This superb box set celebrating the work of William Thomas Strayhorn echoes the basic paradox of this extraordinary jazz musician’s life and career.
The richness and diversity of the music it contains will delight the most obsessive Strayhorn aficionado; at the same time it offers a thrilling introduction to the man many know only as someone who once played in Duke Ellington’s band and wrote “Take The “A” Train.
The 7 CDs contain material presenting 62 of Strayhorn’s compositions, not only focusing on his work outside of the Ellington orchestra, but also presenting him in Duke’s company.
Billy Strayhorn, the man whose musical abilities could have made him a star in his own right, labored in the shadow of a world-famous benefactor. This collection of his recordings puts him firmly in the spotlight for once, revealing beyond doubt the true scale of the debt owed to him by Duke Ellington in particular and jazz in general.
CD 1
Tracks 1-10
Billy Strayhorn (p) Michel Gaudry (b on 2,3,8,9 & 10) Paris String Quartet (strings on 4 & 10) Paris Blue Notes (vo on 1,6 & 8)
Recorded in Paris, May 1961
Tracks 11,12&13
Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn (p) Joe Schulman (b)
Recorded in New York, November 1950
Track 14
Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn (p)
Recorded in Marshfield, Massachusetts, August 25 ,1945
Tracks 15&16
Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn (p)
Recorded in New York, January 10, 1946
CD 2
Track 1
Cootie Williams,Rex Stewart,Wallace Jones (tp) Joe Nanton,Lawrence Brown,Juan Tizol (tb) Barney Bigard (cl) Otto Hardwick,Johnny Hodges (as) Harry Carney (bs) Duke Ellington (p) Fred Guy (g) Billy Taylor (b) Sonny Greer (dr)
Recorded at Ritz Carlton,Boston, July 26,1939
Track 2
Cootie Williams,Rex Stewart,Wallace Jones (tp) Joe Nanton,Lawrence Brown,Juan Tizol (tb) Barney Bigard (cl) Johnny Hodges,Otto Hardwick (as) Harry Carney (bs) Duke Ellington (p) Fred Guy (g) Jimmy Blanton (b) Sonny Greer (dr)
Recorded at Southland Café, Boston, January 9, 1940
Track 3
Ray Nance,Rex Stewart,Harold Baker,Wallace Jones (tp) Lawrence Brown,Joe Nanton,Juan Tizol (tb) Johnny Hodges,Sax Mallard (as) Chauncey Haughton (cl) Ben Webster (ts) Harry Carney (bs) Duke Ellington (p) Fred Guy (g) Alvin “Junior” Raglin (b) Sonny Greer (dr)
Recorded at the Hurricane April 4, 1943
Tracks 4,13,14,15&16
Shelton Hemphill,Al Killian,Francis Williams,Harold Baker,Ray Nance (tp) Lawrence Brown,Tyree Glenn,Quentin Jackson (tb) Jimmy Hamilton (ts & cl) Ben Webster (ts) Harry Carney (bs) Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn (p) Wendell Marshall (b) Sonny Greer (dr)
Recorded “live” at the Empire Room, Hollywood, Los Angeles, February 1949
Tracks 5&6
Rex Stewart,Taft Jordan,Shelton Hemphill,Cat Anderson,Ray Nance (tp & v) Joe Nanton,Lawrence Brown, Claude Jones (tb) Jimmy Hamilton,Al Sears (ts) Johnny Hodges,Otto Hardwick (as) Harry Carney (bs) Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn (p) Fred Guy (g) Alvin “Junior” Raglin (b) Sonny Greer (dr) Al Hibbler (vo)
Recorded at 400 Restaurant, NYC, April 28, 1945
Track 7
Same as track 5 & 6 but recorded at Apollo Teatre NYC, June 30, 1945
Track 8 & 9
Same as track 5 & 6 but recorded at RKO Teatre, Boston, July 14, 1945
Track 10 & 11
Same as track 5 & 6 but recorded Fieldston Ballroom, Marshfield,Massachusetts, August 25, 1945, Marie Ellington (vo)
Track 12
Same as track 5 & 6 but recorded at the New Zanzibar, NYC, September 26, 1945, Joya Sherrill (vo)
Track17,18&19
Ray Nance,Clark Terry,Cat Anderson,Harold Baker (tp) Quentin Jackson, Britt Woodman,John Sanders (tb) Jimmy Hamilton (ts & cl) Paul Gonsalves (ts) Johnny Hodges, Russel Procope (as) Harry Carney (bs) Duke Ellington (p) Jimmy Woode (b) Sam Woodyard (dr) Ozzie Bailey (vo)
Recorded live at Kongressaal, Deutsches Museum, Munich, Germany, November 14, 1958
Track 20
Cootie Williams,Cat Anderson,Herbie Jones,Mercer Ellington (tp) Buster Cooper,Lawrence Brown,Chuck Conners (tb) Jimmy Hamilton,Paul Gonsalves (ts) Johnny Hodges,Russel Procope (as) Harry Carney (bs) Duke Ellington (p) John Lamb (b)
Recorded at RCA Studios, New York, June 23, 1967
CD 3
Track 1
Clark Terry (tp) Johnny O’Neal (p) Dewey Sampson (b) James Martin (dr)
Live at E.J.’s, Atlanta, Georgia, December 18, 1981
Track 2
Ben Webster (ts) Camille de Ceunynck (p) Tony Vaes (b) Charlie Pauvels (dr)
Live at Antwerp Jazz Club,Belgien, June 16, 1967
Track 3
Art Tatum (p)
Recorded in Los Angeles, c. 1948
Track 4
Duke Jordan (p)
Recorded in Copenhagen, October 6, 1993
Track 5
Johnny Griffin (ts) Kenny Drew (p) Jens Melgaard (b) Ole Streenberg (dr)
Recorded live at Jazzhus Slukefter, Tivoli, Copenhagen July 15, 1989
Track 6
Delta Rhythm Boys (vo), Recorded 1945
Track 7
Roy Eldridge (tp) Vic Dickenson (tb) Budd Johnson (ts) Tommy Flanagan (p) Major Holley (b) Eddie Locke (dr)
Recorded at St. Peter’s Church, New York City, May 20, 1978
Track 8
Delta Rhythm Boys (vo) Recorded 1941
Track 9
Horace Parlan (p)
Recorded in Copenhagen, January 14, 1999
Track 10
James Spaulding (as) Cedar Walton (p) Steve Nelson (vib) Sam Jones (b) Billy Higgins (dr)
Recorded in NYC, December 1, 1976
Track 11
Ben Webster (ts) Kenny Drew (p) Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (b) Al Heath (dr)
Recorded at Pori Jazz Festival, Finland, July 14, 1967
Track 12
Mary Lou Williams (p) Milton Suggs (b) Drashear Khalid (dr)
Recorded at Rick’s Café Americain, Chicago, November 14, 1979
Track 13
Jesper Thilo (ts) Hank Jones (p) Dough Raney (g) Hugo Rasmussen (b) Svend-Erik Nørregaard (dr)
Recorded in Copenhagen, March 17, 1991
Track14
Teddy Wilson (p) Hugo Rasmussen (b) Ed Thigpen (dr)
Recorded live at Jazzhus Slukefter, Copenhagen, May 21, 1979
CD 4
Tracks 1-5
The Dutch Jazz Orchestra: Jerry van Rooijen (leader) Ack van Rooijen (tp & flgh) Jan Oosthof, Ruud Breuls,Peter van Soest,Erik Veldkamp,Mike Booth (tp) Martijn Sohier, Ilja Reijngoud,Hansjørg Fink (tb) Albert Beltman (as & cl) Hans Meijdam (as) John Ruocco (ts & cl) Toon Roos,Ab Schaap (ts) Nils van Haften (bs) Rob van Bavel (p) Frans van Hoeven (b on track 3 & 5) Jan Voogd (b on track 1,2,4, Erik Ineke (dr)
Recorded Wisseloord Studios, Hilversum, Holland, October 13-17,1997; October 28, 1999 and January 31, 2002
Tracks 6-16
The Dutch Jazz Orchestra Jerry van Rooijen (leader) Ack van Rooijen (tp & flgh) Jan Oosthof, Ruud Breuls,Peter van Soest,Erik Veldkamp,Mike Booth,Jan Hollander (tp) Martjin Sohier,Ilja Reijngoud,Hansjørg Fink,Ben van Dijk (tb) Albert Beltman (as & cl) Hans Meijdam (as) John Ruoccu (ts & cl) Toon Roos, Ab Schaap (ts) Nils van Haften (bs & cl) Rob van Bavel (p) Rob Madna (p on 10 &15) Frans van Hoeven (b on 2,6,8,9,12,13,14 &16) Jan Voogd (b on 10 & 15) Erik Ineke (dr)
Recorded Wisseloord Studios, Hilversum, Holland, October 13 – 17 1997 and October 28, 1999
CD 5
Tracks 1-7
Rolf Ericson (tp & flgh) Lennart Åberg (ts.ss &flute) Bobo Stenson (p) Gøran Klinghagen (el-g track 7) and Max Schultz (g track 7) Rose-Marie Åberg (vo track 6 ) Dan Berglund (b) Egil Johansen (dr) Recorded January 25 & 26, 1995 at Swedish Broadcasting Corporation
Track 8
Hans Ulrik (bs) Kjeld Lauritsen (Hammond org.) Per Gade (g) Esben Bach (dr)
Recorded at Sun Studio, Copenhagen, Spring 2007
Tracks 9-11
Jesper Lundgaard (b) Bob Rockwell (ts & ss) Jacob Fisher (g) Keith Copeland (dr)
Recorded at Vestbirk Højskole, November 22, 1997 (track 10)
Jazzbar Bent J, November 26, 1997 (track 11)
Copenhagen Jazz House, November 29, 1997 (track 9)
Track12
Erik Nordström (ts) Jan Zirk (p) Kjell Jansson (b) Magnus Gran (dr)
Recorded at Studio 12, The Swedish Radio, Gothenburg, June 20-21 1999
CD 6
Track 1-4
Ken Peplowski (cl) John Horler (p track 3&4) Phil Lee (g track 1&2)
Track 5-12
Ken Peplowski (ts & cl) John Horler (p) PhilLee (g) Alec Dankworth (b)
Recorded in London,September 2006 & May 2007
CD 7
Harry Allen (ts) Chris Flory (g) Keith Ingham (p) Dennis Irwin (b) Chuck Riggs(dr)
Recorded at Kampo Studio, New York City, March 12-14, 1993
DVD
Track 1-4
Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra Cootie Williams,Herb Jones,Cat Anderson,Mercer Ellington, Ray Nance (tp) Lawrence Brown,Buster Cooper,Chuck Conners (tb) Paul Gonsalves, Jimmy Hamilton (ts),Johnny Hodges,Russell Procope, (as) Harry Carney (bs) Duke Ellington,Billy Strayhorn *(p) John Lamb (b) Sam Woodyard (dr)
Recorded at Falkoner Centret, Copenhagen, January 31, 1965
Track 5
Clark Terry (tp) Duke Jordan (p) Jimmy Woode (b) Svend-Erik Nørregaard (dr)
Recorded live at Montmartre April 7, 1985
Track 6
Duke Jordan (p) Jesper Lundgaard (b) Aage Tanggaard (dr)
Recorded live at Montmartre April 7, 1985
Track 7
The Delta Rhythm Boys: Carl Jones,Traverse Crawford, Kelsey Pharr,Lee Gaines (vo) unknown orchestra.
Recorded 1951
Track 8 & 9
Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra: Ray Nance,Shorty Baker,Cat Anderson,Bill Berry,Ed Mullens (tp) Lawrence Brown,Leon Cox,Chuck Connors (tb) Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges (as)Paul Gonsalves (ts) Jimmy Hamilton (ts & cl) Harry Carney (bs) Duke Ellington (p) Aaron Bell (b) Sam Woodyard (dr)
Recorded in New York,January 9,1962
Lush Life
Just-a-Sittin’ and-a-Rockin’
Passion Flower
Take The “A” Train
Strange Feeling
Day Dream
Chelsea Bridge
Multi-Colored Blue
Something To LIve For
A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing
Tonk
Johnny Come Lately
In A Blue Summer Garden
Tonk (Pianistically Allied)
Drawing Room Blues
Tonk
