Harlem stride pianists

[EKE BBB]

Lately I´m reading about and listening to some stride piano.

The term stride comes from the action of the left hand, which supplies a constant beat against a melodious right hand. The left hand jumps from strong upbeats (either single-note, octaves or tenths) to chordal downbeats (usually triads or tetrads, but sometimes single notes). Variety is given to the left-hand accompaniment through a walking-bass pattern, melodic episodes, arpeggiation and other techniques).

(NOTE: "copy and paste" definition I read. Not mine! )

The first generation of stride pianists did include, of course, James P Johnson (1894-1955), Willie "the Lion" Smith (1897-1973), and Thomas "Fats" Waller (1904-1943)

But another bunch of "more obscure" players

-Luckey Roberts (1887-1968), who really preceded stride piano!

-Donald Lambert (1904-62)

-Stephen "the Beetle" Henderson

-Claude Hopkins (1903-1984)

-Pat Flowers

-Joe Turner

-Hank Duncan

-Cliff Jackson

(and we shouldn´t forget Duke and Basie were stride pianists, launched and taught by the Lion, Fats or James P.... and Art Tatum was influenced by them!)

These highly technically gifted musicians take part in cutting contests in house rent parties and clubs... were they would cut you in and blow your ass from the piano (as Basie remembers in his memoirs).

I´d like to know your impressions on this style, these players, interesting recordings, cutting contests.... and recommended further reading!

Edited October 11, 2006 by EKE BBB

[Harold_Z]

I love Stride Piano. When those guys hit a groove they LOCKED in and it rocked like crazy. All the guys mentioned above were great.

I like the Fats piano solos that were available on a 2 cd set from RCA (or on an earlier 2 lp set).

There was a terrific lp by Hank Duncan called HOT PIANO on Grand Ball records that is very obscure. It's great! Hank is ROCK SOLID. If you can find the Jazztone Tony Parenti lp with Hank on it called Happy Jazz (aka Jazz, That's All) Hank sounds great on this also.

The Willie The Lion Commodore stuff or the "Memoirs" on RCA. Or anything else you can find.

There's a good STRIDIN' JOE TURNER cd on Jazzology.

Also - Don't forget Dick Wellstood. He had Stride down. He's close to the top of the list for my money. The two disc set that is on Arbors is a terrific example - or the Chiarasuro release available. Both releases are recorded live at a gig.

Same goes for Don Ewell. He shouldn't be overlooked. He could strid with the best of them.

(edit added) He could STRIDE too!

Also - Monk's take on stride shouldn't be overlooked (nothing Monk did should be overlooked). I see his solo work as HIS kind of stride.

Edited October 7, 2003 by Harold_Z

[jazzbo]

I'm with you guys. I love all piano jazz, and stride is an important part of that for me. Dick Wellstood. . . WHOA NELLIE!

[Chuck Nessa]

If you can find it, Donald Lambert's first Pumpkin lp has an unbelievable version of The Trolley Song. I also want to second the recommendation of the Joe Turner Solo Art disc.

[WD45]

My most-played disc of stride comes from Lucky Roberts and Willie 'the Lion' Smith. Killer stuff!

[EKE BBB]

Many of these legendary "ticklers" were under recorded (or never recorded!)

Stephen "The Beetle" Henderson was one of those myths, and the only two surviving tracks by him proced from an Art Hodes radio show around 1940. This show was recorded (transcription disc), and it was included in an Euphonic LP (Paul Affeldt´s label) called "Kings of Harlem Stride", which included rare tracks by James P., Fats and these two tracks by the Beetle!

These two tracks are James P. Johnson´s tunes - "Carolina Shout" and "Keep Off The Grass" - and he plays both in the key of B flat. Johnson had written them in G and F.

As far as I know, this LP (which, of course, I do not own) has never been reissued on CD.

In his liner notes, Affeldt included all of the -- very slim -- biographical information he'd been able to collect on the Beetle, almost entirely consisting of a list of references to him by the other stride masters. Apparently, Henderson was notably flakey about showing up for gigs. He was scheduled to finally have a recording session, and he never showed up... cause he died!

[Joe]

Herman Chittison, anyone?

[Shrdlu]

I grew up on Fats Waller 78s, and I've always loved stride. It was a delight to be able to get virtually ALL of Fats's RCA Victor recordings on CD a few years back.

I've always liked it when Monk kicked into stride. He wasn't a bop pianist at all; he was a sort of modern stride player. A huge chunk of his work on his last recording session (the so-called London session) is stride.

The recently re-reissued Bud Powell album ("The Scene Changes") has a bit of stride, too!

Who can forget Jaki Byard striding, as well.

And, in the Bill Evans Verve box set, there's a spoof version of "Dark Eyes" on which Bill strides and Elvin does a Gene Krupa.

[brownie]

If you can find it, Donald Lambert's first Pumpkin lp has an unbelievable version of The Trolley Song. I also want to second the recommendation of the Joe Turner Solo Art disc.

Never could get my hands on that Pumpkin Donald Lambert. I have the Jazzophile 'Giant Stride' LP which was recorded at around the same time. The LP opens with 'a smashing 'Trolley Song'. Is it very different from the Pumpkin version?

While looking for Donald Lambert lore found this on a 'stridepiano.com' site:

The story goes that at the 1960 Newport Jazz Festival's Piano Workshop, Lambert beat both Eubie Blake and Willie "The Lion" Smith in a cutting contest. Then, if that weren't enough, he challenged Art Tatum to step into the ring. And all of this without being able to read a note of music.

This must have been Tatum's ghost since the Master passed away in 1956.

Also second the recommendation for Joe Turner. Went to hear him a number of occasions when he played in Paris in the sixties at the 'La Calavados' club off the Champs-Elysees avenue.

Edited October 9, 2003 by brownie

[EKE BBB]

In his memoirs, Count Basie recalls a legendary left-handed pianist, Seminole (Basie actually doesn´t mention Seminole was a stride pianist, and this story was in Tulsa and not in Harlem, but it happened by the times stride piano was all the rage).

Seminole could play with his left hand all that Basie could play with his right hand... and Basie was cut in from the club he was playing at!

I haven´t seen any mention of this player in the tomes I´ve perused. Any help?

[EKE BBB]

Any more Joe Turner recommendations?

[Chuck Nessa]

I used to have a nice Joe Turner lp on Black and Blue. It was a trio date with Jo Jones. The Solo Art recording, which debuted on the 77 label was much more exciting.

[Alexander Hawkins]

I don't know as much of this music as I'd like to, but for some unbelievable stride, the Art Tatum versions of 'Song of the Vagabond' take some beating..!

[Larry Kart]

A Donald Lambert-Tatum story from Dick Wellstood's great notes to Lambert's Pumpkin LP:

"One night Lambert got all liquored up in Jersey [where he lived] and headed for Harlem, looking to do battle with Tatum, who was generally acknowledged to be the King. He found Tatum and Marlowe Morris (considered second only to Tatum), sitting in the back room of some bar. Lambert flung himself at the piano, crying, 'I've come for you, Tatum!' and things of that nature, and launched into some blistering stride. Tatum heard him out. When it was all over and Lambert stood up, defiant, Tatum said quietly, 'Take him, Marlowe.' "

[Christiern]

Wellstood tells the same story in the notes to the just released Storyville Don Lambert CD. I wonder if the Storyville release is the old Pumpkin in new dress? There is nothing to indicate that.

[EKE BBB]

Re: Willie The Lion Smith

Is there any way - apart from Classics 1938/40 - to get his famous Commodore 1939 solos on CD?

[EKE BBB]

My most-played disc of stride comes from Lucky Roberts and Willie 'the Lion' Smith. Killer stuff!

Do you know if that Good Time Jazz LP is on CD?

[Chuck Nessa]

Good Time Jazz GTJCD-10035.

[EKE BBB]

Good Time Jazz GTJCD-10035.

Ooops, I hadn´t found it a as a CD.

Thanks, Chuck!

[Brownian Motion]

Anyone know anything about strider Charlie Lewis, who made solo sides in Paris in 1940, or '41? One of his tunes was "April in Paris"--I don't know of an earlier jazz recording of this chestnut.

[brownie]

Charlie Lewis was an American jazz pianist who played in France in the late '30s. He stayed in France after the German nazi troops invaded the country in May-June 1940. The four sides (including 'April in Paris') he recorded in Paris in April 1941 are included in volume 99 (Harlem Piano in Montmartre) of the 'Jazz in Paris' series.

Seems that his name was changed to a more French-sounding Charles Louis at the time.

He made appearances with Django Reinhardt and trumpet player Philippe Brun during the German occupation.

He also appears - with the Andre Ekyan Ensemble - on two sides of volume 100 Jazz sous l'occupation) of the Jazz in Paris series.

I'm pretty sure he is mentioned in the Mike Zwerin book on Swing and the Nazis but I don't have the book with me right now.

[brownie]

More on Charles Lewis who has an interesting story.

According to Alain Tercinet in the liner notes to the 'Jazz in Paris ' CD Harlem Piano in Montmartre', Lewis was a friend of George Gershwin who arrived in Paris in 1928 to join a band Noble Sissle was assembling. The job did not materialize but Lewis chose to stay in Paris where he played in various clubs. During the German occupation, he metamorphosed into a French colony citizen under the alias 'Charles Louis'.

After the war he wrote a thesis on 'Marcel Proust and his music' for the University of Vermont in 1970!

By the way, the April 1941 date in the liner notes to the CD is wrong. The Tom Lord discography has this recorded in April 1945 (after the August 1944 liberation of Paris) which must be right since 'April in Paris' and the other three tunes were recorded for the Eddie and Nicole Barclay's Blue Star label that was launched in 1945.

For another great 'April in Paris' stride version check 'The Great Mingus Concert' reissue from Universal France which opens with a hitherto unissued 'ATFW' piano solo where Jacki Byard plays stride variations around several tunes including 'April in Paris'.

[EKE BBB]

Just picked the Storyville Donald Lambert release Chris mentioned above. Amazing playing!

Here you have some data from the Storyville website:

DONALD LAMBERT Recorded 1959-1961

LABEL: Storyville Records

CATALOG NUMBER: 101 8376

GENRE: Jazz

BARCODE: 717101837625

Donald Lambert (Piano)

Anitra’s Dance / Tea For Two / Liza / I’ve Got A Feeling That I’m Falling/Don’t Let It Bother You / Harlem Strut / Beautiful Love/Sweet Lorraine / People Will Say We’re In Love / Hold Your Temper / Moonlight Sonata / Save Your Sorrow / I Know That You Know / As Time Goes By / Sextet From Lucia Di Lammermoor / Hallelujah / The Trolley Song / Daintiness Rag / When Your Lover Has Gone / Keep Off The Grass / Carolina Shout / I’m Just Wild About Harry / You Can’t Do What My Last Man Did / If Dreams Come True / How Can You Face Me / Russian Lullaby

This 69-minute CD (24 tunes), featuring Donald Lambert playing solo piano exclusively, was recorded live in 1959-61; the music has never been released before. The music was recorded in a relaxed, intimate club setting and features standards, show tunes, and many numbers by stride-piano masters such as James P. Johnson and Eubie Blake. Donald Lambert was a stride pianist, where a strong rhythm is always patiently kept by the left hand, without much improvising.

Lambert had a fierce left hand – in the tradition of James P. Johnson, Fats Waller and Willie ”The Lion” Smith - while his right hand was often delicate, lyrical and his phrasing exquisite. This CD is full of brilliant stride piano classics, such as ”Hallelujah”, ”Trolley Song” and the powerful ”Keep Off the Grass” - plus Beethoven’s ”Moonlight Sonata”(!).

[EKE BBB]

Regarding the definition and description of “stride piano” I find very interesting the liner notes for the above mentioned Storyville Donald Lambert release, written by stride pianist Dick Wellstood:

“Since this is an album of stride piano classics by a noted stride pianist, Donald Lambert, it seems to me a good occasion to set down a description of some of the basic characteristics of stride.

I would like to say, first, that I don´t like the term “stride” any more than I like the term “jazz”. When I was a kid the old-timers used to call stride piano “shout piano”, an agreeably expressive description, and when once I mentioned stride to Eubie Blake, he replied “My God, what won´t they call ragtime next?” Terms, terms. Terms make music into a bundle of objects – a box of stride, a pound of Baroque – Lambert played music, not “stride”, just as Bach wrote music, not “Baroque”. Musicians make music, which critics later label, as if to fit it into so many jelly jars. Bastards.

Having demurred thus, may I say that stride is indeed a sort of ragtime, looser than Joplin´s “classic rag”, but sharing with it the marchlike structures and oom-pah bass. Conventional wisdom has it that striding is largely a matter of playing a heavy oom-pah in the left hand, but conventional wisdom is mistaken, as usual. Franz Liszt, Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, Earl Hines, Teddy Wilson, Erroll Garner, and Pauline Alpert all monger a good many oom-pahs, and whatever their other many virtues, none of them play stride.

To begin with, stride playing requires a certain characteristic rhythmic articulation, for the nature of which I can only refer you to recordings by such as Eubie Blake, Luckey Roberts, James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, Willie The Lion Smith and Donald Lambert. The feel of stride is a kind of soft-shoe 12/8 rather than the 8/8 of ragtime, and though the left hand plays oom-pahs, the total feeling is frequently an accented four-beat rather than the two-beat you might expect. For instance, the drummer Jo Jones once told me that when Basie played stride he would play a soft four on his brass drum, accenting however, the first and third beats. This would be perfect. A straight four is too confining; a simple two makes you seasick. At any rate, the characteristic rhythms of stride are provided by the right hand, not the left. It is possible to play an otherwise impeccable stride bass and ruin it by playing inappropriate right hand patterns. By pulling and tugging at the rhythms of the left, the right hand provides the swing.

Now, if the right hand is to be able to do this, the left hand must be, not only quasimetronomic, but also totally in charge. The propulsion, what musicians nowadays call the “time” must always be in the left hand. This is what Eubie Blake means when he says, “The left hand is very important in ragtime”. To a non-performer, the lefthand dominance probably seems either unimportant or self-evident, but it is the crux of a successful stride performance. If, in the heat of battle, the time switches to the right hand (because perhaps of a series of heavily accented figures), leaving the left hand merely to wag, then the momentum goes out the window. The left hand must always be the boss and leave the right hand free to use whatever vocalized inflections the player desires.

Stride bass is not just an old oom-pah, either. The bass note, the “oom”, should be in the register of the string bass a full two octaves or more below middle C – an octave or so lower than was used by Joplin or Morton. And the “pah” chord is usually voiced around middle C – one or two inversions higher than Joplin or Morton (here, as elsewhere, I´m referring strictly to Lambert-style fast stride and am also generalizing wildly, of course). Moreover, the bass note is ideally a single note, not an octave, except in certain emphatic passages. The use of an octave would shorten the stretch between bass note and chord, and it is this wide stretch that gives stride its full sound. The wide stretch means that the player can activate the overtones of the piano by pedalling techniques ususable by Joplin or Morton, the denser tenture of whose playing would have been unbearably muddied by the sophisticated pedalling of, say, Waller.

Stride bass lines move in scalar patterns, too. Ragtime stuck largely to roots and fifths with most of the scalar motion in the tenor parts but stride pianists. Having more room in the bass, can walk up and down scales in a way that is very difficult in the shorter span of the earlier pianists.

One can also use in the left hand what pianists called in my youth “back beats”, where one disrupts the rhythm temporally by playing oom-pah, oom-pah, oom-oom-pah, oom-pah, oom-oom-pah, and so on. With luck it comes out even, without sounding like one of Leonard Bernstein´s early works.

To stride is to have patience, not to be in a hurry to get things over with. Lambert could play pieces in which the melody would allow a harmonic change perhaps only every four bars, requiring his left hand to pump patiently away for what seems like hours. And the late Ben Webster was an ardent stride pianist, whose pet piece was a version of East Side, West Side in long meter with lots of left hand, to wit: (East!)-oom-pah, oom-pah, (Side!)-pah, oom-pah, oom-pah, oom-pah, (West!)-pah, oom-pah, oom-pah, oom-pah, (Side!)-pah, oom-pah, oom-pah, and so on, ad infinitum, ad wolgast Fantastic patience!

If all this sounds rather difficult and complicated, you may be sure that it is. In a world full of pianists who can rattle off fast oom-pahs or Chick Corea solo transcriptions or the Elliot Carter Sonata, there are perhaps only a dozen who can play stride convincingly at any length and with the proper energy….”

[BERIGAN]

Herman Chittison, anyone?

I don't have that one, but I have this one!