Well, then.  I don't think Jimmy Blythe was a Stride Pianist, and
John Farrell doesn't think he was a Boogie Pianist -- let's stick with
Robbie's description of South Side Chicago Style!

John's description of Stride as the 'most macho of jazz piano styles'
reminds me of the rolls of Lem Fowler that were recut a few years back
by BluesTone.

An extremely obscure pianist, he made a series of rolls for QRS in the
late 1920s, two or three of which contain some of the most driving
Stride Piano you'll find.  The only thing is, he achieves the drive and
power not with great big clusters and runs of notes but with an almost
sparse technique.  Much of the time his right hand plays only one or
two notes, and his left hand sticks to simple chords and single notes
as well.

The rolls have probably the least amount of perforations I've ever
seen, yet the result is electrifying.  It's pure Harlem Stride,
achieved by someone with a technique a long way from the mainstream,
and not really macho at all.  Fowler made only a handful of discs, and
doesn't appear in reference books, yet his rolls (perhaps with Lawrence
Cook's assistance?) are some of the best.  It makes you wonder what
else you could have heard at the time that was never recorded or
documented.

If anyone wants to try these rolls, perhaps the 'hottest' are Fowler's
Hot Strut and Percolatin' Blues (both of which are described as
'stomps'). They are still in the BluesTone catalogue.  If you like
quality playing get all the 12 listed!

Julian Dyer

 [ I have 'em!  They sound best with a pumper piano, where you can
 [ really accent 'em !  -- Robbie