Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn
by David Hajdu
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Book Summary Information
Author: David HajduEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1996-06-28
ISBN: 0374194386
Number of pages: 305
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Book Reviews of Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn
Book Review: lilting,lifting,provocative tribute...buy the book & music!
Summary: 5 Stars
David Hajdu has creatd a wonderful evocation of an era throughthe life of Billy Strayhorn. While firmly grounded in Strayhorn theman, musician, and bon vivant, Hajdy's writing expands the scope to include the dynamics of 20th century jazz evolutions and permutations, interweaving the greats and would-be greats with variations of musical, historical, and psychological themes. Through the expert use of lyrics and techical counterpoints, the author brings to life a maturing process which addresses both the man Strayhorn and the full array of personal, professional, and cultural tensions that span several lifetimes.
This is not a difficult book. It is primarily a serious journey of exploration which softens overtures to the artist with recognition of his -- and the age's -- limitations. Hajdu's treatment of Duke Ellington is unfaiiingly dimensional. While Strayhorn is effectively given his due, Ellington loses little in this translation. If anything, the secondary theme of Ellington's balancing of immense ego and generosity suggests a world made safer -- for Billy Strayhorn -- by one's man's dominating presence. The definition of genius is expanded to include the contributions of both men. Ellington's final appearance is handled without pathos, an exceptional achievement in itself.
Most lives do not follow a straight path or step-wise progression. Billy Strayhorn's is no exception. People and places appear and reappear as Strayhorn's circle of experience widesn. Some, like Aaron Bridgers ensconced in a Paris cafe, remain as touchstones to a past that's still alive and valuable. Art Webster and Johnny Hodges grow -- one imagines in talent as well as importance -- along with Billy and the times. Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Rosemary Clooney appear, if only to offer convincing testimony to Strayhorn's unique ability to prove that the sum of artist plus music is greater than it's parts.
Hajdu's is a balanced yet lyrical telling of a personal history in the broader reaching context of human and social values. One need not be well versed in the music of the Ellingtonians to appreciate this book. However, it may be the ulimate compliment to the authro that in the course of reading, I purchased not one but several, progressively dated recordings of Ellington/Strayhorn collaborations. The book, as Strayhorn's lyrics, begs for accompaniment.
Summary of Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn
Billy Strayhorn (1915-1967) was one of the most accomplished composers in American music, the creator of such standards as "Take the 'A' Train", yet all his life he was overshadowed by his friend and collaborator, Duke Ellington. Through scrutiny of Strayhorn's private papers and more than five hundred interviews, Hajdu revives Strayhorn as one of the most complex and tragic figures in jazz history.
The myth has always been that Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington shared an identical approach to music. In Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn, David Hajdu dismisses that notion from the very beginning. Schooled in Debussy and Ravel, Strayhorn brought a sensitivity and complexity that was missing in the Ellington oeuvre. Although he had talent enough for a career without Ellington, Strayhorn lacked the confidence. Being both black and gay forced him to take a back seat to his partner's celebrity. Denied greater public recognition, he sought solace in a "lush life" of his own, smoking and drinking himself to an early death in 1967.
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