Johnson, Pete(r)

Johnson, Pete(r), jazz pianist; b. Kansas City, Mo., March 25, 1904; d. Buffalo, N.Y., March 23, 1967. Johnson spent part of his childhood in an orphanage. He left school at age 12 and did a variety of jobs before learning to play the drums. He worked as a drummer from 1922-26 and then, after piano lessons from his uncle Charles “Smash” Johnson, he began to gig on piano at many Kansas City clubs from 1926-38. During this period, he began working regularly with vocalist Big Joe Turner. While backing Turner at the Sunset Cafe, he was heard by famed producer/promoter John Hammond, who brought him to N.Y. in 1938. He appeared that December at the famous Carnegie Hall Spirituals to Swing concert, which was produced by Hammond, followed by gigs with Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis as the Boogie Woogie Trio. They worked at Cafe Society, N.Y. (from 1939-1940s); Johnson later worked in duo with Albert Ammons at the same venue and residencies in Calif. (1947–48). During the 1940s, he also occasionally toured with Meade Lux Lewis, and played long solo residencies. He lived in Buffalo from 1950, and did long spells of day work, but continued to play in local clubs. He was part of a national tour with the “Piano Parade” package in 1952, along with Lewis, Art Tatum, and Errol Garner; later that year he again briefly teamed with Lewis. In 1955 he briefly reunited with Joe Turner, and also worked as accompanist for Jimmy Rushing. In May 1958, he went to Europe in a JATP show (including Joe Turner); in July of that year also appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival. He returned to Buffalo and continued to work until he suffered a stroke that autumn. For the rest of his life he suffered from ill health (heart trouble and diabetes), and the stroke had left him partly paralyzed. He continued to work on occasion through the 1960s. He is not related to the Kansas City drummer Muri Johnson (b. March 22, 1903), who worked regularly with Pete during the 1920s and 1930s.

Discography

Boogie Woogie Trio (1939); Boogie Woogie Trio, Vol. 3 (1939); Pete’s Blues (1946); Central Avenue Boogie (1947); Boogie Woogie Method (1953); Jumpin’ with Pete Johnson (1955); Master of Blues and Boogie Woogie (1975).

Bibliography

H. J. Mauerer, ed., The Pete Johnson Story (N.Y; 1965).

—John Chilton Who’s Who of Jazz/Lewis Porter