Charlie Johnson
Charlie "Fess" Johnson (November 21, 1891, Philadelphia – December 13, 1959, New York City) was an American jazz bandleader and pianist. Charlie "Fess" Johnson was born 1891 in Philadelphia. Johnson led an ensemble called the Paradise Ten. From 1925–1935, it played at Smalls Paradise, a nightclub in Harlem, and recorded five times between 1925 and 1929. Though Johnson was a capable pianist, he rarely soloed on his recordings. The Paradise Ten ensemble included trumpeters Jabbo Smith, Leonard Davis, Sidney DeParis, and Thomas Morris, trombonists Charlie Irvis and Jimmy Harrison, alto saxophonists Benny Carter and Edgar Sampson, and tenor saxophonist Benny Waters. Johnson led the ensemble until 1938; following this he freelanced in various ensembles until he retired owing to health problems in the 1950s. He died 1959 in New York City |
Birth and Death Data: Born November 21, 1891 (Philadelphia), Died December 13, 1959 (New York City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1927 - 1929
Roles Represented in DAHR: director, piano, composer
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BVE-38115 | 10-in. | 2/25/1927 | Paradise wobble | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten ; Monette Moore | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, piano, director | |
| Victor | BVE-38116 | 10-in. | 2/25/1927 | Birmingham black bottom | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten ; Monette Moore | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, piano, director | |
| Victor | BVE-38117 | 10-in. | 2/25/1927 | Don't you leave me here | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten ; Monette Moore | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | instrumentalist, piano, director | |
| Victor | BVE-41639 | 10-in. | 1/24/1928 | You ain't the one | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | composer, instrumentalist, piano, director | |
| Victor | BVE-41640 | 10-in. | 1/24/1928 | Charleston is the best dance after all | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten | Jazz/dance band | composer, instrumentalist, piano, director | |
| Victor | BVE-41641 | 10-in. | 1/24/1928 | Hot-tempered blues | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten | Jazz/dance band | composer, instrumentalist, piano, director | |
| Victor | BVE-47530 | 10-in. | 9/19/1928 | Gettin' away from me | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, piano, director | |
| Victor | BVE-47531 | 10-in. | 9/19/1928 | The boy in the boat | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten | Jazz/dance band | composer, instrumentalist, piano, director | |
| Victor | BVE-47532 | 10-in. | 9/19/1928 | Walk that thing | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten | Jazz/dance band | composer, instrumentalist, piano, director | |
| Victor | BVE-51298 | 10-in. | 5/8/1929 | Harlem drag | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten | Jazz/dance band | director, instrumentalist, piano | |
| Victor | BVE-51299 | 10-in. | 5/8/1929 | Hot bones and rice | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, piano, director, composer | |
| Victor | BVE-53600 | 10-in. | 5/8/1929 | Mo'lasses | Charlie Johnson’s Paradise Ten | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, piano, director |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Johnson, Charlie," accessed October 31, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/116450.
Johnson, Charlie. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/116450.
"Johnson, Charlie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 31 October 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Johnson, Charlie, 1891-1959 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/nr91023948
Wikidata: Charlie Johnson - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1066919
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/7574291
MusicBrainz: Charlie Johnson - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/5db47eae-b396-42ab-b2b2-96274749b9d8
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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