Alley Cat Strut Oscar Holden [better] · Trusted Source

Oscar William Holden (1886–1969) was a central figure in the flourishing jazz culture of Seattle's Jackson Street from the 1920s through the 1960s.

is not the most famous song in the jazz canon. It doesn't have the swing of "Take the A Train" or the bravado of "Round Midnight." But it has something rarer: it has the truth of a specific time, place, and animal spirit.

Holden dedicates the tune to the two children after finding them listening from an alleyway. alley cat strut oscar holden

The is built on three distinct pillars:

"Walking down the alley, don't you lose your stride, If that tomcat hisses, you just step aside. Oscar's on the eighty-eights, playing something blue, That alley cat strut is the only thing to do." Oscar William Holden (1886–1969) was a central figure

: Keiko later buys a rare recording of the song. However, as Executive Order 9060 leads to the forced internment of Japanese Americans, the record is left behind in the basement of the Panama Hotel , becoming a "precious item" and a symbol of their interrupted relationship. The Real Oscar Holden

Did you grow up hearing Oscar Holden play around Seattle? Or do you just love a good piano stride? Drop a 🎹 in the comments if this is your kind of swing! Holden dedicates the tune to the two children

: Holden was known for a "powerhouse" stride style similar to Fats Waller and possessed a deep classical background.