A Genealogy of Tradition - A Comparative Study of Stride Style and Scale Usage in the Jazz Pianism of Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson

This study compares and analyzes the usage patterns of stride style and scale-based techniques in Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson’s performances of Body and Soul. Although both pianists base their interpretations on the same tune, they exhibit clear differences in melodic construction, rhythmic development, and improvisational approach. Tatum expands the expressive range of traditional stride style by utilizing thirty-second note scale passages, double-time, and even 8ths rhythm. In contrast, Peterson presents his own interpretation through patterned passages, shuffle rhythms, and changes in left-hand voicing within the stride style. Through this, the study aims to reveal that jazz pianism is not a fixed form, but one that can be flexibly structured according to each performer’s interpretation and aesthetics.