James P. Johnson, one of the originators of stride piano, was a composer, arranger, and self-taught pianist who played at rent parties, cabarets, and vaudeville. He was a seminal figure in Harlem's jazz scene, teaching and influencing other musicians. Some of the specific songs that showcase Johnson's unique style are "Carolina Shout," "You've Got to be Modernistic," and "Jingles."

To start learning how to sing like James P. Johnson, it's essential to understand his energetic and rhythmic style. In his stride piano playing, he emphasized on the beats of each bar while keeping the right hand chords improvisational over the walking bass line of the left hand. This style creates both virtuosity and harmonic complexity.

Here are some practical steps to help you start sounding like James P. Johnson:

• First, learn the basics of swing rhythm, which creates the foundation for Johnson's style. This guide on how to analyze your voice will help you with that.
• Second, learn about voice types, so you can identify where your voice fits. Johnson sang in baritone and bass-baritone ranges, with excellent projection and timbre.
• Third, develop breathing basics so that your vocal support technique can keep up with Johnson's improvisational style.
• Fourth, understand and practice voice registers. Johnson used falsetto and head voice specifically in his performances.
• Fifth, develop your breath support, open your mouth and throat, practice articulation, and learn about resonance in singing, to gain a more polished and professional sound.

Using these practical steps will help to solidify the fundamentals of James P. Johnson's style. From there, you can build upon more contemporary techniques like belting, twang, and vocal distortion. You can find tips on these techniques on Contemporary vocal techniques: Heavy modal, Twang, Belting and Vocal distortion & Growling articles and exercise videos. It is essential to practice regularly your warm-ups and exercises included in the Pitch Training - Educational Singing Game and Educational singing course resources.

Finally, when you search for songs to perform like James P. Johnson, use the Search songs by vocal range and Vocal ranges of famous singers resources to find the perfect match. For the finishing touch, you can use the Song-book to get linked lyrics, sheet music, and karaoke tracks.

By following the steps outlined above, you will be well on your way to singing like James P. Johnson. To further improve, experiment with your voice and have fun with your singing.