EKE BBB Posted December 16, 2003 Author Report Posted December 16, 2003 This is how stridepiano.com defines stride piano generations: Generation 1 James P Johnson Willie "the Lion" Smith Luckey Roberts Thomas "Fats" Waller Donald Lambert Bobby Henderson Stephen "the Beetle" Henderson Claude Hopkins Joe Turner Pat Flowers Hank Duncan Cliff Jackson -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Generation 2 Dick Wellstood Ralph Sutton Don Ewell Dick Hyman Johnny Guarnieri Mike Lipskin Neville Dickie -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Generation 3 Louis Mazetier Francois Rilhac Jeff Barnhart Bernd Lhotsky Judy Carmichael Jim Turner Tom Roberts Tom McDermott Marcus Roberts Chris Hopkins Paul Asero Grant Simpson John Royen Olivier Lancelot Any further recommendations? I´m looking forward to buying some Ralph Sutton releases. Where to start? Quote
EKE BBB Posted December 16, 2003 Author Report Posted December 16, 2003 (edited) Anyone heard these two? ( both available at jazzconnaisseur ) Edited December 16, 2003 by EKE BBB Quote
EKE BBB Posted December 16, 2003 Author Report Posted December 16, 2003 WHAT IS STRIDE?........... ....HARLEM STRIDE PIANO by Mike Lipskin "Stride is a jazz piano style originating after the end of World War I, a vibrant and rich jazz idiom with a unique place in American piano. It is special and separate from other formative jazz piano styles, being the most classical/pianistic of jazz styles and drawing on the rich traditions of American pop music as well as Chopin. Like few other jazz piano styles, Stride influenced our pop music and was influenced by it. You can hear George Gershwin and Cole Porter in Stride and you can hear Stride’s influence in George Gershwin and Cole Porter. Of course Duke Ellington was a fine Stride pianist, and his 1920s recordings sometimes sounded like orchestrated James P. Johnson and Willie The Lion Smith. Art Tatum was a Stride pianist, as was Count Basie, and early on, Thelonious Monk and Erroll Garner. The most influential Stride artists, Fats Waller, Willie The Lion Smith, and above all, James P. Johnson, revered classical music and had some formal training. Consequently they were concerned with pianistic dynamics and tone more than those who worked in other styles: boogie woogie, “trumpet style,” “New Orleans” sound and later the “swing” style of Jess Stacy or Joe Sullivan (not to denigrate these other great jazz piano sounds). Waller and Johnson also were song writers with many pop tunes and several hit Broadway shows. Stride is so called because the left hand “strides” or alternates between low octaves or tenths (if you can stretch them) and chords toward middle C, a musical language that must be studied over a period of years so that the performer no longer has to think about each left hand alternation but can mentally program ahead several bars or figures. As most jazz, it is impossible to play properly by reading sheet music, and when younger pianists try to play a Waller or Johnson piece note for note from a written transcriptions, the unique swing and feeling of the style are completely lost. Unfortunately as time passes there is less and less understanding of what is Stride and what is not. Some fault lies with misguided “jazz history” teachers and commentators who bunch much pre-bop piano together, showing their lack scholarly analysis or understanding of this music. The confusion is compounded by other styles where the left hand alternates between the lower bass notes and the middle ones on the keyboard. Ragtime, a simple three theme written non-jazz music is sometimes mistaken for Stride because it preceded the form, and has the alternating left hand. Often the listener, who really cannot hear and is concerned about sounding knowledgeable calls Stride, ragtime). The harmonics and rhythms of ragtime are much simpler, more repeated, and it derives from fewer sources. Some think that Teddy Wilson, Jess Stacey and Jelly Roll Morton play Stride because alternating left hands occur in their performance. However in Stride there is a far different tension and release between the hands in rhythm and between parts of a performance in both time and dynamics. Then there is the disappointing fact that many hear a little of mislabeled Stride, actually Disneyland music, (played by some who started at Disneyland and pizza joints) think it’s the real thing. Finally, to play Stride means playing a whole song with variations on a theme for several minutes, not just 2 or 4 bars of imitative Stride with mistakes in the left hand, between whatever other style you are playing. It means subtly varying the dynamics, with minute retard and anticipation between right and left hands. The sense of order underlying improvisation is sonic craftsmanship supreme. Now, if I really liked the style I would have written more effusively about it. " Mike Lipskin Quote
EKE BBB Posted December 17, 2003 Author Report Posted December 17, 2003 I finally picked Classics 692: Willie the Lion Smith 1938-40. What a superb disc! The 14 tracks the Lion did for Commodore on 1-10-1939 are among the best piano music I´ve ever listened. I like, above all, his eight compositions ( Morning air, Echoes of spring, Concentrating, Fading star, Passionette, Rippling waters, Sneakaway and Finger buster). To these ears, some of these 14 songs are not "pure" stride piano: I can´t hear those left-hand patterns (oom-pahs). But it´s great music anyway. Quote
clandy44 Posted December 19, 2003 Report Posted December 19, 2003 EKE BBB-Thanks for this thread. I just discovered it (where have I been?). Love stride...can't get enough of James P or Fats. Gonna buy some Luckey and go for the Joe Turner Solo. Strongly recommend Ralph Sutton's work-literally all of it. You might try Alligator Crawl or Swings St Louis (beautifully recorded on the obscure label Gaslight). His work with Ruby Braff also quite nice as are the two Live at Sunnie's discs. Quote
EKE BBB Posted December 19, 2003 Author Report Posted December 19, 2003 (edited) EKE BBB-Thanks for this thread. I just discovered it (where have I been?). Love stride...can't get enough of James P or Fats. Gonna buy some Luckey and go for the Joe Turner Solo. Strongly recommend Ralph Sutton's work-literally all of it. You might try Alligator Crawl or Swings St Louis (beautifully recorded on the obscure label Gaslight). His work with Ruby Braff also quite nice as are the two Live at Sunnie's discs. Thanks for the recommendations, clandy! I was planning to pick a few Ralph Sutton and Dick Wellstood releases after Christmas. Edited December 19, 2003 by EKE BBB Quote
brownie Posted December 19, 2003 Report Posted December 19, 2003 Would also recommend Don Ewell's 'Man Here Plays Fine Piano', a great Good Time Jazz 1957 session (out on OJC) with veterans Darnell Howard, Pops Foster and Minor Hall. Highly enjoyable date. Plus one of the very best sound that ever produced by aster engineer Roy DuNann! The title says it all. Don Ewell plays mighty fine piano! There's another GTJ album by the same crew 'Music to Listen to Don Ewell By' which is also very good. Quote
agriffith Posted December 21, 2003 Report Posted December 21, 2003 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. Yes, the Storyville cd is the Pumpkin recordings, although it does not include ALL of them. The "Classics In Stride" lp is reissued in it's entirety (makes up the first 14 tracks I believe) and the "Harlem Stride Classics" lp is represented by the remaining tracks on the cd, but with about 4 tunes omitted. INCREDIBLE PLAYING! GET IT! Does anybody have the Lambert "Giant Stride" lp on Circle (or was it Solo Art?)? Quote
EKE BBB Posted February 24, 2004 Author Report Posted February 24, 2004 Ralph Sutton : Wondrous Piano: Private Family Recordings 1961 (Arbors Records) Highly recommended! Beautiful piano playing: sometimes stride, sometimes Wallerian joyful "tickling", sometimes plainly swingin´ music (according to the liner notes, written by Sutton´s brother-in-law, this is the swingingest and most relaxed Ralph Sutton you´ll ever get!) Quote
EKE BBB Posted February 24, 2004 Author Report Posted February 24, 2004 Herman Chittison, anyone? I don't have that one, but I have this one! Recently released: Herman Chittison - 1945-50 (Chronological Jazz Classics 1334) Any comments? Quote
EKE BBB Posted February 24, 2004 Author Report Posted February 24, 2004 After listening to "Spanish Fandango" (Luckey Roberts) from this disc... ..I´ve learnt Flamenco-Jazz was created long before Pedro Iturralde even thought about it and nearly even before Chano Domínguez or Jorge Pardo were born! Don´t know what purists of Flamenco would think about it, but this theme´s a killer, IMHO. Actually, the whole disc is a must-have! I find a classical influence in Luckey Roberts playing (amazing playing, BTW !!!) and in some tracks The Lion plays some of the purest left-hand stride patterns I´ve listened to, though it´s recorded in the 50´s... long time after the Stride Piano Golden Era. Quote
Lumin Posted January 3, 2005 Report Posted January 3, 2005 (edited) Great info on Donald Lambert I know this is a really old topic, but I came across it trying to get more info on something I found. I actually came across a few sealed copies of the Donald Lambert "Harlem Stride Classics" lp on Pumpkin. I see that a few of you were recommending it, if it could be found If anyone would like a copy, get at me. I know multiple copies just sitting in my collection do me no good. I have 4 copies, all unplayed. 3 still sealed and 1 with the seal broken. The pumpkin seals werent the best in the business. I also have a few other pumpkin releases available. Might just throw those in as a bonus if anyone wants one. Peace Edited January 3, 2005 by Lumin Quote
EKE BBB Posted August 31, 2005 Author Report Posted August 31, 2005 From the Stride Piano mail list: Dick Hyman & Dick Wellstood collaborate on a great CD from Sackville - SKCD2-2064, entitled "STRIDEMONSTER". I highly recommend it. 10 of the tracks were originally recorded in 1986 on Unisson LP DDA 1006. The other 4 have never been issued, until now, and were recorded at Harbourfront, Toronto, in 1987. Enjoy! Ben Ferguson Looks like a winner! Quote
EKE BBB Posted August 31, 2005 Author Report Posted August 31, 2005 From worldsrecords.com: DICK HYMAN / DICK WELLSTOOD - STRIDEMONSTER Description: Usually two piano teams are co operative. These guys are competitive, agreeing on the tune they'll play, but that's about all. Mostly, Hyman's offerings are elegant, reasonable and impeccably played. Wellstood's music is highly personal, crackling with energy, finding freshness in traditional jazz piano. At the core though, both Hyman and Wellstood revere the work of James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, Willie 'The Lion' Smith and all the other early stridemonsters, and they create their music in that spirit of wanton heed and cunning abandon. This is the original Unisson LP plus an additional tune from the 1986 studio session as well as three performances fro mStridemonster's June 1987 appearance at Toronto's Harbourfront. Songs: Keep Off The Grass Like Someone In Love I've Got A Crush On You Who? Birmingham Breakdown Froggie Moore Thou Swell Caravan Snowy Morning Blues What's The Use Of Being Alone? Fine And Dandy California Here I COme Old Man River Manhattan - The Sidewalks Of New York Quote
Kalo Posted September 2, 2005 Report Posted September 2, 2005 thelonious monk strode, too. ← And Jaki Byard and Dick Hyman and Dave Burrell and Uri Caine and Jason Moran... I need to peruse this thread again and catch up on more of the oldtimers. I've got stuff from James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, and Ellington (though not enough) but I could use a lot more stride in my life. Quote
EKE BBB Posted September 23, 2005 Author Report Posted September 23, 2005 Despite the lukewarm AMG review, this is a fabulous CD on Black Lion. I recently bought it and it has become one of my favorite post-40 stride piano discs. The renditions of "Carolina shout" (2 takes), "Honeysuckle Rose" or "Crazy rhythm" (2 takes) are simply mind-blowing. BTW: original recordings were produced by Chris Albertson. Don´t miss it! Quote
EKE BBB Posted September 23, 2005 Author Report Posted September 23, 2005 Quoting Chris Albertson from another board: When I produced a solo album with Cliff Jackson (in 1961) we intended doing it in one day, but his "Honeysuckle Rose" cracked the piano's base board. We completed the session a couple of weeks later, by which time we were in 1962. Any more remembrances from that date, Chris? Quote
Harold_Z Posted September 23, 2005 Report Posted September 23, 2005 The Cliff Jackson date is excellent. CD Univese has STRIDEMONSTER on sale. I forget the exact price, but I ordered it a couple of days ago. Quote
EKE BBB Posted January 18, 2006 Author Report Posted January 18, 2006 ... CD Univese has STRIDEMONSTER on sale. I forget the exact price, but I ordered it a couple of days ago. Anycomments on "Stridemonster", Harold? Very good or excellent? Quote
EKE BBB Posted January 18, 2006 Author Report Posted January 18, 2006 Just discovered this website dedicated to the Lion. http://www.njn.net/artsculture/williethelion/index.html Anyone cares to comment on the "Willie The Lion" DVD? Quote
AllenLowe Posted January 18, 2006 Report Posted January 18, 2006 I'm not sure I want my ass blown from the piano - actually I'm not sure what that means, exactly - Quote
EKE BBB Posted January 18, 2006 Author Report Posted January 18, 2006 I'm not sure I want my ass blown from the piano - actually I'm not sure what that means, exactly - No sexual connotation, just a (probably unintelligible) "poetic license" from an English non-native speaker. Quote
AllenLowe Posted January 18, 2006 Report Posted January 18, 2006 sorry - just being a wise guy (I would say wise ass, but that would be a bit much) - Quote
EKE BBB Posted October 10, 2006 Author Report Posted October 10, 2006 I´ve interviewed Bernd Lhotzky, the wonderful German stride pianist, for Tomajazz. It is now available at: Tomajazz - Main page / News Interview with Bernd Lhotzky Quote
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