James P. Johnson created stride piano, one of jazz's most demanding and joyful innovations. A virtuoso pianist from New Jersey, Johnson's technique—the rapid, powerful left-hand figures against rippling right-hand melodies—defined early jazz piano. This 1962 Columbia recording documents the master himself, recorded late in life but still commanding. Johnson moves through standards and originals with the authority of someone who invented the language. The piano dominates; each piece is essentially a solo conversation with the instrument. It's blues, ragtime, and jazz fusion centuries before fusion existed. Essential listening for anyone curious about jazz's foundational building blocks.

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