Charlie "Fess" Johnson (November 21, 1891,

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

– December 13, 1959,

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

bandleader and

pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...

. Charlie "Fess" Johnson was born 1891 in

. 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

Discography

Charlie Johnson (1925-29) ''The Complete Sessions'' (Jazz Archives No. 78, 1994)

References

;Footnotes ;General references * 1891 births 1959 deaths American jazz pianists American male jazz pianists American jazz bandleaders Jazz musicians from Philadelphia 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians {{US-jazz-pianist-stub