Description
The genius behind Ellington’s greatest music — at last in full. Strayhorn: An Illustrated Life celebrates Billy Strayhorn, one of jazz’s most brilliant and underappreciated composers: Duke Ellington’s writing and arranging companion for 28 years, the man behind “Take the ‘A’ Train” — Ellington’s signature theme — and the haunting “Lush Life,” written when he was still a teenager.
For decades, Strayhorn’s genius remained largely in the shadows, his name unknown to all but the most devoted jazz fans — a brilliant, gay Black artist in an industry that rarely credited men like him. Edited by A. Alyce Claerbaut and David Schlesinger, this stunning collection of essays, photographs, and ephemera brings his life vividly into focus: the talent, the historic collaboration, the compositions, and the quiet tragedy of uncredited brilliance.
Beautiful and long overdue, this is essential for jazz lovers and a revelation for anyone who ever wondered who really wrote the songs. Strayhorn finally gets the spotlight he always deserved — in a book as elegant as his music.
Strayhorn: An Illustrated Life celebrates Billy Strayhorn, one of jazz’s most brilliant and underappreciated composers—the man behind some of Duke Ellington’s greatest music.
Perhaps best known for his 28-year collaboration as Ellington’s writing and arranging companion, Strayhorn composed timeless classics including ‘Take the ‘A’ Train,’ Ellington’s signature theme, and the haunting ‘Lush Life.’ Yet for decades, his genius remained largely in the shadows, his name unknown to all but the most devoted jazz fans.
Edited by A. Alyce Claerbaut and David Schlesinger, this stunning collection of essays, photographs, and ephemera brings Strayhorn’s life vividly into focus. With contributions from musicians, scholars, and those who knew him best—and a heartfelt foreword by pianist Ramsey Lewis—the book traces his journey from Pittsburgh prodigy to indispensable creative partner, guided by his philosophy of the ‘four freedoms.’
A gorgeous tribute for jazz lovers, Strayhorn: An Illustrated Life finally gives a master composer the spotlight he deserves.
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