- Lush Life by David Hajdu, the 1996 biography (published by Farrar, Strauss Giroux). Straight biographer Hajdu gives a master class on how to write about a gay artist, giving Strayhorn’s long-time gay associates the first and last words about the man they loved and admired.
- And His Mother Called Him Bill with the Duke Ellington Orchestra (on the RCA label). Recorded by a distraught Ellington only a few months after Strayhorn’s death, it contains some of Strayhorn’s most perfect miniatures and Duke’s most poignant piano playing.
- Far East Suite (RCA). Written in 1964, Ellington and Strayhorn reinvent the sounds of the orient.
- Such Sweet Thunder (Sony). The two composers’ musical vision of Shakespeare, written for a first performance at Stratford, Ontario.
- Lush Life: The Billy Strayhorn Songbook (Verve). A tribute featuring jazz greats like Billy Eckstine, Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson.
Advertisement
- The Peaceful Side (Blue Note Records). A rarity: The only solo album Strayhorn recorded. He claimed to hate the Nat King Cole version of “Lush Life;” his own aching, melancholy version here features wacky backup singing.
Critical list
Why you can trust XtraKeep Reading
Social strategy comes into play in a big way—but does it pay off?
Season 6’s top 11 queens get to choose their own adventure: Snatch Game or design challenge?
“Casanova 20” follows the chasms—and—connections between generations of queer people
The queer Canadian hockey drama packs heart and heat, setting it apart from other MLM adaptations
Advertisement