This piece was recorded in the early 1920's by one of the founding fathers of stride piano, James P.Johnson. Called ragtime or eastern ragtime at the time it was being created, eventually this style became known as stride piano, referring to the rapidly moving left hand. Johnsons star piano pupil Thomas "Fats" Waller went on to popularize this idiom, which remains a part of the jazz piano vernacular. To hear a midi file of Mark Templeton playing this excerpt click play
