Stride Piano

The Stride piano is a direct successor of Ragtime. But the Stride style offers more opportunities to improvise than Ragtime. It was created before World War I in Harlem by pionieers such as James P. Johnson, Willie "The Lion" Smith and Fats Waller. The latter also became an important pioneer for the development of Swing piano.

The Stride pianist are keen about technical perfection, and tunes like James P. Johnson’s "Carolina Shout" or Fats Waller’s "Handful of Keys" became testing tunes for up-and-coming pianists.

In recent years, a independent, young Stride piano scene has established itself in Europe and particularly in the U. S., which takes care of this style at a growing level.