15-year-old Adam Swanson plays the Charleston

[mkwiieric]

Is there sheet music for this on the Internet? I did a quick search and only came up with simplified versions.

[Keeper1st]

@mkwiieric Probably not, because of its original publication date of 1923. A year too late...

[revsonia1]

Excellent!

[bimbo4746]

i hope this young man has his hands insured cause a million dollars would be cheap hes worth unspoken amount great great talent unbelieveable

[AmazingChucklez]

SMOKIN!!!!!

[AmericanVideoGames]

Starts playing before he even sits down.

[republicadelFunk]

me encanta me dan ganas hasta de chillar! cuando toca este pelao!!! es lo mejor que he escuchado!!!! puede aceptarlo !!! me encanta el rag time !!

[gerardbedecarter]

wow!!

[Heatherfly12]

awesome now he is 18 now sooo thats a great thing to do now and he is awesome

[Keeper1st]

@Heatherfly12 Adam has won the World Championship of Old-Time Piano Playing three years in a row, and is therefore no longer eligible to compete. Most people don't even play in the overall category until they're 18, but Adam had to after previously winning the Junior division three times. He joins Adam Yarian as the only person to have won both Junior and Adult championships three times.

[musiclovinchica23]

you are veeeery talented.

[zalur5]

Yeah I had a look, nothing on the Charleston...but I like Yukimasuri's version and so I'm playing that. Thanks again!

[doodlebug5894]

It looks like he has it all memorized...Wow...I love to do this dance!!

[zalur5]

Man this kid is good... The only thing is, where can I get this sheet music! I would love to play this song! Any ideas Keeper1st?

[Keeper1st]

There are many different versions out there. As for free ones, I know I found a four-hand version once. YouTube's "yukimatsuri" has his own arrangement available too. Check the link in the description of his video called "Johnson : Charleston (1923?)".

[zalur5]

@Keeper1st

Thnx, I had a look at yukimasuri's version of it. It looks quite different to Adam Swanson's here, but I'll try it out. Thank you again.

[Keeper1st]

@zalur5 Yes, it is quite different, but you can work on your own arrangement, perhaps! Maybe Adam can point you to a version closer to how he plays it. He's now "adamgswanson" on YouTube, and has a web site -- adamgswanson com.

[estrella369]

oh this kid was awesome...

[taylortjw9]

that was beeaaasssst daannng that kid is amazing =DDD

[Squarerig]

Is he from our planet or what?Quite astonishing ability on a man-made instrument-he plays like a young God.!

[pjl9080]

the lady on the right was bugging the crap out of mr the entire time because she was looking at everything but the performer! haha but great video and thanks for the upload

[haccuk]

What a load of rubbish some people write. Of course it's significant that Adam was only 15 at the time. I think there is an element of jealousy from people who could not hope to match Adam's standard. He is a magnificent pianist as is Wesley Reznicek, the current junior champion

[Rumil20]

@haccuk I dunno Im not sure its THAT significant that hes 15.

I certinally wouldnt pay money to see a 3 year old play a BAD performance of ragtime...

Sure id be like... cool.

But age is meaningless really. If your good. your good. And if your young, thats a bonus.

And true, I am very jelous, im 17 now... and I dont think I could match his standard either. hehe

[Chugalg]

That was truly amazing, and at least 10 times better than anyone who has comment previous could even dream of playing. Especially with their feet (epic lying fail).

Anyways, I love your videos, my personal favorite being Tom playing the Athletic theme from Yoshi's Island, since I have been a fan of that game since I was a wee lad (I'm only 17).

[lnasd]

well im 16, ive been playing piano since i was in 3rd grade, and i CANNOT play this good! he is amazing. good for him!! :]

[Keeper1st]

Are you trying to be stupid or does it come naturally? Heck, there are videos where one can see me and Adam in the same room. I'm more than twice his age. Whatever the cause for you making a fool of yourself, I've had enough. *plonk*

[MattMurdockCZ]

I don't care how old he is...

[Keeper1st]

No you haven't. Even seasoned accomplished ragtime pianists stand around the piano in awe of Adam. I've seen it more than once. His ability is on par with the best in the business (that he has won the World Championship of Old-Time Piano Playing the past two years (he's now 17) says something about that), but the fact that he was as good as he was at age 15 was definitely worth mentioning -- though this is the only video of him in which I do mention it in the title.

[MattMurdockCZ]

Neatod is right... In 15 years I played Bugatti step by Jaroslav Jezek with my feet... :D

[pepe693]

thanks, I didn't know this amazing piece

[Keeper1st]

Because the fact that he was as good he was at that age (I've seen him since he was 12, and he only started playing piano when he was 9, as I recall) is a significant point.

[Bridence9414]

that was really amazing. I was about to start clapping myself LMAO

[ryanski77]

What does the lady on the right keep feeling the need to look over at???

[Keeper1st]

Hmm, I never noticed until you mentioned it! There's an entire other half of the room to the right of her. Perhaps she knows some people in seats to her right across the center aisle. Or maybe they were starting to set up projection and sound equipment for the ragtime research seminars, since this was the seminar room. I don't remember...

[JustDontThinkTwice]

what a pity all the people he's playing it to is sitting dead on their chairs

[Keeper1st]

What should they be doing? This venue did not have a dance floor; it was for listening only.

[clocklvr]

great Adam

[metalshelf]

Wow! That was great! Thank you.

[danedaworld]

very nice and stuff just in the beginning, you shouldn't just play before you sit down. sit down, prepare yourself mentally and physically, adjust yourself, then play. if there are mistakes, it might be too late to correct a "too foward chair" or if you slipped and didn't see

[Keeper1st]

This was in the middle of a set, so he had been playing this piano for a while. The seat was already set the way he wanted it; he was just getting up to announce each piece before he played them.

[danedaworld]

i know but still he should get more settled to play. if he just jumped to it he MIGHT mess up. and i was saying IF the seat was unadjusted

[RejectedHypothesis]

A risk he took to look 100% badass. Mission accomplished.

[danedaworld]

to top that off, he barely looks at his keys

[Keeper1st]

This past weekend, Adam won the World Championship of Old-Time Piano Playing for the second straight year... at the ripe old age of 17.

[iferrit]

seriously? why would you comment on something like that?

[danedaworld]

i dunno =D constructive criticism and public awareness?

[milograamans]

You have a good point.

[KawhackitaRag]

hahahahaha I love the guy honking the horn in the background along with the applause!

[Keeper1st]

That's the guy in the motorized wheelchair with a little dog in a basket. I think his name is Gordon (and the dog's name is Wishbone). He wasn't at the festival this past year for the first time as I can remember. Hopefully he's OK. You can see him if you search "klein automobile" and look at Karen (idasynco)'s video that turns up.

[NightmarishGuy]

How does this kid not have a wikipedia page?

[Keeper1st]

I can't think of any of today's top ragtime pianists who have an entry on Wikipedia.

[FontanoTribe]

Around 2:12-2:15, he destroys the song with a mysteriously horrific key change but around 2,20, it clears up. He should try playing some Gershwin tunes. He has the skill.

[FontanoTribe]

Of Course I watched the whole video and his accuracy only gets worse. He definately has talent, he just needs to pollish the piece up and maybe practice with a metronome. By the way, ragtime and stride are not supposed to be like that at all. Scott Joplin would probably be disappointed at the lack of rhythm and uneven acceleration in the tempo.

[Keeper1st]

This performance is very similar to a piano roll from the 1920s that I own. It changes styles constantly. I expect Adam based this arrangement on that same roll.

[FontanoTribe]

Do you own the 1921 version?

[Keeper1st]

I don't know the exact date of the roll; it was unboxed, unlabeled, in a stash of such old rolls (which is where I got most of my rolls). I had to play it even to know what tune it was.

[DrKorn5]

too bad its not ragtime...I believe this qualifies as "Jazz" where especially in the 20s anything goes. Ever listened to those old 78s?

[Keeper1st]

It's in that transition period. In 1923, this would have been called ragtime, for "jass/jazz" referred to a type of band (and if you asked 'em, they'd say they were playing ragtime). Much of what was called "ragtime" at the time is now termed "jazz" when you get into the flashier styles of the 1920s and '30s. But it all fits right in at a ragtime festival, when it might not at a jazz festival.

[FontanoTribe]

Ragtime evolved into stride and other styles of Jazz. Forget it, what's the big deal? It's all America's best music and Adam did a great job at playing it.

[Averysavoy04]

who cares, hes cute AND he has talent :)

[JamesPriceJohnson]

i agree. about all all players today, except for me probabyl, lol, dont understand music right. some parts are good, but i hate the beggining. the endings sort of nice, but i say the piano is too bright. music is supposed to have rhthym to it, in this song, the tempo changed about seven or eight times probably, i didnt like that. although, ithis is a hard piece. i hjave the piano roll transcription, and its hell learning it. im only 12, and my fingers would break off trying to play all the chord

[FontanoTribe]

Way too many mistakes! almost a disgrace to James P Johnson, and there is no established rhythm. Nice effort though

[accordion1994]

did you even watch the whole video or just the beginning? and besides its meant to be like that

[myplace9]

Sounds great! Thanks for sharing your talent on YouTube. What a great talent.

[jimoaklandu]

Adam, you are AWESOME!! ;-)

[TheManOfBlues]

pretty good. chopsticks was well done, but its chopsticks. wats with the band around his arm?

[Keeper1st]

Armbands are a pretty common sight on a ragtime pianist's "period" outfit.

[OlympicClassDandy]

Indeed. They're actually known as sleeve garters, and were also used by barmen during the era; they helped to keep your sleeves up!

[earlhines1]

You imagine Adam living in the 30's and playing in one of them piano cutting contests with James P. Johnson (author of Charleston), Fats Waller and the acidic Willie "The Lion" Smith? Fats would have said: them fingers are like vipers ready to kill you!; James P. would have nodded quietly and Willie the Lion? Well, most probably would have embraced and taken him under his wings (or paws).

[jlbmjm00]

This kid is amazing!!!

I dont care what an of these other comments say!

[steinwaygrande1]

To : ManofBlues, there is nothing that this kid cant play since I first discovered him on YouTube quite by accident. He has more talent in his whole body then I have in my litle finger - and I have adult kids who cant and wont play any musical instrument ! So that makes me old enough to be Adams "grandfather" Just imagain where he will be in 10 or 20 years time. PHENONINAL

[TheManOfBlues]

he's mad good, but anyone can read music. the question is: how good is he at improv?

[Keeper1st]

Search his name on YouTube and you'll find plenty of examples.

[kade82]

Not everyone can read music. Some of the best pianists I've heard can't read a lick of music but can play anything after hearing it a time or two.

[TheManOfBlues]

yeah, its those guys that stand out, who can play something back without the music. i'm asking can he do that?

[Keeper1st]

Watch the video of Adam with Tom Brier playing "Chopsticks". Adam doesn't know how the tune goes beyond the first few measures, but quickly picks it up -- even when Tom makes up a Trio section.

[KawhackitaRag]

Yeah, is he using music here? I don't see it. I can only ever recall him using music maybe once or twice at a ragtime festival. Almost everything he plays is from memory, whether note-for-note as someone else played it, OR his own personal arrangement/improvisation (as here). Me and Tom Brier use music a lot (I do because my memory isn't great), but we don't play rags exactly as-written; maybe the first time through, but on the repeats we take off and add our own ingredients.

[JamesPriceJohnson]

i think he is nervous. as jp would probably say, "dont be so jerky. you gotta make it jump, but let it flow." he should listen one of his jp's charleston recordings, such as runnin wild melody. this is good, but could be better. and what is he lookingat? hes going left to right, uh...

[Keeper1st]

I doubt he's nervous; he plays in front of audiences all over the world. The looking around is something he has done since I first saw him at age 12 or 13. It's just a peculiar quirk of his, but rather amazing to me; it's like his hands are running on automatic! This performance is based on one of James P's own piano roll arrangements, if I recall correctly.

[TomtiTycoon]

Awsome absolutely incredible but i listened to another vharleston piece wich i is the same except recorded and is slightly slower than what Adam is playing in thsi video.

[19lfm12]

Adam is has a real command of this style! He would be very good with anything in the blues, jazz, ragtime, and period theatre pieces. I would even venture to guess that he could have potential as a theater organist, if he wanted to!

[photos33]

Awesome playing of the piano, thanks for putting it up.

[dreamcastII]

good work.

[paulallen34]

just fantastic playing

[fingerscarr]

hits the notes alright , but doesn't flow , jerky !

[Keeper1st]

The piano roll is like that, as I recall (it's been about 13 years since I have had access to my player piano!). It never really gets going with a driving rhythm -- always changing styles, like a series of breaks. So, I can't fault Adam for doing the same thing as a period arrangement. Oh, an addition to the description of this video: Adam recently won the overall title at the World Championship of Old-Time Piano Playing, shortly after his 16th birthday. Way to go, Adam!

[fingerscarr]

thanks for this keeper !

[KawhackitaRag]

He is playing staccato because that is the way a lot of the old-time guys really played: staccato! It gives music a real 1920's snap and sparkle and not a mushy cocktail quality. However, that balladic lyricism was also always there in 1920's popular piano music, and brilliant pianists like Frank Banta and Phil Ohman could shift back and forth between them at the drop of a hat. Adam can too; just listen to some of his other videos!

[fingerscarr]

thanks for this explanation , and also to keeper1st

[day10020]

to choppy, not enough walking bass

[KennYWooD2]

haha, in which section were you listening for a walking bass? it's not choppy.....it's stylistically correct and played very well.

[KawhackitaRag]

I think you are confusing this with "The Charleston Rag" by Eubie Blake. Adam plays that one too (and well!). Although Eubie Blake and James P. Johnson were good friends, their two similarly-titled tunes are completely different.

In fact, this is only one of SEVERAL "Charlestons" that Johnson wrote for the dancers of the Jungles Casino in the late 'teens and early 'twenties. I have no idea if any of the others were ever published or recorded, under different titles or what.

[Rickarlss]

This is one of my most favorite videos on Youtube. Just wonderful! I think it is similar to the rendition on the Duo-art piano roll made in the 20's.

[Keeper1st]

I have an 88-note roll that is the same way. I don't think I have details on who cut it. I think it's one of my many unboxed old rolls. Someday I'll have my piano back and will be able to take all the rolls out of storage and see how many are still playable...

[fingerscarr]

thanks for that . good luck

[zozohut]

I have only clarinet sheet music. But this is a very nice song :)

[Mariahhh04]

yep.. adam is pretty cool.

[kellik036]

He lives in my town.. he's in my geometry class.....

[slipknot555133]

omg haha hes in geometry?

[EMMDS]

Awsome song and performence..just one thing throught out the whole song.He emphasized too many notes .95% excellent

-If ANYONE has the sheet notes to this song i need it!!!!..

[Keeper1st]

This particular piano had very stiff action. It required a lot of force to play on it, I'm told.

[EMMDS]

Good point to that.I didnt think of that.

[steinwaygrande1]

I have a Kawai upright adn it too can be tempramental. Some days the action is stiff and requires some "force" to get it to perform and other days its as smooth as silk. I think the weather has a lot to do with it, being in Australia when it gets so very hot, despite the house being air-conditioned all the year round.

[Vaslovag]

You find the notes at UCLA Sheet Music Consortium. Search for "Johnson Charleston".

[TheKnabe]

I met Adam by searching for renditions of Charleston. Adam bowls one over! He sits there and does all the things I hoped to be able to do someday on piano. And, his taste in music seems to be that of mine exactly. What a treat to hear him and Hodges and others doing duets I've heard in my quest for Adam's videos. But, in this video Adam sits down to do his serious best with a difficult task at hand.

[slipknot555133]

ive gotten him to play chopsticks..the original one it was awesome..he goes to my school..he also has his own version of that song its badass

[Keeper1st]

I recently posted a video of Adam playing Chopsticks with Tom Brier on two pianos. Adam only knew the first part, so he had to learn the rest on the spot as Tom played the whole thing -- even the Trio. It was really amazing and fun.

[scottdanielyoung101]

Does he live in Australia?

Even if he doesn't I'm gonna fly over seas jus to shake his hand.

What a Champ!

11 / 10

That audience should of cheered louder!

[Keeper1st]

He lives in Iowa. He plays at all the big ragtime festivals in the U.S. (and even played at the festival in Hungary last year), so if you do ever decide to take a trip to the States, there are plenty of times to see him and a bunch of other fantastic performers. I have two other videos of Adam up thus far, playing duets with Frederick Hodges of Joplin's "Peacherine Rag" and "Maple Leaf Rag". I have yet to post a couple more of Adam, also. Other ragtimers have video of him too -- try a search!

[GrenvilleT]

A true ragtime stylist. What a star...is he available to tour England?

[Keeper1st]

He did play at the ragtime festival in Hungary last summer, so travel is not out of the question. On some of my ragtime videos, I've had a few in the UK who have wished there were a ragtime festival there. Somebody needs to organize one!

[pedrovono]

Fantastic! I´m a Johnny Maddox fan and now yours!

[Morahman7vnNo2]

Great Going But I Think You Play All Your Song On A Upright Honky Tonk.

[Darkwood3r]

týpek :D ;) nice shot ;)