Billy Strayhorn

Born: November 19, 1915. Dayton, Ohio
Died: May 31, 1967. New York

American jazz composer, arranger, and pianist known for songs such as "Take the A Train" and "Lush Life." The majority of his work was done in collaboration with Duke Ellington.

Most casual jazz fans, when they hear "Take the A Train" or "Satin Doll," will immediately think of Duke Ellington. But they should also think of Billy Strayhorn, Ellington's musical collaborator for nearly thirty years. Like an old married couple that can complete each other's sentences, Ellington and Strayhorn could complete each other's musical phrases. So close was their musical relationship, in fact, that it is often impossible to tell just who is responsible for what in the nearly two hundred works on which they collaborated.

Strayhorn received his first informal musical education from his grandmother, a church organist. He was fortunate enough to attend a public school in Pittsburgh with a strong music program and continued his studies at the Pittsburgh Musical Institute. He was writing music by the time he was in his late teens (including an early version of his classic "Lush Life"). He also composed a Gershwin-style revue, Fantastic Rhythm, that toured the Pittsburgh area with Earl Garner and Billy Eckstine—both unknowns at the time. Strayhorn's collaboration with Ellington began with a meeting arranged by a friend after an Ellington appearance in Pittsburgh in 1938. Within a year, Ellington had recorded Strayhorn's "Something to Live For" and hired him as an arranger and second pianist for the band. Although he recorded on his own and worked for other musicians, Strayhorn maintained his relationship with Ellington for the rest of his life.

Strayhorn's music and lyrics are among the most sophisticated in the jazz tradition. Certainly his early study of classical music was an important factor, and echoes of Debussy and Ravel can be heard in his music. Likewise, his many years of work with Duke Ellington left their mark. But like any strong musical personality, Strayhorn is more than the sum of his influences. Strayhorn has long been neglected as an individual voice in jazz, but this is beginning to change as more and more scholars of jazz turn their attention to this often under-appreciated genius.

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