1940s. These new recordings were somewhat different from the earlier ones, and that was rather jarring to me then, being accus- tomed to the originals. Soon, however, I was drawn to “After All,” “Day-Dream,” and a new composition, the ominously titled and searingly poignant “Blood Count,” all featuring the magnif- icently expressive alto saxophone playing of Johnny Hodges. I n my years of immersion in the music of the swing era as was also drawn to Ellington’s moving solo piano rendition of Ia young man, I was quite naturally drawn to the music of “Lotus Blossom,” another Strayhorn composition that was new Duke Ellington. Duke was, unquestionably, a gigantic presence to me then. I listened to those over and over again. in the swing era, and as I eventually learned, of several other eras The liner notes on that LP also contained Ellington’s heart- of jazz history. Ellington’s music, as anyone who has listened felt eulogy for Strayhorn, which included fragments of informa- carefully to it will attest, is a challenge. It is seldom simple, and tion about him that gave me almost no insight into Strayhorn as often does not strike the ear in a comfortable way, at least at first. a person or as a musician, but which whetted my appetite to learn Most of Duke’s music will never be featured on any easy listen- more about him and his music. ing or smooth jazz compendium. The word “dissonance” is often Until Ellington’s death, which occurred in 1974, not much used to characterize Ellington’s highly idiosyncratic harmonies more information was available about Strayhorn, largely because and instrumental blends. Ellington’s public persona, shaped in those years and before by As I was struggling to come to terms with such romping Duke’s publicist Joe Morgen, subsumed all that was Strayhorn. and earthy Ellington compositions as “Battle of Swing,” “Ko In the four decades since Duke’s death, a picture of Billy Stray- Ko,” and “Harlem Air Shaft,” among many others, I happened horn has gradually emerged. His relationship with Ellington was upon a composition entitled “Chelsea Bridge.” This was Dukish complicated and ambiguous from the moment Ellington met him music of a different kind. Its pastel harmonies, which I would backstage at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh in late 1938, until later discover, were inspired by those of Debussy, Ravel and Strayhorn’s death on May 31, 1967. Fundamental to their musi- Satie, were luxuriant and warm, often ethereal. This was music cal relationship was the fact that Strayhorn was a first-class that evoked peace, tranquility, serenity and sensuousness. Upon “schooled” musician who understood and studied the technicali- hearing “Chelsea Bridge” for the first time, I was struck by how ties of music from an academic standpoint, and was familiar with different it was from other “Ellington” music, even Duke’s so-called “classical” music. He was therefore the perfect comple- dreamy compositions like “Solitude” or “Prelude to a Kiss.” ment to Ellington who seldom, if ever, took the time to study the When I checked the liner notes on the dust jacket of the LP that technical components of music, or listen to or study the music of contained “Chelsea Bridge,” I read that it was composed and the great “classical” composers. arranged not by Ellington, but by Billy Strayhorn. That discov- ery naturally led me to other early Strayhorn compositions asso- ciated with the Ellington band, like “Take the ‘A’ Train,” “Day Dream,” “After All,” “A Flower is a Lovesome Thing,” and of course, “Lush Life,” which was never performed or recorded by Ellington. Who, I wondered, was Billy Strayhorn, and what was his connection with Duke Ellington? It has taken me about fifty years to answer those questions, at least in part. As we approach the centennial of Strayhorn’s birth (November 29, 2015), I have been inspired to recount my very enjoyable journey through a sizeable part of the pastel musical world of Billy Strayhorn. In the middle 1960s, when I first discovered a few of Strayhorn’s compositions scattered among the recordings from the 1940s on various Ellington LPs on the RCA Victor label, despite my best efforts, I was able to learn very little about Billy Strayhorn’s life or music. Instead, I read repeatedly that Stray- Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn in the 1940s horn was Ellington’s “alter ego,” something that I now know was true, if at all, only to a rather small degree during Strayhorn’s For decades both before and after the deaths of both Elling- twenty-eight year association with Ellington, but far from the ton and Strayhorn, fans of Duke’s band speculated about who entire story. Then, unexpectedly, while browsing through some wrote what in the band’s vast and incredibly varied repertoire— LPs in a record store in 1968, I stumbled across the RCA Victor post 1939--Duke or Billy. There was much speculation that LP entitled “…And His Mother Called Him Bill,” (LSP-3906), Strayhorn wrote much more that was commonly acknowledged. on which Duke Ellington presented only the music of Billy But this speculation did not rise much above the level of a parlor Strayhorn. That record, unlike most of the other RCA Victor LPs game because no matter how discerning the listener, or no matter of Ellington’s music I had, was newly recorded by Ellington’s how keen his or her ear was, no one could ever reach a final, then-current band. Also, I was shocked to learn from the liner definitive conclusion about who wrote any specific piece of notes on the back of that record’s dust jacket that Billy Strayhorn music because, without someone actually analyzing the original had died the previous year at age 51. handwritten musical scores, this would remain a mystery. I There are twelve Strayhorn compositions on LSP-3906. Of cannot help but think that this is precisely what Duke wanted. those, I had heard only “After All,” “Rain Check,” and “Day- Although it is clear to me that Ellington never intended to Dream” previously, in recordings by the Ellington band from the misrepresent Strayhorn’s work as his, he nevertheless enjoyed IAJRC Journal - September 2015 - page 18 being enigmatic about this matter, and about most other things in his life. Ellington thrived on mystery and intrigue. He loved of who wrote what has in large part been removed over the last uncertainty and relished the magic of stagecraft in both his life 15 years. and his music. Starting in the 1990s, musicologists began systematically Beyond that, Ellington, six feet two, handsome and ele- examining the music of Ellington and Strayhorn, and have al- gant, was a charismatic performer, a larger than life presence, most completely untangled who wrote what. The book Some- who simply loved to entertain. Strayhorn was the opposite. thing to Live For---The Music of Billy Strayhorn, by Walter Van Standing about five feet five, he, along with Ellingtonians John- de Leur, Oxford University Press (2002), is seminal in this ny Hodges, Rex Stewart, and Sonny Greer, were small men. inquiry. It is also the source of much information in this article. (Saxophonist Russell Procope, who joined the Ellington band in For anyone who wants to know more about Strayhorn’s music, the mid-1940s and remained for decades, once told me that when this book is indispensable. these four were gathered together, it looked like a convention of It is fair to say that Strayhorn contributed much more to jockeys, though Stewart would be a plump jockey by any mea- Ellington’s music than was acknowledged while Ellington lived, sure.) Although Strayhorn was quite at ease interacting with and indeed for several decades after Duke’s death. But, as with members of the Ellington band in various work and social the musical interactions between Duke and the sidemen in his settings (and they grew to relish working with him), he did not band over the years, Strayhorn seemed at first to accept that if his seek the public gaze, and was hypercritical of his own efforts as work contributed to the success of Duke Ellington, it contributed a performer. Strayhorn’s métier was composing and arranging to his success as well, whether he received legal, that is royalties music, and these are largely solitary pursuits. attributable to a specific work, and/or public credit, or not. And What seemed to ensure the ongoing mystery surrounding Duke was most conscientious about crediting Strayhorn from the who wrote what was that all of Strayhorn,’s music, if it were to bandstand when his band played compositions and/or arrange- be published, was initially processed through the offices of ments written by Billy Strayhorn. Additionally, Ellington was Tempo Music, Inc., Duke’s publishing company. And the person always generous to Strayhorn, financially and in many other Duke designated to operate Tempo was his sister, Ruth Ellington ways. Still, Ellington completely understood, based on his daily (1915-2004). Ruth Ellington was the same age as Billy Stray- experiences as a band- horn, and only a few years older than Duke’s son, Mercer leader over what eventu- Ellington. Ruth was friendly with Billy Strayhorn from their first ally stretched to 50 years, meeting. (See below.) Nevertheless, she regarded Strayhorn as that Duke Ellington was an employee of Duke Ellington, Inc., the business enterprise that a commercial enterprise, operated the Ellington band, which he was, and basically treated a brand if you will, into the music he wrote while in the employ of Duke Ellington, Inc.