Charlie Johnson

Who was Charlie Johnson?

Charlie "Fess" Johnson was an American jazz bandleader and pianist.

Johnson led an ensemble called the Paradise Ten, who played at Small's Paradise from 1925–1935 and recorded five times between 1925 and 1929. Though Johnson was a capable pianist, he rarely soloed on his recordings. The Paradise Ten ensemble included a number of noted sidemen, including trumpeters Jabbo Smith, Leonard Davis, Sidney DeParis, and Thomas Morris, trombonists Charlie Irvis and Jimmy Harrison, alto saxophonists Benny Carter and Edgar Sampson, and tenor saxophonist Benny Waters. Johnson led the ensemble until 1938; following this he freelanced in various ensembles until he retired due to health problems in the 1950s.