The Whirlwind Stride Piano Stylings of Count Basie and Duke Ellington

The spirit of 1932

In 1932, both the Count and the Duke were just a few steps away from the rent parties of 1920’s Harlem, where they both could hold their own in tough company.

Basie is in Bennie Moten’s band, playing “Prince of Wails.” (Aka “Prince of Wales.”)

Ellington is leading his own band (who only comes in at the end) in “Fast and Furious.”

Intriguingly, both tracks end with wild splashing chords and rhapsodic octave runs out of tempo, giving the music a “concerto” feel.

In a cutting contest I would give Basie the nod, he is more relaxed and more accurate, and probably more natural at it to begin with. While economy would become his trademark, Basie stayed in the stride game at least through The Atomic Mr. Basie in 1957; the opening “The Kid From Red Bank” has some whirlwind left hand.

However, in the long view, Ellington developed into the greater piano stylist, with canonical trio records to his credit alongside many lovely solo piano pieces and cadenzas.

As far as I know, there is no example of Basie playing a whole track solo piano. Can anyone think of an example of Basie solo? There are many short unaccompanied intros, but (I think) no track-length solos.

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