Lush Life is a biography of the composer, arranger, and pianist Billy Strayhorn. Strayhorn is best known for his collaboration with Duke Ellington. He wrote Ellington's signature piece "Take the 'A' Train" among other classics such as "Satin Doll, " "Chelsea Bridge," and "Lush Life." As impressive as his list of songs is, it severely understates his contributions. He co-wrote many pieces credited to Ellington alone and arranged nearly all of the Ellington Orchestra charts.
Strayhorn purposely kept himself out of the limelight because it enabled him to live his life as he wanted. He was gay, which would have been a problem if he was a public figure like Ellington. He was a bon vivant well respected and liked among musicians and the black cultural elite of the time. He died young, age 51, of esophageal cancer.
Hadju's main goal is to give Strayhorn the recognition that he deserves. The cult of Duke Ellington tends to efface Strayhorn's contributions lest they undermine the case for Ellington's genuis. Ellington himself always acknowledged the depth of their partnership when asked, but didn't raise objections when a profile (or song copyright) neglected to mention Strayhorn.
Lush Life is an enjoyable and well-written biography. Hadju conveys the characters of Strayhorn and Ellington effectively without resorting to imaginative psychologizing. He chooses apt quotes from supporting characters, giving us a sense of their personalities too. He covers Strayhorn's many projects without bogging down in exhausting details about recording dates and set lists.
For your listening pleasure, I recommend the CD released with this biography and Duke Ellington's tribute album ...And His Mother Called Him Bill.
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