Lush Life: Billy Strayhorn In Five Deep Cuts

November 29, 2018 | by Ross Eustis

Billy Strayhorn (William Gottlieb Collection)

In honor of Billy Strayhorn's birthday, we highlight five deep cuts from the prolific composer, known for his longtime association with Duke Ellington & His Orchestra.

1. "Pretty Girl"

Ellington fans have probably heard Strayhorn's "The Star-Crossed Lovers" off Such Sweet Thunder (a suite very personal to Strayhorn, who was a big reader of William Shakespeare). However, the Johnny Hodges feature ballad was actually recorded a few years earlier on Hodges' Creamy under the title "Pretty Little Girl," or "Pretty Girl."

2. "Suite For Horn & Piano: Mvt. 1" 

Later on in his career, Strayhorn gravitated toward classical composition. "Suite for Horn and Piano" may be the most beautiful thing Strayhorn ever wrote. Although classical in form, it is unmistakably Strayhorn in its dense harmonies and ponderous melody.

3. "Lush Life"

While "Lush Life" is one of Strayhorn's best known compositions, this lesser-known recording features Strayhorn himself on piano and voice. It's far from perfect. His voice cracks, and not always in tune. But this matter-of-fact, conversational version captures the essence of the song more than any other recording.

4. "U.M.M.G."

Strayhorn wrote "Upper Manhattan Medical Group" for the medical staff (in particular Duke Ellington's personal physician and friend, Dr. Arthur Logan) who took care of him after his cancer diagnosis in 1964. Ellington & His Orchestra recorded "U.M.M.G" on ...And His Mother Called Him Bill (1967) shortly after Strayhorn's death, but here's Strayhorn's own recording of it.

5. "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing"

Strayhorn could write a ballad. "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing" stands as one of the most beautiful he wrote, in particular a 1961 recording done in Paris, featuring the Paris String Quartet and Strayhorn himself on piano (originally released on The Peaceful Side in 1963).