James Price Johnson (February 1, 1894 – November 17, 1955) was an American pianist and composer. A pioneer of stride piano, he was one of the most important pianists in the early era of recording, and like Jelly Roll Morton, one of the key figures in the evolution of ragtime into what was eventually called jazz.[1] Johnson was a major influence on Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, and Fats Waller, who was his student.