Runnin' Wild (1921-1926) (1997)

About this title: It is not until the final paragraph of the liner notes of this CD that it is mentioned that the set of James P. Johnson solo performances are piano rolls rather than recordings; nowhere does it state that important fact on the outside cover. The most interesting aspect of the reissue is that the great pianist did not otherwise record the majority of the numbers, including his famous "Charleston" (although a longer piano roll version has been released elsewhere). As is true of all piano rolls, the rhythms are a bit mechanical, and some of the playing might have been "enhanced" by additional ... read more

Tracks:

1. Runnin' Wild Medley: The Charleston/ Old Fashioned Love/ Open Your ... [Johnson/Mack/Tradit]
2. Carolina Shout [Johnson]
3. Arkansas Blues [Lada/Williams]
4. Ole Miss Blues [Handy/Daley]
5. Harlem Choc'late Babies on Parade [Traditional]
6. Cry Baby Blues [Traditional]
7. Eccentricity [Johnson]
8. Sugar [Alexander/Mitchell/]
9. The Down Home Blues [Delaney]
10. (Look) What a Fool I've Been [Johnson]
11. Muscle Shoals Blues [Traditional]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.