Quick: Who penned Duke Ellington’s familiar theme “Take the A Train”? Nope, it wasn’t the flamboyant Ellington. Instead, it was BILLY STRAYHORN (1915-1967), the mild-mannered dude who often seemed to ...

On January 23, 2007, Blue Note Records will release the companion soundtrack to Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life, a 90-minute documentary film about the pioneering African-American composer, arranger and ...

While many classic jazz standards live on for decades through countless covers, only a few speak to the queer experience with such profound resonance. “Lush Life” by Billy Strayhorn is a song that ...

To most casual jazz fans Duke Ellington wrote some of the most enduring compositions in the history of American music. The ardent fan, however, acknowledges that many of the tunes attributed to the ...