Charlie Johnson

Charlie "Fess" Johnson (actually Charles Wright Johnson , * 21st November 1891 in Philadelphia , † 13 December 1959 in New York City ) was an American jazz - pianist and bandleader.

Johnson directed an ensemble called The Paradise Ten from 1925 to 1935 , which played in Small’s Paradise in Harlem and recorded 14 tracks between 1925 and 1929, including a. with the singer Monette Moore . Although Johnson was a skilled pianist, he rarely played solos on his recordings. The The Paradise Ten ensemble included some important musicians of their time, such as the trumpeter Jabbo Smith , Leonard Davis , Sidney De Paris and Thomas Morris , the trombonist Charlie Irvis and Jimmy Harrison , the alto saxophonist Benny Carter and Edgar Sampson and the tenor saxophonist Benny Waters who also acted as arranger; also belonged to Gus Aiken (1928-30), Herman Autrey (1933/34), bassist Billy Taylor (1927/29), Frankie Newton (1933-35) and Dicky Wells Johnson's formation. Johnson directed the ensemble until 1938; after that he worked as a freelance musician in various formations and retired from the music scene in the 1950s for health reasons.

In their book Recorded Jazz: A Critical Guide, the authors Rex Harris and Brian Rust count Charlie Johnson's recordings among the best recordings of Harlem Jazz of the late 1920s.

Discographic notes

• The Complete Charlie Johnson Sessions (Hot'n'Sweet, 1925-29)

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• Rex Harris & Brian Rust: Recorded Jazz: A Critical Guide . London, Penguin Books, 1958

Web links

• Portrait of Charlie Johnson on Allmusic
• Article at Redhotjazz (with discography)
• Richard Cook , Brian Morton : The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings . 8th edition. Penguin, London 2006, ISBN 0-14-102327-9 .