the Lindy Hop, the Swing Age, The Twist and even Deadhead freakouts.  Calling into this history the Great Migration, the Harlem Renaissance, Elvis, the Acid Tests and more, Tim charts a history of social dance spanning over 200 years, and bringing us to the doors of the Loft and the Sanctuary in the early 1970s, from where we'll pick up next episode. Become a patron my visiting Patreon.com/LoveMessagePod And check out our new website: https://www.loveisthemessagepod.co.uk/ Tracklist: Johann Strauss II - The Blue Danube Waltz James P Johnson - Charlston Frankie Manning - Hellzapoppin Count Basie - One O'Clock Jump Hank Ballard & The Midnighters - The Twist The Grateful Dead - Mama Tried (Live at Woodstock)

AMERICAN GROOVES RADIO HOUR hosted by JOE LAURO
THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE part 1 ( 1901-1925) - Feb 19,2023

AMERICAN GROOVES RADIO HOUR hosted by JOE LAURO

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2023 54:41


THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE Part 1 (1901-1925) - From Williams & Walker to stride piano mastermind James P. Johnson we will attempt to scratch the surface of that iconic uptown cultural explosion .... The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and cultural revival of African American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics and scholarship centered in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, spanning the 1920s and 1930s. We will explore some of it's earliest roots with rare recordings by influential performers and songwriters such as WILLIAMS & WALKER who are said to have planted the earliest seed with the first All-Black show on Broadway! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/american-grooves-hour/support

Deadwax 78's
James P. Johnson ragtime to jazz time ..

Deadwax 78's

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2023 24:34


Johnson may be thought of as both the last major pianist of the classic ragtime era and the first major jazz pianist. , he is considered an indispensable bridge between ragtime and jazz time

On this day in Blues history
On this day in Blues history for December 23rd

On this day in Blues history

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2022 2:00


Today's show features music performed by James P. Johnson and Sidney Bechet

PuroJazz
Puro Jazz 16 agosto

PuroJazz

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2022 58:41


ROD CLESS “ROD CLESS QUARTET” – New York, September 1, 1944 Froggy moore, Make me a pallet on the floor, I know that you know, Have you ever felt that way ? Sterling Bose (tp) Rod Cless (cl) James P. Johnson (p) Pops Foster (b) RAY STOKES “RAY STOKES TRIO” – New York, January 2, […]

Ian McKenzie's Blues Podcasts
Episode 419: DRIVE TIME BLUES VOL4 #10

Ian McKenzie's Blues Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2022 60:02


 | Artist  | Title  | Album Name  | Album Copyright | Katy Guillen & The Girls  | If You Were Gone  | Remember What You Knew Before | Band II  | HEARTBREAK HOTEL  | Band II  |   |  | Dave Riley & Bob Corritore  | Hard Headed Woman  | Hush Your Fuss!  |  | Luca Kiella  | I Hate My Boss  | Ready For You (2021) | Brave Rival  | 06 What's Your Name Again  | Life's Machine  |  | Ron Thompson  | Sinner's Prayer  | Ron Thompson Live  |  | Miss Emily  | It Must Have Been Love  | MISS EMILY LIVE At The Isabel | Bill Jehle  | The Urge -  | Masters Of The Cigar Box Guitar (Vol 3) | James P Johnson  | Charleston (South Carolina) (1925) [piano roll]  | James P. Johnson (1891-1955): Piano Man | Mavis Staples  | Jesus Is On The Main Line  | TR Downloads 2010-3 | Sister O. M. Terrell  | I'm Going To That City  | Country Gospel 1946-1953  | Document Records | Chuck Berry  | Back In The Usa  | The Blues Collection | Freddie Bell And The Bellboys  | Giddy Up A Ding Dong  | Debut Recordings (1956-57) | Busted Fender Blues Band  | Messin' With The Kid  | Final Cuts 1998  |  | Rod Piazza  | She Can't Say No  | Tough And Tender  |  | Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado  | Same Old Lies Ð part deux  | Best Of Ð Second Decade

2-5-1
2-5m-1-S1E36-Rent Parties

2-5-1

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2022 5:04


The rent party was a phenomenon that occurred from 1920-1950's to raise the money needed to meet the cost of accommodation,  which was often higher for black tenants.  They were covertly advertised on simple cards  as "Social Parties" or "Whist Parties"  Rent parties in Harlem could have music provided by stride piano stars like Fats Waller or James P Johnson. Harlem renaissance poet and man about town Langston Hughes collected these cards and some of his collection is viewable here and here. to steal from the master" Not too slow and not too fastbut a hip old podcast while it lasts" which in this case is 5 minutes!

AMERICAN GROOVES RADIO HOUR hosted by JOE LAURO
SONGWRITERS SINGING THEIR OWN STUFF!

AMERICAN GROOVES RADIO HOUR hosted by JOE LAURO

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2022 54:16


Young Irving Berlin made one commercial recording singing his own OH HOW THAT GERMAN COULD LOVE in 1910 - not too long after his stint as a Chinatown Singing Waiter came to an end! Many songwriters in the 1900-30s were pianists AND vocalists - this episode of American Grooves brings you recordings of composers doing their own thing - GEORGE GERSHWIN, CLARENCE WILLIAMS, JAMES P. JOHNSON, HOAGY CARMICHAEL, WILLARD ROBISON and young HAROLD ARLEN are presented in pre-1935 recordings - writing it, singing it and playing it!

Jazz Focus
Syncopated Yodelin' Man - overcome your prejudices! Roy Evans, Jimmie Rodgers and Emmett Miller with jazz accompaniment

Jazz Focus

Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2022 69:10


Syncopated Yodelin' Man - overcome your prejudices! While the three singers here (Roy Evans, Jimmie Rodgers and Emmett Miller) have definite country and minstrel influence, they are backed by some great bands including the Dorsey Brothers, Benny Goodman, James P. Johnson, Louis Armstrong, Jack Teagarden and Arthur Whetsol --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/john-clark49/support

Criminal Chaos
Mansion from Hell? | The List Family Murders…

Criminal Chaos

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2022 9:31


John List, a former military man turned accountant, had his family shattered in one day by an unknown presence. But as the investigation continued, it would be discovered that the enemy was closer than expected.

Ian McKenzie's Blues Podcasts
Episode 544: WEDNESDAY'S EVEN WORSE #544 MARCH 09, 2022

Ian McKenzie's Blues Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2022 58:59


 | Artist  | Title  | Album Name  | Album Copyright | Zac Harmon  | Crying Shame  | Long As I Got My Guitar  | Catfood Records | The WildRoots  | Pile of Blues  | The WildRoots Sessions Volume 2 | Ben Greenwell  | Bygones  | Breathe  |   |  | The Blues Band  | My Love Made You Wrong | So Long  | Repertoire Records | Elles Bailey  |Cheats and Liars  | Shining In The Half Light | Tom Rodwell  | Plenty Time  | Wood & Waste  |  | Andy Lindquist  | Things Could be a Whole Lot Better  | My Name Is Mud  |  | The Terraplanes Blues Band  | I Can't Get Along With You  | Stepping Stones  |  | James P Johnson  | Over The Bars (1944)  | James P. Johnson (1891-1955): Piano Man | Angela Easley  | Runnin' Out Of Time  | Rise  |   |  | Brick Fields  | Amazing Grace  | Gospel Blue  |  | Lonnie Lyons  | Down In the Groovy  | Roots of Rock N' Roll Vol 4 1948 | Al Casey  | Ramrod  | Great Rock 'n Roll Instrumentals, Vol. 1 CD 1 | Phill Raymond & Billy Kavanagh  | Blue Morning  | Cecil B. Fardoulli  | 

On this day in Blues history
On this day in Blues history for December 23rd

On this day in Blues history

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2021 2:00


Today's show features music performed by James P. Johnson and Sidney Bechet

Old Codger with Courtney T. Edison | WFMU
"The Codger's brain is a sepulcher furnished with a load of broken and discarnate bones." - Joseph Glanvill from Nov 30, 2021

Old Codger with Courtney T. Edison | WFMU

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2021


James P. Johnson - "Jersey Sweet" Cliff Edwards - "Hang On to Me" Gus Bodenheim - "Rediscover Radium!" Ruth Etting - "Lazy Day" Fats Waller - "Sweet Sue, Just You" Red Norvo - "Decca Stomp" Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five - "Texas and Pacific" Julius Edison (The Older Codger) - "Diddy Wah Diddy" Helen Kane - "That's Why I'm Happy" Robert and Raymond - "Mr. Trace, Keener Than Most Persons" Slim Gaillard Trio - "Sighing Boogie" George Formby - "Pardon Me" Betty Boop - "Is My Palm Read?" Vaughn De Leath - "Ukulele Lady" Gus Bodenheim - "Things for Tots™" Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five - "Beware" https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/110119

Music From 100 Years Ago

Songs include: I Don't Want To Walk Without You, Walking My Baby Back Home, The Mule Walk, Would You Like To Take a Walk?, Just a Closer Walk With Thee and In Walked Bud. Performers include: Bessie Smith,  Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Una Mae Carlisle, Artie Shaw, James P. Johnson, Annette Hanshaw and Thelonious Monk.

Round the World With Cracklin Jane

1 - Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Shean - Nat Shilkret – 19222 - Give Me Your Telephone Number - J. C. Higginbotham and his Six Hicks - 19303 - Fat Meat Is Good Meat (Irene Higginbotham) - Savannah Churchill with Jimmy Lytell and his All Star Seven – 19434 - You've Got To Be Modernistic - James P. Johnson - 19305 - Carolina Shout (James P. Johnson) - Fats Waller – 19416 - Ham 'N Eggs - Count Basie and his Orchestra - 19397 - Shout 'Em Aunt Tillie - Duke Ellington and his Orchestra – 19308 - Aunt Hagar's Blues - Jack Teagarden and The Modernaires with Paul Whiteman and his Swing Wing - 19389 - Aunt Patsy - Prince's Band – 191610 - Black and Blue - Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra - 192911 - Nasty Uncle Adolf - Jack Cooper with Ambrose and his Orchestra – 193912 - I'd Like to Give My Dog to Uncle Sam - Red River Dave – 194413 - He's My Uncle - Rose Blane with Abe Lyman and his Californians – 194014 - Bop's Your Uncle - George Shearing - 194815 - Uncle George - Herb Greggerson with Slim and his Country Cousins16 - They Go Wild, Simply Wild, Over Me - Uncle Ezra and the Hoosier Hotshots - 193517 - Uncle Bud - Erskine Hawkins (The Twentieth Century Gabriel) and his Orchestra – 194118 - A Trip to Aunt Sarah's - The Whistler – 1951 (Radio Drama)19 - The Monkey's Uncle - The Adventures of Philip Marlowe – 1950 (Radio Drama)

Composers Datebook
James P. Johnson's "signature tune" for 1920s

Composers Datebook

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2021 2:00


Synopsis On today's date in 1923, the comedy team of Flournoy Miller and Aubrey Lyles were the star attraction in a new musical called “Runnin' Wild,” which opened at the Colonial Theater at Broadway and 62nd Street. In their day, Miller and Lyles were the African-American equivalent of Abbot and Costello or Laurel and Hardy. The plot they crafted for “Runnin' Wild,” like many musical plots back then, was flimsy: two Southern con-men on the run head north to St. Paul, Minnesota, but find the natives too strange and the climate too cold. This “plot” provided an excuse for comic sketches to be sandwiched in between snappy song and dance numbers, the latter invariably involving leggy showgirls. One dance number in the show struck gold for its composer, James P. Johnson. Johnson called this tune “Charleston,” after the dockside home of many recent African-American immigrants to New York City's west side. Scholars have traced this dance step back to the west side of Africa, however – an Ashanti Ancestor dance, to be exact. But whatever its source, this catchy rhythm made Johnson famous, and rapidly became the signature tune for the “Roaring Twenties,” a decade of flappers, bathtub gin, and all that jazz! Music Played in Today's Program James P. Johnson (1894 - 1955) — Charleston (Leslie Stifelman, piano; Concordia Orchestra; Marin Alsop, cond.) MusicMasters 67140

Jazz Focus
Wild Women - the music of Ida Cox...the "Uncrowned Queen of the Blues"

Jazz Focus

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2021 67:53


Wild Women - Ida Cox . .the "Uncrowned Queen of the Blues" in recordings from her most famous period in the 1920's featuring Lovie Austin, Jesse Crump, Tommy Ladnier and Jimmie O'Bryant along with two later appearances in the 1940's with Hot Lips Page, JC Higginbotham, Edmund Hall, James P. Johnson, Charlie Christian, Artie Bernstein, Lionel Hampton, Jo Jones, Walter Page, Buddy Tate, Dickie Wells and Shad Collins, and then at the end of her life with Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Sammy Price, Milt Hinton and Jo Jones. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/john-clark49/support

Beyond Four Wheels
Look Both Ways Before You Cross! - The History of Jawywalking

Beyond Four Wheels

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2021 4:20


In this episode we explore the history of jaywalkng and how the auto industry removed people off the streets so their machines could roam free. Music: James P. Johnson - The Charleston James P. Johnson - Carolina Shout --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/beyondfourwheels/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/beyondfourwheels/support

Jazz Bastard Podcast
Jazz Bastard Podcast 225 - Striding Forward

Jazz Bastard Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2021 90:25


Time, the bastards decided, for a historical podcast - and this time, the focus is on stride.  Who started it?  Who perfected it?  Who blew it up?  Who deconstructed it?  Keep your left hand limber and the answers will follow.  Pop matters includes a brief look at chanteuse of the day Billie Eilish.  Fats Waller - COMPLETE VICTOR PIANO SOLOS – VOL 1; Art Tatum– SOLO MASTERPIECES VOL 1; Thelonious Monk -  THELONIOUS HIMSELF; James P. Johnson - THE ORIGINAL JAMES P. JOHNSON 1942-1945 PIANO SOLOS.

Digging Deeper Jazz
"A Lesson With James P. Johnson" & the blues

Digging Deeper Jazz

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2021 12:41


Welcome to the Digging Deeper Jazz Podcast. This podcast was originally released on July 26, 2019 on the Jeff Antoniuk - Educator YouTube channel. Please subscribe to the YouTube channel and feel free to enjoy the video version as well.FOR ALL INSTRUMENTS !In episode #126, we take a lead from legendary composer and pianist James P. Johnson, and work on our RHYTHM. Jeff routinely get's students sounding literally twice as good in about 10 minutes with this approach. Sounds like a good way to spend 10 minutes, right!? Let's dig in!Mentioned in this podcast:• www.JazzWire.net - Since we announced JazzWire back in 2017, it has become an incredible Community of hundreds of adult musicians from over 25 different countries around the world. If you are looking for a plan for your practice, regular insights and wisdom on playing jazz, and a huge COMMUNITY of jazz players from around the world, this is the place for you! • Digging Deeper Jazz - All of the DDJ episodes include a pdf. Just write us at diggingdeeperjazz@gmail.com, and we'll offer you the pdfs in bundles of 50, or all 200 for a discount! We will also put you on the list to receive each new pdf, weekly.  Amazing practice ideas, every week, for free. What's not to love!?

Old Codger with Courtney T. Edison | WFMU
Never nominated for a Peabody, but takes first prize for narcissism, peevishness and vulgarity. from Jul 13, 2021

Old Codger with Courtney T. Edison | WFMU

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2021


George Van Eps - "The Chant" Betty Roche - "Trouble Trouble" Gus Bodenheim - "Delbarton & Bailey Clown Car™" Adrian Rollini Quintet - "(How to Make Love In) Ten Easy Lessons" Stuff Smith Trio - "Skip It" Willie "The Lion" Smith & His Cubs - "Harlem Joys" Julia Lee and Her Boyfriends - "Mama Don't Allow It" Willie Whopper - "Hell's Fire (1934)" Henry Burr - "Stay Down Here Where You Belong" Eddie South - "Snowfall" Eddie Lang - "Guitar Blues" The Brox Sisters - "Just You, Just Me" Adrian Rollini Trio - "Vibrollini" James P. Johnson - "I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling" https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/105628

PuroJazz
Puro Jazz 06 Julio

PuroJazz

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 6, 2021 58:51


LOUIS DANIEL ARMSTRONG (Nació el 4 de agosto de 1901 en Nueva Orleans y falleció el 6 de Julio de 1971 en Nueva York) Antes de Louis Armstrong hubo personajes importantes e influyentes en el jazz: Jelly Roll Morton, James P. Johnson, Freddie Keppard, Sidney Bechet y King Oliver. Sin embargo, Armstrong fue quien tuvo […]

American Song
The Roots of Jazz - Ragtime, Stride, Boogie Woogie and the Blues

American Song

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2021 37:18


America's original art contribution to the world - jazz.So deep.  So rich.  But where did it come from?There were at least four different sources; and yet one of these - the blues - is also much more than a contributing art form.  The blues is almost mythology itself.  Sprung from the earth, like the plantation soil where so many slaves lived and died, the blues at once describes and also gives life to everything in its path.I hope you enjoy this episode.  If you do, please tell me about it!  Leave a comment to let me know what you think of our podcast so far - what you like, and what you'd like to know more about!  I'll get back to you, and possibly even address any questions or suggestions in an upcoming episode!Many recordings have been sourced to prepare this week's episode.  Here's a list of what I've included:Grace and Beauty composed by James Scottsource: Jazz Piano HistoryElite Syncopationscomposed and performed by Scott Joplin source: Scott Joplin Piano RollsThe Entertainercomposed and performed by Scott Joplinsource: Jazz Piano HistoryWynton Marsalis interviewtaken from Ken Burns "Jazz" documentaryBleeding Hearted Bluescomposed and performed by James P. Johnson source:  Library of CongressBoogie Woogie Stompcomposed and performed by Pine Top Smithsource:  Jazz Piano HistorySon House interviewsource: YouTube videoTrouble of the Worldperformed by Mahalia Jacksonsource:  Gospels, Spirituals & HymnsGo Down Old Hannahperformed by Texas Prison Gangsource:  YouTubeTerraplane Bluescomposed and performed by:  Robert Johnsonsource:  The Ultimate Jazz ArchiveContact Joe Hines at joe.hines4@gmail.com

The Other Side
Headliner of State: Grover Cleveland

The Other Side

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2016 43:39


Grover Cleveland must have been fun -- the guy won the popular vote three times. But was he funny? Sharon Farrell, the caretaker of the Cleveland Birthplace in New Jersey, is our special guest. She gives us a tour of both sides of Grover: The hard-working politician and lawyer, and the fun-loving guy who enjoyed drinking, fishing and hunting with friends. Was Grover a cut-up in private? Did his upright reputation prevent him from joking in public? And what exactly is "rotund jocularity"? Cleveland Birthplace website Sharon on C-SPAN MUSIC: Hail Columbia, "Jersey Bounce" by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, "Jersey Sweet" by James P. Johnson