ABSTRACT
from about 1915 until about 1930, popular piano playing in New York City held a standard of brilliance never known before or since. During this time, there were two dozen or so piano masters, white and black, writing, recording, and playing in the city. Their writing was impressive, but theirs was essentially a performer's art. Their musicianship can still amaze us when we hear their piano rolls and records. James P.Johnson told an interviewer in 1953:
The other sections of the country never developed the piano as far as the New York boys did. … The reason the New York boys became such high-class musicians was because the New York piano was developed by the European method, system and style. The people in New York were used to hearing good piano played in concerts and cafes. The ragtime player had to live up to that standard. They had to get orchestral effects, sound harmonies, chords and all the techniques of European concert pianists who were playing their music all over the city. New York developed the orchestral piano—full, round, big, widespread chords and tenths—a heavy bass moving against the right hand.… When you heard the biggest ragtime specialists play, you would hear fine harmony, exciting touch and tone and all the themes developed.
