Musically, the composition sits at the crossroads of three American traditions:
The Hidden Groove of Seattle: Oscar Holden and the "Alley Cat Strut" If you’ve ever walked past the Panama Hotel
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The "Alley Cat Strut" record becomes a precious milestone for the pair, representing their shared history and the "damaged but beautiful" nature of their lives when it is eventually rediscovered decades later in the basement of the Panama Hotel . Musical Analysis (Imagined & Recreated)
Furthermore, the environment that Holden helped build laid the direct groundwork for the next generation of Seattle icons. A young Ray Charles arrived in Seattle in the late 1940s specifically because of the city's reputation as a wide-open music town—a reputation built on the backs of musicians like Holden. Quincy Jones, another Seattle native, honed his early arranging and playing skills in the very same Jackson Street clubs where the echo of Holden’s stride piano still lingered. The Legacy of the Strut Musically, the composition sits at the crossroads of
The track utilized a syncopated, walking bassline that imitated the stealthy movement of a nocturnal cat.
In the novel, the song serves as a vital symbol of the bond between the protagonists, Henry Lee and Keiko Okabe. Can’t copy the link right now
Holden was a stalwart of the scene, playing in various venues along Jackson Street between 1st Avenue and 12th Avenue. He was widely regarded as a superior talent who could play in exclusive venues, including the Seattle Tennis Club, even when Black patrons were restricted elsewhere.