itsRemco | Piano | James P. Johnson - Jungle Drums 1945 (Classic Jazz Piano Synthesia) @itsRemco | Uploaded 9 months ago | Updated 6 hours ago
Jungle Drums by James P. Johnson
Original recording: youtu.be/LIyQiviiADs
Orchestral version: youtu.be/Hh5H6yWpRek
Info about Jungle Drums:
“Drums,” also known as “African Drums,” “Rhythm Drums,” and “Those Jungle Drums,” was originally one of the tunes included in the very successful 1932 Johnson stage show entitled Harlem Hotcha which played at Connie’s Inn in Harlem. Andy Razaf wrote all the lyrics. Handy Brothers, owned by the famous blues composer W. C. Handy, published most of the tunes from the show but released “Drums” back to the composers. It was described as “the voluptuous and entwining terpsichorean number (in other words, ‘cootch dance’).” It would metamorphose from a titillating Harlem stage show number to an orchestrated symphonic tone poem entitled “Those Jungle Drums” with lyrics added later by Langston Hughes to accompany it as an art dance. In a hand written note, Johnson describes the structure of the piece:
African Drums- 32 bars of solo drums played by timpani announces or sets the atmosphere and rhythm for a female dancer after which begins an imaginary (?) dance accompanied by the whole orchestra which gives out the dance motive for two bars and is answered by an orchestrated figure depicting the stamping and shouting of the other participants. Then follows a faster and swifter tempo and dance by the other members of the group. This is developed to the solo announcement of the drums again. Then follows the song of Africa and the drums. After this there is a flute solo accompanied by bass violin and tom toms alone depicting the voodoo dance and from here the composition is developed to a grand climax which combines all the themes and drum rhythms with one final announcement of the theme by the orchestra in one triumphant and savage shout and the end.
(Source: jpjohnsonmusic.com/drums-1)
Info about James P. Johnson:
As a boy, James P. Johnson studied Classical music and Ragtime. He started playing professionally in a sporting house, and then progressed to rent parties, bars and vaudeville. He eventually became known as the best piano player on the East Coast and was widely utilized as an accompanist on over 400 recordings and from 1916 on, produced hundreds of piano rolls under his own name.
He backed up many of the Classic Blues singers of the 1920s, such as Ida Cox, Ethel Waters and Bessie Smith. Johnson’s 1921 recording of “Carolina Shout” is considered to be the first recorded Jazz piano solo by some critics, although it sounds a lot like Ragtime to this listener’s ears. He wrote several musical revues, including “Running W and “Plantation Days and his 1928 collaboration with his former piano student Fats Waller, Keep Shufflin‘. His song “Charleston” from Running Wild was one of the best known and most widely recorded songs of 1920s. Other hits included “Old Fashioned Love” and “If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)“.
Johnson composed several symphonic works, which include “Yamecraw: A Negro Rhapsody” (1928), “Tone Poem” (1930), “Symphony Harlem ” (1932), a symphonic version of W.C. Handy’s “St. Louis Blues” (1937), and the one-act opera “De Organizer” (1940), with lyrics by Langston Hughes. None of his symphonic works were very popular and have seldom been performed. Johnson is generally considered the “Father of the Stride” piano, and was a major influence on some of Jazz’s great pianists such as Duke Ellington, Fats Waller and Thelonious Monk.
The discography of James P. Johnson and his bands should not be treated as exhaustive. He recorded extensively in the 1940s, reviving some of his band names from the 1920s and also recording solo for several labels. There are both Asch and Decca recordings missing from this discography that may be added over time.
(Source: syncopatedtimes.com/james-price-johnson-1891-1955)
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My free practice recommendations I use myself:
►Perfect Ear app to train your hearing (Android & IOS) 👂🏽: http://gestyy.com/w65gXL
►Complete Music Reading Trainer (Only Android) 👀: http://gestyy.com/w65jdn
►Hanon exercises to improve the piano fingerwork 🖐🏽: http://gestyy.com/w64QhM
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Things I recommend that I paid for to practice Jazz Piano:
►My current digital piano is the Roland RP501r 🎹: amzn.to/2QB4SvG
►iReal Pro app to practice with backing tracks 📲: amzn.to/2MS0Ca3
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#jamespjohnson #jungledrums #stridepiano #jazz #swing #swingpiano #stride #fatherofstridepiano #earlyjazz #classicjazz #earlyjazzpiano #jazz #classicjazzpiano #stridepiano #itsRemco
Jungle Drums by James P. Johnson
Original recording: youtu.be/LIyQiviiADs
Orchestral version: youtu.be/Hh5H6yWpRek
Info about Jungle Drums:
“Drums,” also known as “African Drums,” “Rhythm Drums,” and “Those Jungle Drums,” was originally one of the tunes included in the very successful 1932 Johnson stage show entitled Harlem Hotcha which played at Connie’s Inn in Harlem. Andy Razaf wrote all the lyrics. Handy Brothers, owned by the famous blues composer W. C. Handy, published most of the tunes from the show but released “Drums” back to the composers. It was described as “the voluptuous and entwining terpsichorean number (in other words, ‘cootch dance’).” It would metamorphose from a titillating Harlem stage show number to an orchestrated symphonic tone poem entitled “Those Jungle Drums” with lyrics added later by Langston Hughes to accompany it as an art dance. In a hand written note, Johnson describes the structure of the piece:
African Drums- 32 bars of solo drums played by timpani announces or sets the atmosphere and rhythm for a female dancer after which begins an imaginary (?) dance accompanied by the whole orchestra which gives out the dance motive for two bars and is answered by an orchestrated figure depicting the stamping and shouting of the other participants. Then follows a faster and swifter tempo and dance by the other members of the group. This is developed to the solo announcement of the drums again. Then follows the song of Africa and the drums. After this there is a flute solo accompanied by bass violin and tom toms alone depicting the voodoo dance and from here the composition is developed to a grand climax which combines all the themes and drum rhythms with one final announcement of the theme by the orchestra in one triumphant and savage shout and the end.
(Source: jpjohnsonmusic.com/drums-1)
Info about James P. Johnson:
As a boy, James P. Johnson studied Classical music and Ragtime. He started playing professionally in a sporting house, and then progressed to rent parties, bars and vaudeville. He eventually became known as the best piano player on the East Coast and was widely utilized as an accompanist on over 400 recordings and from 1916 on, produced hundreds of piano rolls under his own name.
He backed up many of the Classic Blues singers of the 1920s, such as Ida Cox, Ethel Waters and Bessie Smith. Johnson’s 1921 recording of “Carolina Shout” is considered to be the first recorded Jazz piano solo by some critics, although it sounds a lot like Ragtime to this listener’s ears. He wrote several musical revues, including “Running W and “Plantation Days and his 1928 collaboration with his former piano student Fats Waller, Keep Shufflin‘. His song “Charleston” from Running Wild was one of the best known and most widely recorded songs of 1920s. Other hits included “Old Fashioned Love” and “If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)“.
Johnson composed several symphonic works, which include “Yamecraw: A Negro Rhapsody” (1928), “Tone Poem” (1930), “Symphony Harlem ” (1932), a symphonic version of W.C. Handy’s “St. Louis Blues” (1937), and the one-act opera “De Organizer” (1940), with lyrics by Langston Hughes. None of his symphonic works were very popular and have seldom been performed. Johnson is generally considered the “Father of the Stride” piano, and was a major influence on some of Jazz’s great pianists such as Duke Ellington, Fats Waller and Thelonious Monk.
The discography of James P. Johnson and his bands should not be treated as exhaustive. He recorded extensively in the 1940s, reviving some of his band names from the 1920s and also recording solo for several labels. There are both Asch and Decca recordings missing from this discography that may be added over time.
(Source: syncopatedtimes.com/james-price-johnson-1891-1955)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
►Follow me on Instagram 📸: http://instagram.com/its.Remco
►Follow me on Reddit 🤖: http://reddit.com/user/its_remco
►Add me on Discord 💻: itsRemco # 0827
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
My free practice recommendations I use myself:
►Perfect Ear app to train your hearing (Android & IOS) 👂🏽: http://gestyy.com/w65gXL
►Complete Music Reading Trainer (Only Android) 👀: http://gestyy.com/w65jdn
►Hanon exercises to improve the piano fingerwork 🖐🏽: http://gestyy.com/w64QhM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Things I recommend that I paid for to practice Jazz Piano:
►My current digital piano is the Roland RP501r 🎹: amzn.to/2QB4SvG
►iReal Pro app to practice with backing tracks 📲: amzn.to/2MS0Ca3
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#jamespjohnson #jungledrums #stridepiano #jazz #swing #swingpiano #stride #fatherofstridepiano #earlyjazz #classicjazz #earlyjazzpiano #jazz #classicjazzpiano #stridepiano #itsRemco
