James P. Johnson and the Birth of Modern Jazz Piano

January 10, 2021, Another Milestone Anniversary Not To Be Forgotten The centennial of the Jazz Age is upon us, and it has been commemorated with acknowledgment of generally recognized milestones in the evolution of the music. Although not without controversy, dates are convenient in that they mark an event we can point to as a watershed after which the historical record, more or less, confirms something changed. For most music historians, applying this methodology to jazz began four years ago with the first recording of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band on February 26, 1917. Recent additions include Mamie Smith’s recording of “Crazy Blues” on August 10, 1920, which gave rise to the “race record” industry, and births of future jazz greats such as Charlie Parker on August 29, 1920. But one event, surely to be overlooked, transformed the playing style of an entire generation of pianists and changed the course of jazz piano. On January 10, 1921, James P. Johnson joined the roster of the QRS Music Company. Recording technology then still relied on the acoustic method requiring musicians to play into a large input horn. The piano was at a distinct disadvantage, and was generally poorly recorded. The piano roll, however, allowed a high fidelity performance in everyone’s living room. It became the predominant form of parlor entertainment in the early 1920s. Radio and electronic