A solo jazz piano style that arose after 1910, and especially in the 1920s, in Harlem, New York, and hence sometimes takes the name ‘Harlem school’. It is largely derived from ragtime, adapting ragtime's left-hand patterns to form the distinctive ‘stride bass’ (ex.1). Such patterns were often varied, however, and in the best performances led to spontaneous and inventive cross-rhythms, polymetres and surprising harmonic effects. The bass represents only one of the increased virtuoso demands of the stride style, which in general called for fast tempos, full use of the piano's range and a wide array of pianistic devices, some from the classical repertory in which many of the Harlem pianists (notably James P. Johnson and Fats Waller) were trained. The style was practised most widely at social gatherings, particularly at Harlem's informal ‘rent parties’. Johnson, Waller and Willie ‘The Lion’ Smith were much recorded, though other leading stride pianists like Luckey Roberts are less well represented on disc, and the apparently influential Abba Labba (Richard McLean) made no recordings. The style exercised great influence on subsequent jazz pianism, Duke Ellington, Art Tatum and Thelonious Monk freely expressing their debt to it. With the resurgence of historical jazz styles in the 1970s, stride piano has once again become commercially viable, attracting a number of highly accomplished specialist performers and an appreciative international audience.
Grove J (‘Piano’)
SchullerEJ
R. Blesh and H. Janis: They All Played Ragtime (New York, 1950, 4/1971)
P.S. Machlin: Stride: the Music of Fats Waller (Boston, 1985)
J.L. Fell: Stride! Fats, Jimmy, Lion, Lamb and All the Other Ticklers (Lanham, MD, 1999)
J. BRADFORD ROBINSON