http://www.bluenote.com/news.asp?NewsID=315
Billy Strayhorn Documentary Soundtrack: Blue Note has teamed up with documentary Producer/Director Robert Levi who is following up his Duke Ellington film with a piece on Billy Strayhorn. This past October, Levi and crew filmed Blue Note artist performances at Bennett Studios in New Jersey which will be part of the documentary film as well as make up our album release. Featured rostermates include Joe Lovano, Bill Charlap, and Dianne Reeves who each covered four Strayhorn pieces. Special guest Elvis Costello also recorded a version of the Strayhorn classic �Blood Count� accompanied by Lovano and Charlap. The audio for the album will be mixed in the coming months.
Elvis guests in Jazz documentary soundtrack, Jan '07
Elvis guests in Jazz documentary soundtrack, Jan '07
Last edited by johnfoyle on Thu Nov 16, 2006 1:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
-
Who Shot Sam?
- Posts: 7097
- Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 5:05 pm
- Location: Somewhere in the distance
- Contact:
Cool. Joe Lovano's one of my faves. I met him at a friend's wedding, and he is just the warmest, coolest, most positive guy. They had an impromptu jam session at the reception (my friend is a jazz musician too), and Joe blew everyone away. I'll definitely be looking out for this, as I love the music that Strayhorn wrote for Ellington.
Mother, Moose-Hunter, Maverick
Dave on listserv tells us -
Actually, he recorded My Flame Burns Blue for this, which is the music
for Blood Count with lyrics specially written by EC ..
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the song that Elvis did at Avery Fisher Hall with the Metropole Orchestra & Steve Nieve in July '04.
News to me is that a version of the song , Costello lyrics and all , was recorded back in 2002 -
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 05-6147821
Day Dream - Variations on Strayhorn
Darius de Haas
Audio CD (June 4, 2002)
Label: P.S. Classics
Catalog: #PS204
ASIN: B000065DUD
more info here -
http://www.dariusdehaas.com/presspagelatimescd.htm
Darius de Haas, "Day Dream: Variations on Strayhorn" (*** 1/2, PS Classics). The name may not ring a bell, but de Haas is well-known in musical theater circles, through performances on Broadway in "Marie Christine" and the concert version of "Dreamgirls," and off-Broadway in his Obie Award-winning performance in "Running Man." More than a year ago, he put together a concert collection of Billy Strayhorn tunes that was greeted with rave reviews. "Day Dream" is the follow-up studio recording.
There are a lot of things to like: first, the fundamental fact that a collection of Strayhorn's marvelous songs has been put together; second, that some of the tunes have never before been recorded, including new lyrics by Elvis Costello for the classic "Blood Count," here retitled "My Flame Burns Blue"; and third, that De Haas digs into this material with enormous creativity and imagination.
Actually, he recorded My Flame Burns Blue for this, which is the music
for Blood Count with lyrics specially written by EC ..
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the song that Elvis did at Avery Fisher Hall with the Metropole Orchestra & Steve Nieve in July '04.
News to me is that a version of the song , Costello lyrics and all , was recorded back in 2002 -
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 05-6147821
Day Dream - Variations on Strayhorn
Darius de Haas
Audio CD (June 4, 2002)
Label: P.S. Classics
Catalog: #PS204
ASIN: B000065DUD
more info here -
http://www.dariusdehaas.com/presspagelatimescd.htm
Darius de Haas, "Day Dream: Variations on Strayhorn" (*** 1/2, PS Classics). The name may not ring a bell, but de Haas is well-known in musical theater circles, through performances on Broadway in "Marie Christine" and the concert version of "Dreamgirls," and off-Broadway in his Obie Award-winning performance in "Running Man." More than a year ago, he put together a concert collection of Billy Strayhorn tunes that was greeted with rave reviews. "Day Dream" is the follow-up studio recording.
There are a lot of things to like: first, the fundamental fact that a collection of Strayhorn's marvelous songs has been put together; second, that some of the tunes have never before been recorded, including new lyrics by Elvis Costello for the classic "Blood Count," here retitled "My Flame Burns Blue"; and third, that De Haas digs into this material with enormous creativity and imagination.
Blood Count has a rather grim backround -
http://musicnewsdaily.com/Strayhorn061401.html
http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/a ... nique+Eade
The Ruby and the Pearl
Dominique Eade
Audio CD (January 11, 1994)
Original Release Date: September 8, 1992
Number of Discs: 1
Label: Accurate Records
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Billy Strayhorn's longtime musical companion Duke Ellington recorded Blood Count here -
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 39-1424115
His Mother Called Him Bill
Duke Ellington
Essential recordings: Duke Ellington
Audio CD (September 10, 2002)
Label: Rca
Catalog: #63744
ASIN: B00006H6BJ
http://musicnewsdaily.com/Strayhorn061401.html
It's not the first time someone has put a lyric to the tune -Strayhorn died in 1967, at 51, of esophageal cancer, continuing to work on his final composition, "Blood Count," from his hospital bed.
http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/a ... nique+Eade
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 39-1424115Of the 12 selections, Eade wrote five and penned lyrics for Billy Strayhorn's "Blood Count." She is not so much revolutionizing the patent love song as revitalizing it with her personal flair and deep emotional wellspring
The Ruby and the Pearl
Dominique Eade
Audio CD (January 11, 1994)
Original Release Date: September 8, 1992
Number of Discs: 1
Label: Accurate Records
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Billy Strayhorn's longtime musical companion Duke Ellington recorded Blood Count here -
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 39-1424115
His Mother Called Him Bill
Duke Ellington
Essential recordings: Duke Ellington
Audio CD (September 10, 2002)
Label: Rca
Catalog: #63744
ASIN: B00006H6BJ
Just seen this -
http://www.bennettstudios.com/gallery/p ... harlap.htm
Bennett Studios Gallery / Elvis Costello, Joe Lovano and Bill Charlap
2005
http://www.bennettstudios.com/gallery/p ... harlap.htm
Bennett Studios Gallery / Elvis Costello, Joe Lovano and Bill Charlap
2005
-
Who Shot Sam?
- Posts: 7097
- Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 5:05 pm
- Location: Somewhere in the distance
- Contact:
I met Joe and his girlfiend, Judi Silvano, at my buddy Josh's weddding, where he and the uber-talented Brain Blade were in the house band. Best wedding band I'll ever hear, I'd wager.johnfoyle wrote:Joe Lovano
He's a terrific guy and really down to earth. I love his music. The two-disc "Live At The Village Vanguard" is something else.
Mother, Moose-Hunter, Maverick
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martinfoyle
- Posts: 2502
- Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 5:24 pm
- Location: Dublin, Ireland
- Contact:
Saw Brian Blade last friday at Whelans when he was part of The David Binney Sextet. Excellent as always. Even though he was in sideman mode he very much set the pace, both beat and quality wise. I hope to see Joe Lovano some day. It would be nice to see Elvis at Whelans some day as well, but..... let's not go there.
Kinda related -
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/10/arts/ ... 0char.html
November 10, 2005
Cabaret Review | Bill Charlap and Sandy Stewart
Between the Notes, Melody Lingers
By STEPHEN HOLDEN
Stillness is a quality rarely heard in popular music. Not to be confused with silence, it produces silence. When during a pause between phrases, the collective breath of an audience is suspended in the thrall of musicality so concentrated that the tiniest disruption would be an imposition, stillness reigns.
That's the quality that the pianist Bill Charlap and his mother, the singer Sandy Stewart, conjured at Tuesday's opening night show of their two-week engagement at the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel. It's their third appearance at the club and follows the late-September release of their first album together, "Love Is Here to Stay" (Blue Note), a collection of classic ballads that will reward the attentive listener with an experience of stillness.
Mr. Charlap and Ms. Stewart are by nature minimalists for whom quietude and restraint are essential elements of expression. Both define themselves as much by what they leave out as by what they put in. Both value melody as opposed to tunefulness.
Mr. Charlap personifies the accompanist as an equal partner in the construction of musical dialogues in which each chord is perfectly chosen to be both a comment on the moment before and a musical springboard for the next phrase. Those chords are plain, but slightly skewed, evocative but never overripe. Every note has its own precise dynamic role, its duration calculated to the millisecond. His wonderful skipping exits from songs supply glistening punctuation.
Ms. Stewart's warm, womanly contralto, with its slightly frayed edges, is a deeply soothing instrument that conveys equal measures of comfort and wistfulness. On Tuesday she drew out "The Man I Love," "Just One of Those Things," "Remind Me" and "Someone to Watch Over Me" into long humming meditations, raising her voice only once, during the Johnny Mandel-Alan and Marilyn Bergman song "Where Do You Start?"
In his piano solo segment, Mr. Charlap followed a bright, upbeat "Blue Room" with a version of "It's All Right With Me," in which rapid-fire piano riffs exploded out of the lean, springy arrangement, only to be snatched back and bottled up until the pressure produced another explosion. The performance brought gasps from an audience that included Tony Bennett, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall and Barbara Carroll.
Sensing how special the evening was, Ms. Stewart joked: "Just stay here for the rest of the run. I'll cook."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/10/arts/ ... 0char.html
November 10, 2005
Cabaret Review | Bill Charlap and Sandy Stewart
Between the Notes, Melody Lingers
By STEPHEN HOLDEN
Stillness is a quality rarely heard in popular music. Not to be confused with silence, it produces silence. When during a pause between phrases, the collective breath of an audience is suspended in the thrall of musicality so concentrated that the tiniest disruption would be an imposition, stillness reigns.
That's the quality that the pianist Bill Charlap and his mother, the singer Sandy Stewart, conjured at Tuesday's opening night show of their two-week engagement at the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel. It's their third appearance at the club and follows the late-September release of their first album together, "Love Is Here to Stay" (Blue Note), a collection of classic ballads that will reward the attentive listener with an experience of stillness.
Mr. Charlap and Ms. Stewart are by nature minimalists for whom quietude and restraint are essential elements of expression. Both define themselves as much by what they leave out as by what they put in. Both value melody as opposed to tunefulness.
Mr. Charlap personifies the accompanist as an equal partner in the construction of musical dialogues in which each chord is perfectly chosen to be both a comment on the moment before and a musical springboard for the next phrase. Those chords are plain, but slightly skewed, evocative but never overripe. Every note has its own precise dynamic role, its duration calculated to the millisecond. His wonderful skipping exits from songs supply glistening punctuation.
Ms. Stewart's warm, womanly contralto, with its slightly frayed edges, is a deeply soothing instrument that conveys equal measures of comfort and wistfulness. On Tuesday she drew out "The Man I Love," "Just One of Those Things," "Remind Me" and "Someone to Watch Over Me" into long humming meditations, raising her voice only once, during the Johnny Mandel-Alan and Marilyn Bergman song "Where Do You Start?"
In his piano solo segment, Mr. Charlap followed a bright, upbeat "Blue Room" with a version of "It's All Right With Me," in which rapid-fire piano riffs exploded out of the lean, springy arrangement, only to be snatched back and bottled up until the pressure produced another explosion. The performance brought gasps from an audience that included Tony Bennett, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall and Barbara Carroll.
Sensing how special the evening was, Ms. Stewart joked: "Just stay here for the rest of the run. I'll cook."
http://www.nysun.com/article/22894
( extract)
The pianist Bill Charlap was present at Dizzy's for Wednesday's opening set, which was only fair - Ms. Rosnes had been at the Oak Room the previous night to see Mr. Charlap perform with his mother, Sandy Stewart. Like Tony Bennett, who was also in the Oak Room Tuesday night (sitting next to Diana Krall and Elvis Costello, if it's okay to drop names), Ms. Stewart, 68, is one of the major living interpreters of the American Songbook. Her show is the absolute lack of a show; she barely takes the time to announce that her collaborator is also her son. Likewise, her singing is so pure that she extracts the musical and emotional essence of every song without unnecessary decoration.
When Ms. Stewart performs, every phrase, every word, and every note sparkle with meaning. On "Where Do You Start?" by Johnny Mandel and Marilyn and Alan Bergman - a song about a divorce - I actually found myself crying. As on the mother-son duo's new album together, "Love Is Here To Stay" (Blue Note/EMI 60340), Ms. Stewart's singing and Mr. Charlap's playing were so purposeful, so clearly focused, so sacrosanct, that the Oak Room became less of a cabaret than a recital hall.
( extract)
The pianist Bill Charlap was present at Dizzy's for Wednesday's opening set, which was only fair - Ms. Rosnes had been at the Oak Room the previous night to see Mr. Charlap perform with his mother, Sandy Stewart. Like Tony Bennett, who was also in the Oak Room Tuesday night (sitting next to Diana Krall and Elvis Costello, if it's okay to drop names), Ms. Stewart, 68, is one of the major living interpreters of the American Songbook. Her show is the absolute lack of a show; she barely takes the time to announce that her collaborator is also her son. Likewise, her singing is so pure that she extracts the musical and emotional essence of every song without unnecessary decoration.
When Ms. Stewart performs, every phrase, every word, and every note sparkle with meaning. On "Where Do You Start?" by Johnny Mandel and Marilyn and Alan Bergman - a song about a divorce - I actually found myself crying. As on the mother-son duo's new album together, "Love Is Here To Stay" (Blue Note/EMI 60340), Ms. Stewart's singing and Mr. Charlap's playing were so purposeful, so clearly focused, so sacrosanct, that the Oak Room became less of a cabaret than a recital hall.
http://simply-jazz.blogspot.com/2006/11 ... -life.html
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
’Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life’
On January 23, 2007, Blue Note Records will release the companion soundtrack to Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life, a 90-minute documentary film about the pioneering African-American composer, arranger and pianist. The film will present Strayhorn's fascinating life as it has never been told before, showcasing his talent and passions, as well as taking a hard look at his complex relationship with Duke Ellington and illuminating the issues that prevented Strayhorn from receiving the full recognition he deserved. It will debut nationally as part of PBS's Independent Lens series, on February 6, 2007.
Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life, the soundtrack, will feature 15 Strayhorn compositions performed by several of today's jazz stars including Blue Note artists Bill Charlap, Joe Lovano, and Dianne Reeves, as well as piano legend Hank Jones and special guest Elvis Costello. These vibrant new performances are also captured visually and featured throughout the film.
Strayhorn's 29-year collaboration with Ellington produced a body of work that has no rival in originality and range -- from unforgettable popular songs and jazz compositions to orchestral suites and theatrical scores.
From the opening track, Bill Charlap's sparkling solo piano version of "Fantastic Rhythm, " an early composition from a Cole Porter-style musical revue of the same name written in 1935, the vitality of Strayhorn's timeless music is evident. The following performances display the remarkable breadth and depth of his writing as well, with compositions that span more than 30 years. Charlap also offers a solo piano version of one of Strayhorn's early classical works, "Valse, " and on one of the album's highlights joins the legendary pianist Hank Jones for a spirited four-hands rendition of "Tonk" (which was originally performed four-hands by Strayhorn and Ellington).
Jones also makes several more appearances, including a showcase solo piano performance of "Satin Doll, " and as part of a quartet with saxophonist Joe Lovano, bassist George Mraz and drummer Paul Motian. Lovano's blustery tenor leads the quartet through jaunty takes on "Rain Check" and "Johnny Come Lately, " and gives achingly beautiful readings of two Strayhorn ballads, the Debussy-inspired "Chelsea Bridge" and "Lotus Blossom."
Lovano and Charlap also lend support to special guest vocalist Elvis Costello on one of the most striking performances on the album, a haunting version of Strayhorn's final composition "Blood Count, " which was written from a hospital bed shortly before he died in 1967. Here the tune is given lyrics penned by Costello and retitled "My Flame Burns Blue."
Vocalist Dianne Reeves, who also plays the most prominent musical role in the film, performs six songs on the album, including some of Strayhorn's most defining works such as "Lush Life, " rendered here as a stunning duet with guitarist Russell Malone, and quartet versions of "Something to Live For, " "Day Dream, " "My Little Brown Book, " and the lesser-known "The Flowers Die of Love" and "So This Is Love."
posted by Miky at 10:23 PM
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
’Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life’
On January 23, 2007, Blue Note Records will release the companion soundtrack to Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life, a 90-minute documentary film about the pioneering African-American composer, arranger and pianist. The film will present Strayhorn's fascinating life as it has never been told before, showcasing his talent and passions, as well as taking a hard look at his complex relationship with Duke Ellington and illuminating the issues that prevented Strayhorn from receiving the full recognition he deserved. It will debut nationally as part of PBS's Independent Lens series, on February 6, 2007.
Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life, the soundtrack, will feature 15 Strayhorn compositions performed by several of today's jazz stars including Blue Note artists Bill Charlap, Joe Lovano, and Dianne Reeves, as well as piano legend Hank Jones and special guest Elvis Costello. These vibrant new performances are also captured visually and featured throughout the film.
Strayhorn's 29-year collaboration with Ellington produced a body of work that has no rival in originality and range -- from unforgettable popular songs and jazz compositions to orchestral suites and theatrical scores.
From the opening track, Bill Charlap's sparkling solo piano version of "Fantastic Rhythm, " an early composition from a Cole Porter-style musical revue of the same name written in 1935, the vitality of Strayhorn's timeless music is evident. The following performances display the remarkable breadth and depth of his writing as well, with compositions that span more than 30 years. Charlap also offers a solo piano version of one of Strayhorn's early classical works, "Valse, " and on one of the album's highlights joins the legendary pianist Hank Jones for a spirited four-hands rendition of "Tonk" (which was originally performed four-hands by Strayhorn and Ellington).
Jones also makes several more appearances, including a showcase solo piano performance of "Satin Doll, " and as part of a quartet with saxophonist Joe Lovano, bassist George Mraz and drummer Paul Motian. Lovano's blustery tenor leads the quartet through jaunty takes on "Rain Check" and "Johnny Come Lately, " and gives achingly beautiful readings of two Strayhorn ballads, the Debussy-inspired "Chelsea Bridge" and "Lotus Blossom."
Lovano and Charlap also lend support to special guest vocalist Elvis Costello on one of the most striking performances on the album, a haunting version of Strayhorn's final composition "Blood Count, " which was written from a hospital bed shortly before he died in 1967. Here the tune is given lyrics penned by Costello and retitled "My Flame Burns Blue."
Vocalist Dianne Reeves, who also plays the most prominent musical role in the film, performs six songs on the album, including some of Strayhorn's most defining works such as "Lush Life, " rendered here as a stunning duet with guitarist Russell Malone, and quartet versions of "Something to Live For, " "Day Dream, " "My Little Brown Book, " and the lesser-known "The Flowers Die of Love" and "So This Is Love."
posted by Miky at 10:23 PM
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martinfoyle
- Posts: 2502
- Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2003 5:24 pm
- Location: Dublin, Ireland
- Contact:
FYI A couple of excellent sounding Joe Lovano torrents have just popped up on dimealexv wrote:On Lovano, a favorite of mine, I also recommend a big band record he did, 52nd Street Themes (my favorite), as well as Rush Hour, where his wife joins in with some spooky vocalizing.
http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-deta ... ?id=121777
http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-deta ... ?id=121768
http://www.amazon.com/Billy-Strayhorn-L ... F8&s=music
Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life
# Audio CD (January 23, 2007)
# Number of Discs: 1
# Label: Blue Note Records
# ASIN: B000LSAJ52
Most accounts , including those quoted by Elvis , refer to Blood Count as being Strayhorn's final composition , composed for a 1967 Carnegie Hall appearance by Duke Ellington. The precise details of that are -
http://www.jazzdisco.org/pablo/1961-dis/c/#670326
Duke Ellington and his Orchestra
Cat Anderson, Mercer Ellington, Herbie Jones, Cootie Williams (tp) Lawrence Brown, Chuck Connors, Buster Cooper (tb) Jimmy Hamilton (cl, ts) Johnny Hodges (as) Benny Carter (as -5) Russell Procope (as, cl) Paul Gonsalves (ts) Zoot Sims (ts -4) Harry Carney (bars, cl, bcl) Duke Ellington (p) John Lamb (b) Rufus Jones (d)
"Carnegie Hall", NYC, March 26, 1967
1. Mount Harrissa
2. Blood Count (Manuscript) -
3. Rockin' in Rhythm -
4. Very Tenor -
5. Satin Doll -
6. Tootie for Cootie -
7. Up Jump -
8. Medley: Mood Indigo / I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) -
9. Things Ain't What They Used to Be
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Strayhorn
William Thomas "Billy" Strayhorn (November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967)
Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life
# Audio CD (January 23, 2007)
# Number of Discs: 1
# Label: Blue Note Records
# ASIN: B000LSAJ52
Most accounts , including those quoted by Elvis , refer to Blood Count as being Strayhorn's final composition , composed for a 1967 Carnegie Hall appearance by Duke Ellington. The precise details of that are -
http://www.jazzdisco.org/pablo/1961-dis/c/#670326
Duke Ellington and his Orchestra
Cat Anderson, Mercer Ellington, Herbie Jones, Cootie Williams (tp) Lawrence Brown, Chuck Connors, Buster Cooper (tb) Jimmy Hamilton (cl, ts) Johnny Hodges (as) Benny Carter (as -5) Russell Procope (as, cl) Paul Gonsalves (ts) Zoot Sims (ts -4) Harry Carney (bars, cl, bcl) Duke Ellington (p) John Lamb (b) Rufus Jones (d)
"Carnegie Hall", NYC, March 26, 1967
1. Mount Harrissa
2. Blood Count (Manuscript) -
3. Rockin' in Rhythm -
4. Very Tenor -
5. Satin Doll -
6. Tootie for Cootie -
7. Up Jump -
8. Medley: Mood Indigo / I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) -
9. Things Ain't What They Used to Be
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Strayhorn
William Thomas "Billy" Strayhorn (November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967)
-
sweetest punch
- Posts: 6017
- Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2004 5:49 am
- Location: Belgium
Hear the new great version of Blood Count by Elvis here:
http://www.bluenote.com/lushlife/player/
(you have to search for the song "My Flame Burns Blue" in the player)
http://www.bluenote.com/lushlife/player/
(you have to search for the song "My Flame Burns Blue" in the player)
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
If I were in NY today I know where I'd be -
http://www.ejazznews.com/modules.php?op ... =0&thold=0
"Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life" free screening Jan 23 Brooklyn NY
Posted by: eJazzNews Readeron Monday, January 22, 2007 - 02:35 PM
Jazz News
You are invited to join us Tuesday, January 23, as ENCORE presents a special advance screening of the Robert Levi Film “BILLY STRAYHORN: LUSH LIFEâ€
http://www.ejazznews.com/modules.php?op ... =0&thold=0
"Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life" free screening Jan 23 Brooklyn NY
Posted by: eJazzNews Readeron Monday, January 22, 2007 - 02:35 PM
Jazz News
You are invited to join us Tuesday, January 23, as ENCORE presents a special advance screening of the Robert Levi Film “BILLY STRAYHORN: LUSH LIFEâ€
http://online.wsj.com/google_login.html ... lenews_wsj
Wall Street Journal
Feb.6 '07
Lives in Jazz: Billy Strayhorn, Out of Ellington's Shadow, . . .
By Larry Blumenfeld
Well into "Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life," Robert Levi's documentary premiering tonight on the PBS series "Independent Lens" (PBS dates and times vary; check local listings), comes this snippet of a late-1960s television interview with Duke Ellington:
"That 'A Train' of yours has gone around the world . . . "
"That's Billy Strayhorn," Ellington snaps back, looking first startled, then proud. "Billy Strayhorn."
"Yeah, but it's identified with you."
During his three-decade association with Ellington, until his death in 1967, Strayhorn wrote and arranged many memorable compositions, including the Ellington Orchestra's signature song, "Take the 'A' Train." Yet his profile ...
THE FULL WSJ.com ARTICLE IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO SUBSCRIBERS.
Does any here subscribe to the WSJ? According to Google news the rest of the text includes this -
Elvis Costello traces the odd intervals of the haunting "Blood Count" with his own lyrics. ("With his languorous ballads," Costello said in a phone ...
Wall Street Journal
Feb.6 '07
Lives in Jazz: Billy Strayhorn, Out of Ellington's Shadow, . . .
By Larry Blumenfeld
Well into "Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life," Robert Levi's documentary premiering tonight on the PBS series "Independent Lens" (PBS dates and times vary; check local listings), comes this snippet of a late-1960s television interview with Duke Ellington:
"That 'A Train' of yours has gone around the world . . . "
"That's Billy Strayhorn," Ellington snaps back, looking first startled, then proud. "Billy Strayhorn."
"Yeah, but it's identified with you."
During his three-decade association with Ellington, until his death in 1967, Strayhorn wrote and arranged many memorable compositions, including the Ellington Orchestra's signature song, "Take the 'A' Train." Yet his profile ...
THE FULL WSJ.com ARTICLE IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO SUBSCRIBERS.
Does any here subscribe to the WSJ? According to Google news the rest of the text includes this -
Elvis Costello traces the odd intervals of the haunting "Blood Count" with his own lyrics. ("With his languorous ballads," Costello said in a phone ...
http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/tv/m ... ision_heds
Chicago Tribune, IL
Feb.6 '07
'Lush Life' brings Strayhorn overdue credit .
By Howard Reich
Tribune arts critic
He's one of the most distinctive composers America has produced, yet few listeners outside jazz recognize his name.
The dark reasons behind that unfortunate fact drive a haunting new documentary film, "Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life" (10 p.m. Tuesday on WTTW-Ch. 11).
For better and for worse, Strayhorn spent most of his career as Duke Ellington's leading artistic collaborator, writing scores large and small in partnership with the more famous musician. The association afforded Strayhorn a glamorous life, as well as the chance to hear his work performed by the greatest jazz virtuosos of the day.
Unfortunately, it also denied Strayhorn the money and, more important, the credit he was due.
"Lush Life" dares to tell this story, unflinchingly detailing Ellington's tendency to claim Strayhorn's work as his own and to bask in the additional glory it afforded him. In so doing, "Lush Life" not only illuminates Strayhorn's often tragic story but also demystifies Ellington.
Though virtually deified in earlier documentaries, such as Ken Burns' tedious "Jazz," Ellington here emerges in decidedly more human -- and flawed -- terms. Much of the pain that Strayhorn suffered in his life and career is laid unceremoniously at Ellington's feet.
"Duke ended up being somewhat complicit in the subordination of Strayhorn," says David Hajdu, author of "Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn," in the film.
"He didn't actively diminish Strayhorn, squeeze him out. But he allowed it. And I think it was a mistake. A big mistake made by a great man capable of better."
Or, as composer Gunther Schuller puts it in the film, Strayhorn became, "in the highest sense, a slave" to Ellington.
No doubt Strayhorn also benefited from Ellington's sponsorship. Strayhorn classics, most notably "Take the 'A' Train," became embedded in the American psyche partly because Ellington championed them.
Yet Strayhorn grieved to see his contributions to some of Ellington's most celebrated compositions utterly overlooked. The score for Otto Preminger's film "Anatomy of a Murder," the massive symphonic work "Black, Brown and Beige" and the stage musical "Jump for joy" all benefited significantly from Strayhorn's contributions, though it was Ellington who enjoyed the accolades.
Moreover, as the film points out, the artistic recognition denied Strayhorn wasn't the only chronic crisis in his life. His homosexuality, in an era when the word hardly was uttered in public, added to his anguish.
Yet Strayhorn never emerges as an object of pity in this film, largely because it is shot through with the radiant sound of his music.
Ultra-sophisticated works such as "Lotus Blossom," "Chelsea Bridge," "Blood Count" and, of course, "Lush Life" attest to the stature of Strayhorn's achievements and the dignity of the man.
Overflowing with insights from artists such as Clark Terry, Luther Henderson and Eartha Kitt -- all of whom worked with Strayhorn -- the film eloquently conveys the spirit and substance of the man.
Even so, the documentary has its flaws. The film errs in engaging an actor to portray Strayhorn, and the stylistically dreadful singing and "commentary" of Elvis Costello do not help.
Yet these misjudgments ultimately are overshadowed by the poignancy of the story and the exquisite refinement of the music.
"Lush Life" only will enhance Strayhorn's reputation, a welcome development nearly four decades after his death, at age 51.
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hreich@tribune.com
Chicago Tribune, IL
Feb.6 '07
'Lush Life' brings Strayhorn overdue credit .
By Howard Reich
Tribune arts critic
He's one of the most distinctive composers America has produced, yet few listeners outside jazz recognize his name.
The dark reasons behind that unfortunate fact drive a haunting new documentary film, "Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life" (10 p.m. Tuesday on WTTW-Ch. 11).
For better and for worse, Strayhorn spent most of his career as Duke Ellington's leading artistic collaborator, writing scores large and small in partnership with the more famous musician. The association afforded Strayhorn a glamorous life, as well as the chance to hear his work performed by the greatest jazz virtuosos of the day.
Unfortunately, it also denied Strayhorn the money and, more important, the credit he was due.
"Lush Life" dares to tell this story, unflinchingly detailing Ellington's tendency to claim Strayhorn's work as his own and to bask in the additional glory it afforded him. In so doing, "Lush Life" not only illuminates Strayhorn's often tragic story but also demystifies Ellington.
Though virtually deified in earlier documentaries, such as Ken Burns' tedious "Jazz," Ellington here emerges in decidedly more human -- and flawed -- terms. Much of the pain that Strayhorn suffered in his life and career is laid unceremoniously at Ellington's feet.
"Duke ended up being somewhat complicit in the subordination of Strayhorn," says David Hajdu, author of "Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn," in the film.
"He didn't actively diminish Strayhorn, squeeze him out. But he allowed it. And I think it was a mistake. A big mistake made by a great man capable of better."
Or, as composer Gunther Schuller puts it in the film, Strayhorn became, "in the highest sense, a slave" to Ellington.
No doubt Strayhorn also benefited from Ellington's sponsorship. Strayhorn classics, most notably "Take the 'A' Train," became embedded in the American psyche partly because Ellington championed them.
Yet Strayhorn grieved to see his contributions to some of Ellington's most celebrated compositions utterly overlooked. The score for Otto Preminger's film "Anatomy of a Murder," the massive symphonic work "Black, Brown and Beige" and the stage musical "Jump for joy" all benefited significantly from Strayhorn's contributions, though it was Ellington who enjoyed the accolades.
Moreover, as the film points out, the artistic recognition denied Strayhorn wasn't the only chronic crisis in his life. His homosexuality, in an era when the word hardly was uttered in public, added to his anguish.
Yet Strayhorn never emerges as an object of pity in this film, largely because it is shot through with the radiant sound of his music.
Ultra-sophisticated works such as "Lotus Blossom," "Chelsea Bridge," "Blood Count" and, of course, "Lush Life" attest to the stature of Strayhorn's achievements and the dignity of the man.
Overflowing with insights from artists such as Clark Terry, Luther Henderson and Eartha Kitt -- all of whom worked with Strayhorn -- the film eloquently conveys the spirit and substance of the man.
Even so, the documentary has its flaws. The film errs in engaging an actor to portray Strayhorn, and the stylistically dreadful singing and "commentary" of Elvis Costello do not help.
Yet these misjudgments ultimately are overshadowed by the poignancy of the story and the exquisite refinement of the music.
"Lush Life" only will enhance Strayhorn's reputation, a welcome development nearly four decades after his death, at age 51.
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hreich@tribune.com
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And No Coffee Table
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I don't, but my father does.johnfoyle wrote:Does any here subscribe to the WSJ? According to Google news the rest of the text includes this -
Elvis Costello traces the odd intervals of the haunting "Blood Count" with his own lyrics. ("With his languorous ballads," Costello said in a phone ...
Elvis Costello traces the odd intervals of the haunting "Blood Count" with his own lyrics. ("With his languorous ballads," Costello said in a phone interview, "Strayhorn created a new kind of art song.")
That's all there is in terms of EC content.
Re: Elvis guests in Jazz documentary soundtrack, Jan '07
http://hub.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articl ... 055/THINGS
Lansing State Journal
February 17, 2009
• "Independent Lens: Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life," 10 p.m., Channel 23 (PBS). Alongside the genius of Duke Ellington, many people overlooked the immense contribution of Billy Strayhorn. He was a composer and arranger, the force behind "Take the 'A' Train" and "Lush Life" and more. This superb documentary rerun includes his music being sung by Dianne Reeves, Elvis Costello and others.
Lansing State Journal
February 17, 2009
• "Independent Lens: Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life," 10 p.m., Channel 23 (PBS). Alongside the genius of Duke Ellington, many people overlooked the immense contribution of Billy Strayhorn. He was a composer and arranger, the force behind "Take the 'A' Train" and "Lush Life" and more. This superb documentary rerun includes his music being sung by Dianne Reeves, Elvis Costello and others.