YouTube Video of James P. Johnson's 'Lament-American Symphonic Suite' From CD 'Victory Stride'

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

James Price Johnson (1894-1955) is profiled at AfriClassical.com. He is best known as a stride pianist, but he studied classical music and endeavored to gain recognition as a composer of concert music. His symphonic output includes Yamekraw: A Negro Rhapsody and other works. A YouTube video posted on Oct. 2, 2010 consists of Lament from the American Symphonic Suite (1934) (8:49). It appears to be Track 8 of Victory Stride: The Symphonic Music of James P. Johnson:

James Price Johnson (1894-1955)

Lament-American Symphonic Suite (1934)

Conductor: Marin Aslop

The explanation of the work is in French, which we would translate as: “A Black composer who is nearly forgotten today but whose symphonic jazz is a good alternative to that of George Gershwin. Only the first movement of the American Symphonic Suite, Lament, has come down to us.”

Marin Alsop, Conductor
Concordia Orchestra
Victory Stride
Lament (8:49)
American Symphonic Suite