Alley Cat Strut Oscar Holden Access

In musical terms, a "strut" is a dance rhythm popularized during the ragtime and early jazz eras. It is characterized by a proud, chest-out, swinging 4/4 tempo. Imagine a stray cat walking confidently down a moonlit alleyway, completely unbothered by the dangers around it. That is the sonic image Holden paints.

So, the next time you are walking down a dark street at midnight, put on Keep your shoulders back. Pick up your feet. And walk with the confidence of a tomcat who owns every brick on the block. That is the Oscar Holden way. alley cat strut oscar holden

The rumored chorus goes something like this: "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." Holden never officially published lyrics, likely because the "alley cat" in question was a coded reference to the late-night "sporting life"—gamblers, hustlers, and ladies of the night who utilized the back alleys of Seattle’s Pioneer Square. The "strut" was your attitude. If you walked with confidence, you survived. You may not realize it, but you have likely heard the DNA of "Alley Cat Strut" in other places. Dave Brubeck , who spent time in the Army during WWII near the West Coast, once cited Holden as a "forgotten influence" on his use of odd meters. When you hear the piano in "Take Five," you can faintly hear the ghost of the "Alley Cat Strut" in the left-hand ostinato. In musical terms, a "strut" is a dance