It sits at 7131 Hamilton Ave in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh. A former U. S. Post Office building. It shares the block with the historic Homewood branch of Carnegie Library. It is the venerable and vital Afro American Music Institute. That it is “Afro American” — no hyphen — and not “African American” gives testimony to how long ago it was founded. Please, Google AAMI Pittsburgh. But instead of clicking on the main entry, click on the “images” tab and throw yourself into the stream of photos and check out the joy — the joy of music, the joy of sharing, the joy of accomplishing, and the joy of giving. These photos will tell you much more than I can about the life of Dr J and about Dr J and Pam’s gift to us. The AAMI is today a pulsating, vibrant, living institution of joy and knowledge but also a living memorial, because its co-founder, James Tare Johnson, Jr., passed away last month at age 76.
Almost immediately, James got involved in community education in Pittsburgh — I recall him teaching at Harold Young’s Homewood Jazz Workshop (founded 1973 and still going under the leadership of Dr. Jacqueline Young) in 1979-80 —as he had already served as School Master at Shreveport’s Lakeside School of Music from 1973 to 1977. Along with his wife Pamela Johnson, they founded the AAMI in 1982, initially teaching at the Saint James AME church in East Liberty. The AAMI rapidly needed more space and for almost 20 years was housed in a church annex on Tioga street in Homewood. Under their leadership, they moved in 2003 to the former post office building at 7131 Hamilton that they now own!
To know Dr. J was to understand how he and Pam made AAMI happen and how they kept it happening. Together, their energies seemed boundless. And he was a southern charmer who could connect with anyone. He had great success reaching out to troubled young men. The AAMI Boys Choir kept several generations of young men on the good path. The young men listened to him and when they didn’t, they had to consider the consequences of riling up a man with belt rankings in Taekwondo, Wushu, 3rdMovement, Tang Soo Do, and Wing Chun Kung Fu. James and Pamela’s AAMI has demonstrated its value to the community over the years and hundreds if not thousands of students of all ages have found their musical selves there.
Dr. James Tare Johnson, known to all as Dr. J., was a precious part of the Pittsburgh music family and a pillar of the community. Born in Tennessee, he was raised in Louisiana where his father, the Rev. James T. Johnson, Sr. was a minister in the CME church and his mother, Dayse M. Johnson was a classical pianist. Dr. J’s spiritual faith and sense of service comes as no surprise when one considers the legacy in Christian service of the Johnson family in Louisiana, a family of Bishops, Reverends and Reverend Doctors.
Indeed, Dr J was from a family of high achievers — his cousin Joseph Johnson III, was a PhD physicist from Yale — who nonetheless had charm, style, and talent. About the Johnson men, it was said “they don’t know when to stop going to school and they don’t know when to stop buying clothes.” He had been a music education major at Grambling State College (now University) who concentrated on the violin. Just as Dr J overachieved in life, Grambling was a relatively small school that produced one of the nation’s finest marching bands and top notch musicians as well as Hall of Fame athletes in football and basketball. Grambling was a place of Black achievement. James T. Johnson, Jr. earned an M.A. in ethnomusicology in 1982 and went on to become Dr J when he earned an ethnomusicology PhD at Pitt in 1988.
Dr J came to Pittsburgh in 1977, recruited by Dr. Nathan Davis, who founded the jazz program at the University of Pittsburgh in 1969. He was among the first group of graduate students Davis recruited. The quality of the Davis’ program and graduate students like James Johnson, Jothan Callins, Ricky Watson, and Calvin Stemley led to the arrival of Geri Allen in 1979. It is worth noting that all of those I just mentioned were HBCU graduates.
“Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” Many believe that aphorism is attributed to George Bernard Shaw. Well, don’t believe it. Dr J was a marvelous musician as well as a master teacher. When I met him in 1977, he was already a full-time pianist at Pitt and a very good pianist indeed. Dr. J’s talents have taken him around the world. His travels in music have taken him across America and to the countries of Belgium, Senegal, Ethiopia, Mozambique, South Africa, Ghana, and Canada. As a jazz pianist he has performed with internationally and world-renowned jazz artists. In 2009, the Manchester Craftsman Guild added Dr J to their roster of Pittsburgh Jazz Legends.
Despite his globetrotting career as a pianist and as an educator, Dr. J never left Pitt nor left Pittsburgh. He was an assistant professor at Wright State University (Dayton, Ohio) from 1990 to 1994. He has also been on the part-time faculty of the Community College of Allegheny County, Carlow University and Duquesne University. Along with Dr. Davis, he developed African American Music in the US, a course he taught at the University of Pittsburgh for at least the last 20 years.
Just two years ago (Feb 2024) Pitt recognized Dr. J with several other community leaders during its K. Leroy Irvis Black History Month Celebration. Here is how they described him:
Creative Changemaker: James T. Johnson Jr., — better known as “Dr. J” — has promoted Black music initiatives in Pittsburgh for more than 40 years. Classically trained as a violinist, Johnson was teaching at Grambling State University when he was recruited to the University of Pittsburgh in 1977 by Nathan Davis, founder of Pitt’s Jazz Studies Program. In 1982, Johnson and his wife Pamela founded the African American Music Institute in the city’s Homewood neighborhood. Since that time, the institute has provided workshops, lessons, and public performances for approximately 300 young people every year. He has maintained his connection to Pitt as well, teaching the Music Department’s popular course in “African American Music,” and mentoring graduate students.
Dr James Tare Johnson, Jr., made his life in Pittsburgh count. He grew up in the Civil Rights Movement, when people of conscience were faced with being part of the problem or part of the solution. He brought delight to audiences, elevated spirits and enhanced worship services for church-goers, and improved thousands of lives by teaching and sharing music. Dr J was part of the solution. The proof sits at 7131 Hamilton Ave and in our hearts.
