Party at Small's Jazz Club Puts Headstone on James P. Johnson's Grave in Queens

[Victory Stride: The Symphonic Music of James P. Johnson; The Concordia Orchestra; Marin Alsop, Conductor; Music Masters 67140 (1994)]

Yesterday was the birthday of James P. Johnson, the African American composer and stride pianist whose classical works include “Yamekraw: A Negro Rhapsody.” He was born on Feb. 1, 1894. In our birthday tribute, we quoted Ben Ratliff, who wrote in The New York Times on Oct. 5, 2009: "A definition of righteousness: about 75 people, crammed into the West Village club Smalls, watching a series of pianists play James P. Johnson on a grand piano in a benefit concert to buy a headstone for his grave. Like all the other stride-piano soloists of the teens and 1920s, Johnson has been lodged in a historical second tier, probably because he’s not known for band music and didn’t tour sufficiently. But he’s the truest passageway from pre-jazz to jazz-as-we-know-it. He was a pioneering and powerful solo pianist, a composer of short sketches (including 'The Charleston,' his era-defining hit, and 'Carolina Shout,' his finger-buster étude) and extended orchestral works."

Today a comment was made on the post: “Hello - nice article! I just wanted to say that thanks to our efforts at Smalls Jazz Club that there is now a tombstone on the site of James P. Johnson's grave. Thanks to all of the musicians and fans that showed up to pay respects!
Spike Wilner
Smalls Jazz Club”

James P. Johnson
Last Rent Party
Headstone on Grave
Unmarked Grave
Smalls Jazz Club
West Village