Long Before Jazz, Frank Johnson Was Playing the Hottest Music in America

[JSngry]

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/long-before-jazz-frank-johnson-was-playing-hottest-music-america-180981838/

[kh1958]

Very interesting.

[John L]

Nice article.  

[JSngry]

I had never heard of this guy. Now I am intrigued. 

[miles65]

I have this CD with his music for years now.

Chestnut Brass Company

and the track listing.

[JSngry]

Yes, I heard some of that on YouTube. What has me ultimately wondering if this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Johnson_(composer)

Unfortunately, only reviews from newspaper critics, audience members and programs survive to tell of the sounds produced by Johnson. During this period, it was common to not write a complete score, since works were in such demand that this time-consuming task was best left as notes; the performers could more easily be taught to produce the desired sound. Arrangements were commonly published for amateurs in order to increase the demand for the original band or orchestra. Only surviving today are the piano arrangements requested by publishers, along with skeleton guides of Johnson's other arrangements. Johnson's elaborate and extended effects were apparently more important than his straightforward compositions. Foreshadowing the jazz era, his actual music was simple, allowing the composer to instruct the performers in developing more musically complex versions.

[Big Beat Steve]

It seems, then, that - seen from a jazz arranger's approach - with his "sketches" he had already "progressed" beyond later, fully written-out ragtime compositions.

[JSngry]

What I have seen of his surviving scores, they would appear to be more "lead sheets" than actual "scores". Very interesting notion... 

[mikeweil]

I need to listen to this.  Only one copy of the disc posted above on discogs, but several on amazon, for cheaper shipping rates. It cost me 33 bucks. Oh well ... the others go for higher prices. 

[rostasi]