If ragtime piano can be seen as the starting point in the evolution of jazz piano, then the next step in that evolutionary process wasn't a step all; it was a "stride." Around 1920, the popularity of ragtime piano began to wane, as blues music became the new fad. In response to this — while also incorporating some of the influence of Tin Pan Alley — several pianists, primarily in Harlem, began to experiment with a blending of styles. The result was stride piano.
Stride pianists took the basic left-hand "oompah" rhythm of ragtime, but played it with more swing and complexity, while the right hand played the melody and the ever-increasing improvisations upon it. As the left-hand bass-playing became more complex and contrapuntal, it required a broader use of the bottom end of the piano, so the pianist's left hand had to literally "stride" greater distances up and down the keyboard — often at great speed.
In this list, we'll hear from some of the great stride players. Of course, in a five-song list, we can't include all the greats, though we do manage to squeeze six pianists into five songs. So if you're a stride fan, be sure to leave a comment about some of your favorites so that we can all dig a little deeper into this delightful music.
Stride Piano: Bottom-End Jazz
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7r7zRZ6arn19nfXJ8jmlraGliZH5zgZVxcHFsYGTAtb7InZxmqJmWu7B5wairraedYrKvsIyjmLOy