
Lonnie Johnson 1920s
Blues, jazz and folk music of the 1920s and '30s featuring the guitar, piano, violin and more.
Read the full description.
- Playing
- On a String
- From
- Guy Rathbun
Although guitarist Lonnie Johnson is heard on several recordings in this program, many other artists, known and obscure, are heard in settings that include jazz, blues, and the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Also in the the Club McKenzie: Your 1920s Jazz Speakeasy series
Turn on the Heat
(58:57)
From: Guy Rathbun
Largely forgotten, bandleader Sam Lanin is possibly the most prolific recording artist of the 1920s. No one really knows just how many records he is responsible for simply ...
Puttin' On the Ritz
(58:59)
From: Guy Rathbun
Composer and lyricist Jerome Kern summed up the life and work of Israel Baline (Irving Berlin) when he said, “Irving Berlin has no place in American music. He is American ...
The Kid
(58:57)
From: Guy Rathbun
By 1911, tailgate trombonist Kid Ory was leading one of the best-known bands in New Orleans. Eight years later he formed a successful band in Los Angeles, but after five ...
The Hawk: 40-years with Coleman Hawkins
(58:58)
From: Guy Rathbun
Considered the first great tenor saxophonist in jazz, Coleman Hawkins was a child he was a gifted musician. In 1922, Mamie Smith spotted him in and hired him to play with her ...
Billy Cotton: That Rhythm Man
(58:57)
From: Guy Rathbun
Despite the vast popularity of "That Rhythm Man," as Billy Cotton was known, his recognition did not reach the states like the bands lead by Ambrose, Noble, Hilton and others.
The Uke
(58:57)
From: Guy Rathbun
The ukulele became as commonplace in the American parlor as the piano in the 1920s. Today we think of the tiny guitar as a Hawaiian instrument, when in reality, it was ...
The Odd Couple
(58:57)
From: Guy Rathbun
Sidney Bechet was one of the early jazz virtuosos. Born in New Orleans, he began his professional career long before jazz was put to wax. Then there was Mezz Mezzrow. ...
Laughing in Rhythm
(58:57)
From: Guy Rathbun
Laughter is the best medicine. But, it feels that today's musicians may be taking themselves too seriously. Here are selections from the 1920s to the '40s where some of the ...
Pee Wee
(58:57)
From: Guy Rathbun
Although he hailed from St. Louis, Charles Ellsworth “Pee Wee” Russell took his clarinet cues from New Orleans. Only now is he beginning to be recognized as one of the most ...
The Wordsmiths
(58:57)
From: Guy Rathbun
This program features those wonderfully talented lyricists of the 1920s who created such memorial songs as "Margie," "You Took Advantage of Me," "Three Little Words," "A Fine ...
Piece Description
Although guitarist Lonnie Johnson is heard on several recordings in this program, many other artists, known and obscure, are heard in settings that include jazz, blues, and the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Broadcast History
KCBX, Public Radio
Musical Works
| Title | Artist | Album | Label | Year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis Stomp | The Blue Boys | String Dazzlers. | Columbia | 1928 | 03:01 |
| Hot Fingers | Lonnie Johnson & Eddie Lang | String Dazzlers. | Columbia | 1929 | 02:54 |
| Mamie's Blues | Jelly Roll Morton | Solo - Volume 3. | Hot 'N Sweet | 1939 | 02:45 |
| Guitar Swing | Casey Bill Weldon | Folks, He Sure Do Pull Some Bow!. | Old Hat | 1937 | 02:54 |
| Away Down the Alley Blues | Lonnie Johnson | String Dazzlers. | Columbia | 1928 | 02:46 |
| Georgia Rag | Blind Willie McTell | String Dazzlers. | Columbia | 1931 | 02:59 |
| Moanin' and Groanin' Blues | Peg Leg Howell | Folks, He Sure Do Pull Some Bow!. | Old Hat | 1927 | 03:29 |
| Throw Me in the Alley | Peetie Wheatstraw | Folks, He Sure Do Pull Some Bow!. | Old Hat | 1934 | 02:50 |
| Denver Blues | Tampa Red | String Dazzlers. | Columbia | 1934 | 02:51 |
| Georgia Crawl | Henry Williams | Folks, He Sure Do Pull Some Bow!. | Old Hat | 1928 | 03:17 |
| If You Can't Make It Easy, Sweet Mama | Dixieland Jug Blowers | Folks, He Sure Do Pull Some Bow!. | Old Hat | 1927 | 02:38 |
| Prodigal Son | Joshua White | String Dazzlers. | Columbia | 1935 | 02:51 |
| Michigan Water Blues | Jelly Roll Morton | Solo - Volume 3. | Hot 'N Sweet | 1939 | 03:01 |
| Wild Cow Blues | Washboard Blues Singers | Folks, He Sure Do Pull Some Bow!. | Old Hat | 1935 | 03:15 |
| I Love You, Mary Lou | Lonnie Johnson | String Dazzlers. | Columbia | 1927 | 03:03 |
| Handful of Riffs (excerpt) | Lonnie Johnson & Eddie Lang | String Dazzlers. | Columbia | 1929 | 01:23 |
