Billy Strayhorn

Donald Macleod looks at five key environments that shaped Billy
Strayhorn's personal and musical trajectory.


Donald starts the journey in Homewood, Pittsburgh, where Billy
Strayhorn’s early life was over-shadowed by poverty and a violent
father. Over six years of toil as a “soda jerk and delivery boy”
he saved up for music college, but an Art Tatum record showed him
that everything he loved about classical music was there in one
form or another in jazz. Strayhorn cut free and moved to New
York, where his path crossed with Duke Ellington. He was quick to
discover an exciting new world of opportunity, playing and
writing for Ellington’s famous band – a complex relationship that
continued for almost thirty years. Work took him to Hollywood -
Donald explores the reasons why this turned out to be both an
opportunity and a source of disillusionment. We also hear of
Strayhorn’s love affair with Paris, the city where he found the
night-life and the artistic independence he craved, and where he
was given the chance to record his first album under his own
name. Finally, Donald charts the ups and many downs of
Strayhorn's final years, which he spent in Riverside Drive, New
York.


Music featured: Take the “A” Train Lush Life Valse Something to
Live For Fantastic Rhythm Suite for the Duo My little Brown Book
The Hues Snibor Tonk Passion Flower Your Love has faded Three and
Six Grouya/Anderson, arr. Strayhorn: Flamingo Chelsea Bridge
Strayhorn/Ellington: The Perfume Suite Clementine
Ellington/Strayhorn/Gaines: Just a-sittin' and a rockin' Rain
Check Pentonsilic You're the One Tchaikovsky, arr Strayhorn: The
Nutcracker Suite Boo-dah Ballad for very tired and very sad lotus
eaters Johnny Come Lately Satin Doll Music for The Love of Don
Perlimplin for Belisa in their Garden The Newport Jazz Festival
Suite Multicoloured Blue Day Dream UMMG Ellington/Strayhorn:
Smada Cue's Blue Now Far East Suite Blood Count Cashmere Cutie Le
Sacre Supreme Lotus Blossom


Presenter: Donald Macleod Producer: Johannah Smith for BBC Wales


For full tracklistings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for Billy Strayhorn:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00016tc And you can delve into
the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the
Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z