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Billy Strayhorn: Edward Kennedy Ellington

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Billy Strayhorn Over the course of the 20th century, perhaps no composer was as accomplished, as prolific, as loved as Edward Kennedy Ellington. For decades, Ellington — known as “Duke” — created thousands of timeless, essential jazz compositions. As a bandleader, pianist, and composer, Ellington’s contributions to jazz and his breadth of work were unmatched. Despite Ellington’s genius, there was another composer — arguably as talented and unique — that shadowed Ellington’s every step, ultimately pushing his music to new creative heights. This composer was a short, bespectacled Ohioan named Billy Strayhorn. From 1938 till his death in 1967, Billy Strayhorn worked alongside Ellington, collaborating with Ellington on hundreds of pieces as well …show more content…

During his youth, Strayhorn’s mother often sent him to stay with his grandmother in North Carolina to escape his father’s erratic behavior; there, Strayhorn’s grandmother taught him how to play the piano. By the time Strayhorn became a high schooler at Westinghouse High School in Pittsburgh, music had become a passion of his. He undertook an assortment of musical endeavours — studying classical music, playing in his school’s orchestra, writing songs and skits, and producing his own musical named “Fantastic Rhythm” ("Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life). However, by 1938, Strayhorn, twenty-three and immensely talented, was still an unknown pianist in Pittsburgh. In December of 1938, an affluent friend of Strayhorn’s was able to arrange a meeting with Duke Ellington, who had already established himself as one of America’s quintessential jazz bandleaders. After Ellington’s performance at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, Strayhorn finally met his future musical partner; at this meeting, Strayhorn greatly impressed Ellington with his incredible talent at the piano and his unique arrangements of Ellington’s pieces (Hajdu 50-51). Strayhorn’s strong impression lingered in Ellington and, within months after this encounter, Ellington would fully incorporate Strayhorn into his band, both as a pianist and a composer (Hosiasson). For the …show more content…

Strayhorn’s greatest influence can best be seen in the impact that he had on Ellington’s music and subsequently, jazz as a whole. Strayhorn’s studious, analytical nature, paired with his experience with classical music made him a critical component of many of Ellington’s arrangements and pieces, particularly long-form pieces. With Strayhorn’s help, Ellington was able to create and introduce jazz pieces that were much longer in duration and more complex in structure. Through their work, jazz music, once seen as pure dancing music, could accompany a theatrical production or act as the score of a film, ultimately elevating the perception of jazz as a higher, more diverse art form. In addition, many of Strayhorn’s compositions such as “Lush Life” and “Passion Flower” possessed a melodic and structural complexity that was incredibly unique and sophisticated for jazz music, influencing a departure of traditional jazz composition (Hosiasson). Furthermore, Strayhorn’s jazz compositions such as “Chelsea Bridge” and “Take the ‘A’ Train” — primarily known as Ellington pieces — have been interpreted and recorded countless times by artists ranging from Wynton Marsalis to Ella Fitzgerald to Dave Brubeck, further solidifying his presence within jazz canon. Ultimately, Strayhorn’s work helped elevate the complexity and creativity of jazz — helping push the realms of jazz

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