Stride piano

Stride is a pioneering jazz piano style. The distinctive technique was originated in Harlem during World War I by Luckey Roberts and James P. Johnson. It was partially influenced by ragtime but as a jazz piano idiom, features improvisation, blue notes, and swing rhythms which its predecessor did not. The practitioners of this style practiced a very full jazz piano style that made use of classical devices. They sometimes engaged in cutting contests to show off their skill.