James P. Johnson: Carolina Shout (1921)

As the music that we know of as 'jazz' began to take form there were other related styles that eventually fed into its melodic and rhythmic melting pot. Early on, there was 'Ragtime', probably made most famous through the music of Scott Joplin.Then along came 'Stride Piano', largely out of New York City. 'Stride', melding the syncopation and joy of 'Ragtime' with the greater technical demands of western formal styles, probably found its greatest exponent in James P. Johnson, a pianist and composer who came out of the so called Harlem Renaissance of black artists of the 1920s. 'Carolina Shout' was one of his most popular pieces and a challenge for any budding Stride player. This tune can be heard from original piano rolls but there's nothing like the master playing it himself.