Alley | Cat Strut Oscar Holden Patched

He picked up his trumpet case. He had a rehearsal in the morning, a bunch of young kids who could play fast but didn't know how to tell a story yet. They needed to learn the strut.

Because has become a symbol of "lost" American culture. Unlike Louis Armstrong or Duke Ellington, Holden never sought the limelight. He was content to be the best-kept secret of the Pacific Northwest. alley cat strut oscar holden

For decades, this track has lived in the shadows of mainstream jazz standards, yet it remains a cornerstone for collectors of "taxi piano," West Coast ragtime, and early territorial band jazz. If you have never heard the name or tapped your foot to the lazy, predatory swing of the "Alley Cat Strut," you are about to discover one of the most flavorful pieces of American piano history. He picked up his trumpet case