Some stride players took such exception to what they saw as a simplistic variation on the twelve-measure blues that they refused to play it - Fats Waller even including a clause in his contracts that expressly stated he would not perform any kind of boogie-woogie. But not even Waller could ignore the popularity of the style.
The other most significant jazz-piano soloist of the 1920’s shared Fats Waller’s ability to blend what was essentially a solo style with an ensemble. This was Earl Hines, who developed his mature “trumpet style” in Chicago.
Famous as much for his gargantuan appetite (for food, drink and female company) as for his musical abilities, Waller’s success as a popular entertainer and singer tended to mask his brilliance as a pianist and organist, let alone as the composer of dozens of tunes, many of which became hit songs.
Blake was a significant ragtime and early jazz composer, initially writing formal rag compositions but subsequently turning his band to popular songs.