James Johnson – born on February 1, 1894 in New Brunswick, New Jersey – was a
jazz pianist and composer. He is often regarded as one of the most important
piano player during the early recording era. His most famous composition is “The
Charleston”, which is now referred to as the anthem of the ‘Roaring Twenties’.
As a child, his mother taught him to play classical music, but as he got older,
he began to focus on playing ragtime and the blues. While still a teenager, he
began performing in public in the early 1910s. Shortly afterwards, he recorded
music intended to be played by pl...