[Dixielandjazz] Stardust

[ROBERT R. CALDER]

Stardust might sound more like Bix than like stride piano, but that fact would be of absolutely no relevance to the case unless what was meant by 'stride piano' included a specific  awareness of  the music of Luckey Roberts. 

What does Stride Piano sound like? 
Does Luckey Roberts sound like Stride Piano? 
Try the opening of the Roberts performance labelled NOTHIN' on the LP shared by Luckey and Willie the Lion Smith (one side each, not duets) initially on the GOOD TIME JAZZ label. Change a few notes and you have not only the same sweep as on the verse of Stardust you have an arabesque similar to that I seem to remember from a Fats Waller performance.  
There certainly is enough to support a thesis such as that Luckey performed something akin to the intro of NOTHIN' and Hoagy Carmichael took it and instead of an upbeat  second strain went into the chorus generally recognised as STARDUST. 
Perhaps somebody could look more closely at the two numbers and comment on resemblances. 
On the basis of that small discography there is of Luckey it should be pointed out that he never sounds less accomplished or less virtuoso than one might imagine Barenboim or Horowitz if attempting to play the same music. 
Just in case anyone who hasn't heard the recordings supposes Luckey to have been any sort of a primitive. 
In comparison, Scott Joplin was the primitive.  
Apologies to anyone well-acquainted with Luckey's music (there is now a CD of his compositions played by another Roberts on a GHB label) but Luckey was a very considerable musician, and in a long letter from him to a scholarly friend (printed in Storyville magazine long ago) he does speculate regarding an obvious lack of attention to any credit he might have been due as a teacher of George Gershwin.

Robert R. Calder