February 1 - James P. Johnson; Clara Butt (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

James P. Johnson (1 February 1894 – 17 November 1955) was an American jazz pianist and composer.
[This post is in celebration of Black History Month.]

[For last year's verses on Renata Tebaldi, Victor Herbert, and George Beverly Shea click here.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Knowing Your Limits

If you’re learning the basics of stride,

And you make James P. Johnson your guide,

It will soon be apparent,

If your left hand is errant,

You should put the whole project aside.

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪   

Dame Clara Ellen Butt (1 February 1872 – 23 January 1936) was an English contralto recitalist and concert singer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Victoriana 

Dame Clara Butt was six foot two,

  Which back in the Victorian Age

Would all but guarantee that you

  Would dominate on any stage.

Her deep contralto’s plangent sound,

   Unflinching and stentorian,

Possessed a timbre that was found

   Profound by a Victorian.

Commanding to both eye and ear,

   It didn’t take much prescience,

To see for her a steady career,

   Victorian in essence.

 

 

 

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