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BALANCING COMPOSITION
AND IMPROVISATION IN
JAMES P. JOHNSON'S
"CAROLINA SHOUT"
Henry Martin
use
makes
of
the
sixteen-bar
strain
characteristic
of
the march.
The
work of James P. Johnson,1 who is often called the father of stride piano,
provides an important case study. Many of Johnson's finest stride works
are
not
not written
for
for
intended
chorus-by-chorus
literal
performance,
yet these
improvisation,
either.
To what
extent,
are
works
then,
does
not
Johnson's
uncommon
approach
for the
to performance.
an analysis
1920s;
Johnson's
of his
of Music
Theory,
approach
performance
is,
in
elabo
genres: ragtime,
49:2
DOI 10.1215/00222909-009
277
1. Stride
Table
What
Piano
Style
stride
takes from
ragtime
"March"
bass with
low octaves
16-bar
from
sections
called
two-bar
Occasional
interludes
(often
stride
Faster
tenths
ideas probably
(shorter
with
derived
less
from
syncopated
note
used
the ring-shout)
ragtime
or "change-steps"
of "backbeats"
and
tones)
strains
in the bass
"pivoting"
in the bass
new
introducing
at the "trio"
rhythm
and occasional
linear melodies
Introduction
often
tones
"crush"
"Shouts"
duply
techniques)
notes
Non-doubled
More
4 bars),
(usually
to the subdominant)
and harmonic
(flashy
Bluesier
usually
to a rag, built
to ragtime
adds
tempo
"Tricks"
"strains,"
chords
midrange
three or four
units
Modulation
What
with
alternating
to approximate
clusters
them.
From
solo
piano
ragtime,2 stride took formal structures and basic harmonic and textural
elements. From the ring shout, a dance of African origin (see Stuckey
stride
1987),
melodic
took
its exciting
and
patterns,
short
formulas,
call-and-response
and other
between
relationships
affect,
These
"groove."
as
consisting
short refrains
of
"short,
are
subject
refrains."
Brown
repeated
to "variations"
often
based
cant,
a stride
of
an extremely
into
eight-,
"patterns"
and
Block
a simple method
work.
Strains
regular phrase
four-,
compositional
by
that
see.
shall
I begin by proposing
strain,
on
notes
The Thematie
or
also
two-bar
are
bars
structure characterized
units.
This
a formal section,
of evaluating
sixteen
symmetrical
long,
usually
having
by duple division
layout
suggests
The thematic block for the strain of a stride work is the thematic unit
usually defined at the beginning of the strain. A thematic block con
tinues until the music begins to repeat. The thematic block can be
strong or weak. A strong thematic block is delimited by a repetition of
278
a weak
thematic block
is defined
by
is more
two-
or four-bar
to see
In order
let us
tion,
turn
more
hence
irregular,
units.
how
the
thematic
to Johnson's
1 reproduces
Example
best-known
in the original
operates
Shout."
composition
publication
appear
in
repeats
composi
Structure
score of "Carolina Shout," John
the published
stride
that
in a stride
block
"Carolina
Formal
son's
one
than
complex,
a prototype
of the genre.
as accidentals
in parentheses;
and
(Errors
the
also,
Johnson's
of
thematic
blocks.
a four-bar introduction,
mood,
idea.
The
time
as
The
tempo,
notes
and
at
grace
in
to
key
the
the G-major
chords
with
A! strain begins
and
the A,
foreshadowing
are
beginning
normally
a
to create
cluster.
bluesy
a strong
four-bar
thematic
thematic
strain's
at
struck
block.4
same
the
ante
This
groupings.
for a cadence
At
these
formula.
points,
The
the
thematic
remainder
block
of
the Aj
is usually
inter
strain
elaborates
the basic form of the strain's first half; in particular, mm. 9-12 of A]
introduce a variant of the original four-bar thematic block, while the last
four
bars
balances
an
introduce
the half
authentic
cadence
cadence
at m.
that
style
of a number
characteristic
of
four-bar
strain
and
the
completes
8 of A,.
works.
we
Again,
see
block.
one-bar
thematic
block.
The
immediate
repetition
allows
John
then
in the
sixth,
is called
a "backbeat"5
or
The
"change-step."
dis
the disruption
In mm.
5-8
of
is compounded
the
strain,
where
the
thematic
block
returns,
279
[AT]
4-bar block
280
[?2]
4-bar block
| %fr
i==fa=f?
?3
3~
Example
33
P?
? ** ? P
1 (continued)
281
Example
282
1 (continued)
Trio|
I
\D\Light
Example
1 (continued)
283
of [O]
|F] variant
^?+ir+r?t^T^t
-Jt
?i=^
^
~J
IP
Example
284
'
'JEU*
?
' 'J
'
feil'
'iI ^
j
fel
3"^'
i~
1 (continued)
p~
Example
1 (continued)
285
The
has
strain
with
format,
call-and-response
the
two
distin
parts
guished registrally. Here, Johnson lays out a strong two-bar block con
taining both call and response. The three strains in G major (A, B, and
C), therefore, each have different block lengths (four, one, and two bars,
respectively). This is not material to be improvised on; Johnson's various
performances of the G-major strains of "Carolina Shout" are quite faith
score.
to the written
ful
The D strain begins the trio with an abrupt turn to the subdominant
key of C major. A strong two-bar block defines the D strain. The treat
ment of the two-bar block inD is what I call a "groove":
A groove is a thematic block presented
little change.
Measures
7 and 8 provide a deviation from the groove through a
weak tonicization of G major. Upon repeat, the D strain continues the
two-bar groove, interrupting it only at the second ending with the cadence
formula.
Like the D strain, the remaining strains of the trio are all grooves. The
E strain functions primarily as a bridge between the D and F strains, hav
ing
a groove
with
two-bar
thematic
call-and-response
The
block.
material.
thematic
Shout,"
should
then,
Finding
not come
is most
two-bar
in the
grooves
as a surprise.
The
likely to elabo
trio of
"Carolina
is essential
itself
groove
to the genesis of stride, and it is this key feature that separates stride from
its more
sedate
predecessor,
ragtime.
Johnson
describes
for danc
playing
dances
go
alley!"
Breakdown
the better.
music
They'd
was
dance,
the best
hollering
Casino
do
for such
and
were
a set!"
sets,
screaming
. . .
wild.
...
or
"Now
[T]hey'd
put us
the more
solid
until
they were
yell:
in the
and groovy
cooked.
286
return
to "Carolina
Shout":
a seven-bar
coda
follows
the G
strain;
this coda confirms C major and ends the piece on the global subdomi
nant. Interestingly, the initial E\?l-A\?l harmonic move is the earliest jazz
instance I have seen of the VI and II tritone substitutions in a circle-of
fifths progression.
Backbeating
One of the hallmarks of Johnson's stride style was the backbeat, which
he used to great effect. This technique is illustrated in Example 2, which
shows
of mm.
graphs
and mm.
1-4
of
5-8
the A{
strain
from
the pub
lished version of "Carolina Shout." In Example 2a, the top line gives the
midrange chords, while the line below it gives the bass notes. The third
line, marked
for
"SP"
"stride
summarizes
pattern,"
the
two
top
lines
by
denoting 1 for bass note and 2 for chord. Note its marchlike regularity.
The lowest line, "HR," gives the resulting harmonic rhythm, in this case
a two-beat duration for each harmony, as shown by the 2s below the HR
line.
(a)Al, mm.
1-4
Em
chords
bass
stride pattern
harmonic
(b)Al,mm.
rhythm
G7
D7
Flt
Em
G7
2?
1
-
D7
[Gj?]
2
1
G
2?
5-8
bass
backbeat s
stride pattern
harmonic rhythm
F?f
F#
Gm
B\>
Dj}dim
1?-
D7
A
3
112
G
2?-
Example
Em
Dttdim
chords
12
12
Em
Gm
2-
112
Git
G#
3
1
12
12
A7
D7
2-
2?
2. Backbeats
version of
Shout"
287
=
=
(a)QRS piano roll (May 1920). BBF 2; BBS 0.
(0:30)
1212/1212/1212/1212/
3
12/112
12 12/12
3
1/12
12/
1/
12 12/1212/1212/121
1 1 1 /12
1212/1
3
3
1 1/1 121//
1 212/
=
(b)Okeh 4495 (October 18, 1920). BBF 7; BBS = 5.
(0:30)
4
3
3
1212/1121/1121/1212/
3
3
112 1/12
3
3
12/1121/1211/
4
4
3
1121/1121/112
3
1/1211/
12 12/1111/1111/1111/
(c) MCA
sheet music
(1926).
BBF
(liquidation)
6; BBS
= 3.
3
3
12 12/1121/1212/111
3
3
3
112 1/1212/112
(rest) /
3
1/1212/
2
3
3
3
3
112 1/2112/1121/1212/
1111/1111/1111/1111/
Example
3. Backbeats
(liquidation)
Shout"
three-group.
That
the bass
is,
notes
and
chords
that
follow
are mis
aligned relative to the strong and weak beats of the bar. At the next
appearance of a three-group, the right-pointing arrow signifies that the
stride pattern is returned to correct beat alignment. At m. 7 the stride is
again disrupted, as shown by the left-pointing arrow over the three-group,
then immediately corrected by another three-group with right-pointing
arrow.
Example
2b, we
can
with
infer
two
new
analytical
(BBF) of a sixteen-bar
parameters:
backbeats.
For a given sixteen-bar strain, both BBF and BBS will vary in the range
0-16. In the case of Ab both backbeats are immediately corrected, so the
BBS is 0.
Example 3 compares backbeating in three versions of the A2 strain.7
The QRS piano-roll version features relatively little backbeating: each of
the two disruptions (BBF = 2) is immediately corrected (BBS = 0). John
son's OKeh Records performance of 1921,8 his first sound recording of
the work,
is, in contrast,
especially
intense:
seven
total
bars
of backbeat
=
7), five of them occurring in consecutive groups (BBS = 5).
ing (BBF
The sheet music version falls between these two versions with regard to
both backbeat frequency (BBF = 6) and strength (BBS = 3).
Improvisation
in the Trio
289
creates
Johnson
Instead,
block
thematic
pattern?a
grooving
specific for each strain.9 Could the variation-like versions of the D strain
be a function of the sheet music only?a
simplification for publication?
Riccardo
who
Scivales,
that
claims
mances,
has
numerous
transcribed
live
"[i]n
stride
or extended
performances
perfor
piano
the
recordings
n.d.,
(Scivales
94).
on
vise
the
trio,
let us
compare
to impro
other
by
performances
Johnson
of "Caro
only
a voicing
such
Johnson's
next
appears.
recording
appeared
some
seventeen
years
later,
on
the
music.
In Example
4f we
see
that
Johnson's
Carn
egie Hall version of D is very close to the published sheet music.11 The
1944 Decca recording (Example 4g) duplicates the 1938 Carnegie Hall
performance quite exactly, although the recording was made some five
years
later.12
We have seen that the D strains are very much alike. What about the
variant of D called F? On the 1944 recording, Johnson plays an F strain.
in
The 1926 sheet music and 1944 Decca recording are juxtaposed
Example 5. Here again, we see that the elaborations between 1926 and
290
C#dim7
-?m
"^>
m
f^^ClLi
b. Q. R. S. Roll (1921)
C??dim7
(banjo)
m
?iJ'J JU^-Jlp
e. Sheet Music
(MCA, 1926)
^JTJXk^
,?
U,:j
^T?
^^1^=^
*9-7i
*
Transcription of 7g. by Riccardo Scivales, Harlem Stride Piano Solos (Bedford Hills, New York:
Ekay Music, no date), 37.
Example
1944 are extraordinarily close. Thus, by 1926 the D-strain variant called
F was set; Johnson was still playing it eighteen years later!13
Hence,
we
can
see
Johnson's
focus:
compositional
not
only
is he
faith
variations.
the music
material,
let us
consider
sample
strain
likely
from
291
a. SheetMusic (1926)
G7
G7/D
C?dim7
G7/D
CG7 C?dim7
b. 1944Decca
(Decca: trans.Scivales)
Example
C G7
Example
another
Cttdim7
well-known
version
of
"Carolina
(D variants)
Shout."
D section (1941)
Example
shows
the
D strain's two-bar block from Fats Waller's recording of May 13, 1941
(take 2).14 The strong thematic block is an elaboration of the original but
retains its essence. Example 7 shows how Waller elaborates Johnson's
D-strain idea. The graph in Example 7a shows Johnson's separation of
the voices in the 1938 and 1944 versions. The A4 is a neighbor of the
lower G4; the diminished cluster above the A4 is probably best heard as
an incomplete neighbor.
In Example 7b, theWaller variant is shown. Waller avoids C5 in the
line itself, instead focusing itsmelodic essence around the upper and lower
Gs. The diminished cluster is transformed into a nested set of neighbors:
thus elaborates
the Bb neighbors A, which itself neighbors G. Waller
Johnson's D-strain idea but deletes its incomplete neighbor, the dimin
ished cluster. This shows an important facet of his pianism: though a
brilliant player with a tremendous sense of swing, Waller was a smoother
sur
stylist than Johnson, often more predictable, with fewer rhythmic
and
rarely any backbeating.
prises
Example 8a shows a D-strain variant I composed and that I now
include when I perform "Carolina Shout." In devising this variant, I have
taken the idea of the Bb and A as neighbors to G and then extended the A
so as to be prominent throughout the two-bar block.
A case could be made that I have transformed the thematic block to
292
G7
G7
Q$dim7
N?
a. a
^=^
r--~r
Johnson(1938,1944)
f
G7
G7
C#dim7
N
^
Waller
7.
Example
"Carolina
Shout,"
of
comparison
Johnson's
(1941)
and Waller's
D sections
G7
G7/D
j-R-n
Ijtttj
G7
Cttdim7
iJ>J
^j
C C|dim7
N?
N
N
(N?)
- b- J
fel
*E
Example
293
prolong A rather than G, as in the original. In the top line of Example 8b,
I show theA as prolonged by G and Bt as upper and lower neighbors. The
graph in the middle staff of Example 8b shows an interpretation with G
as the prolonged note and the nested neighbor intact. With either inter
pretation, the G is rhythmically very weak.
"Carolina
Beyond
Johnson's
other
thematic-block
For
recordings.
to improvisation
approach
Johnson's
example,
Shout"
"You've
song
is evident
in his
to be Mod
Got
is in fact more
piece
to the band version,
Johnson's
as a stride
effective
solo
recording18
solo.
In con
piano
two months
later (Jan
uary 21, 1930) is in stride style, with six variations on the C theme that
replace the improvised solos heard earlier. The greater impact of the stride
recording (compared to the band version) comes from Johnson's introduc
tion of thematic blocks that precisely define each variation and build
virtuosity.
Johnson's
many
other
solo
stride
recordings
show
a similar
approach.
successful.
more
variational
than
techniques
Dick Wellstood,
that
with
"the
them
stride
was
three minutes
per
for performance
record;
yet there,
elaborations.19
he maintains
as a group,
not great
were,
players
improvisers.
an
to compose
or
make
original
piece
perhaps
294
too,
The
idea
an arrange
night."20While
to the
close
may be
truth.
when
song
popular
the
provides
thematic
as
material,
in later
jazz.
the newer
among
preeminent
to avoid
stylists?tended
sixteen-bar
strains,
even when using the striding left hand as a basis for solo playing, and
the right-hand figuration
instead focused on the popular song. Without
"pulling and tugging" against the stride left hand, these younger pianists
were
to cultivate
able
Because
nal material.
less
freer,
of
their
on
"variations"
block-oriented
of
avoidance
thematic-block
the origi
elaboration,
of
the absence
given
the other hand, maintained
stride,
on
the necessary
figurations.
right-hand
a closer
to his stride roots
connection
of his variations
were,
many
"orchestral"
The up-tempo,
worked
Johnson's,
nature
of
out
is another
stride
in advance.
important
factor
slower
Not
surprisingly,
lines.21
stride
have
performances
much
Conclusions
We
poser
have
than
seen
an
thematic block
claiming,
"Any
that within
improviser.
his
is a backbone
harmony
stride
Johnson's
is only
Johnson
work,
of his musical
so many
was
with
preoccupation
more
thinking. He
chords
unless
of a com
the melody
you
of
is quoted as
have
a real
strategies of
295
elaboration
devising
seemed
if they
as he usually
"nonimprovisation,"
each
approached
strain
were
these
successful.
in advance
variations
Hence,
rather
than
and
call
to use
continued
Johnson
an
by
He
them
"improvisa
296
our
latter-day
understanding
of
improvisation
to early
forms
of
NOTES
1. James P. Johnson
and died
in New
was
York
born
in New
on November
concert
includes
Hubert's
Robert
covering
discography
are enumerated
in chronological
studio
recordings
James
Records):
P. Johnson
1921-1928
(Classics
1938-1942
several
extended
also
1986, which
Johnson's
1917-50.
the period
order on Classics
658),
James
CDs
P. Johnson
(Classic
1928
James P. Johnson
(Classics 711), James P. John
1944 (Classics
(Classics
824), James P. Johnson
835), James P.
1944-1945
Johnson
1944, vol. 2 (Classics 856), James P. Johnson
1027),
(Classics
1945-1947
and James P. Johnson
(Classics
1059). His piano rolls can be heard on
1938
son
(Classics
1943-1944
671),
James P. Johnson:
105 DDD)
and James P. John
Carolina
Shout (Biograph BCD
Solos from Rare Piano Rolls (Biograph BCD
150 ADD).
John
are
in which
he functions
both as leader and as sideman,
live recordings,
son: Parlor
son's
collected
2. The
Piano
on various
CDs.
introduc
"strains."
functions
the tempo and tonality and to suggest or set up the thematic mate
labeled A, B, C, etc. In a typical stride
rial of the first strain. Strains are typically
the first two or three strains are in the tonic key; the remaining
strains are
work,
in the subdominant
and are grouped
together as the "trio." There may be
usually
a four- or eight-bar modulation
to the trio. Within
the trio, four- or eight-bar
inter
are to establish
strain of "Carolina
Shout"
has folk
in a number
of
bars
in each
fewer bars
5. Backbeats
strain without
than the actual
regard
sixteen
repeats will
from backbeats
to denote
beats
show
in contempo
two and four in
of the backbeats.
297
6. For more
on the C/G
clash
and related
see Wildman
of interest,
points
1979,
35
36.
7. The QRS piano roll is 100999
nated. It can be heard on James
dissemi
(New York, May
1921) and was widely
P. Johnson:
Carolina
Shout. There
is also an ear
differ
8. OKeh
4495,
1921-1928.
on James
P. Johnson
9. Since
in 1918,
Artempo
ufacture.
the D
10. Available
on James
P. Johnson
editing
its man
1921-1928.
on From
by Johnson.
14. "Carolina Shout"
on the Heat
(Victor
27563).
Available
Piano
Solos:
Turn
(Bluebird
2482-2-RB).
15. Brown
was written
that "Modernistic"
for A Great Day
in
(1986,
198) suggests
New Orleans,
which opened
in Philadelphia
in November
1929. The show never
traveled to New York.
on James P Johnson
16. Originally
Victor V-38099,
available
1928-1938.
17. The singers are called "The Keep Shufflin' Trio." Johnson wrote a hit show called
'
in 1928, but "Modernistic"
is not listed among its numbers,
accord
Keep Shufflin
198).
(1986,
ing to Brown
18. Originally
Brunswick
1928-1938.
4762, available on James P. Johnson
career tapered off in the 1930s, he was among
19. While
Johnson's
the musicians
in the 1940s through the "Dixieland
"rediscovered"
revival." As a result, Moses
recorded
Asch, founder of Asch, Disc, and Folkways
Records,
ous sessions
and permitted
him great freedom
to play what
on The Original
are collected
James P. Johnson:
recordings
Solos (Smithsonian
CD SF-40812).
Folkways
20. See
Productions,
21. Consider,
(originally
Heat).
298
of Donald
Lambert:
Harlem
Stride Classics
in numer
Johnson
he wished.
These
1942-1945
Piano
(Miami:
Pumpkin
1977).
for example,
Fats Waller's
Victor V38508,
available
"Numb Fumblin',"
on The Fats Waller
recorded March
Piano
Solos:
1, 1929
Turn on the
WORKS CITED
Berlin,
Edward
Angeles:
A.
University
and Harriet
Blesh, Rudi,
Publications.
Janis.
Tom.
1959.
and Cultural
P. Johnson:
with
"Conversations
A Case
of Mistaken
James P. Johnson."
Riccardo.
Scivales,
Music.
Sterling.
Stuckey,
Black America.
Joan M.
Wildman,
Piano." Journal
Jay Tichenor.
Press.
[n.d.]. Harlem
Stride
1978. Rags
Piano
Identity. Metuchen,
Jazz Review
Rag:
The Story
and Ragtime:
Solos.
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