The team presented their annual recommendations list in the 2014 npr book concierge and has continued the tradition through 2018. In accordance with the directives of government and health authorities, we have temporarily suspended operations. Produced by rose friedman, petra mayer, beth novey and meghan sullivan executive producer. Ellington also took partial credit for some of strayhorns other pieces, says alyce claerbaut strayhorns niece, and coeditor of a new book. A musical journey from page publishing author teddy adams is an engaging reflection on the life and work of a professional musician, from his musical awakening in savannah, georgia in the later fifties through a remarkable career playing with some of the most influential jazz artists of all time. Billy strayhorn studied music at the pittsburgh music institute.
The lush life of billy strayhorn the composer was remarkable not only for his harmonically rich collaborations with duke ellington, but for living as an openly gay black man in the 1940s. The lush life of billy strayhorn wbgo and jazz at lincoln center. Use our tags to filter books and find the perfect read for yourself or someone you love. Blog 10 strayhorn songs you should know jazz at lincoln center. It was the first collaboration between strayhorn and duke ellington and became the first of many strayhorn compositions to be recorded by ellingtons orchestra. Black traveling shows, coon songs, and the dark pathway to blues and jazz ebook. Nprs fresh air best nonfiction of the year book awards. He was one of the stations first hosts following a long career as a columnist at the chicago sun times. Strayhorn, a gifted arranger, composer and pianist met duke ellington in december 1938 and. Take the a train was the ellington orchestras signature tune. This years edition of the concierge is dedicated to the memory of longtime npr book critic alan cheuse produced by nicole cohen, rose friedman, petra mayer and beth novey designed by annette elizabeth allen, david eads, becky lettenberger and wes lindamood published dec. Npr best books of 20, fresh air 2018, nprs best of books of 2015, nprs best books of 2016, fresh air 2017, npr best ya fiction 2012 no. From the 1940s to the 1960s, billy strayhorn was one of the forces behind the sound of the renowned duke ellington orchestra. Dec 05, 2017 npr s book concierge is your guide to 2017s best reads.
Gravely ill at birth and born into an impoverished family, he wasnt expected to survive. The book also makes clear that strayhorns contribution to the band was much larger, and more original, than has been previously acknowledged. Both are titled lush life, after strayhorn s enduring. Common knowledge book awards nprs fresh air best nonfiction of the year. Although an experienced band singer, having recorded with harry james. The staff of npr are major books fans, from those whose specific focus is books, like fresh airs book critic maureen corrigan to those with broader beats, such edith chapin, executive editor for npr news. But i believe npr should not routinely help their cause by featuring the books on air and online. Apr 29, 2015 billy strayhorn, duke ellingtons gay composer as the world celebrates ellingtons birthday, we look back on his openly gay pianist, composer, and friend billy strayhorn. A finalist for the national book critics circle award. This sunday, jazz at lincoln center will celebrate the centennial of jazz great billy strayhorn with a series of performances including a surprise popup concert on the subway that inspired strayhorns most famous composition, take the a train. Dds enjoying the billie b brown books, so wondering if anyone knows anything similar.
The npr books team wants to help you find a great book to read, according to npr news application developer david eads. Lloyd strayhorn, author info, published books, bio, photo. Charity nebbe grew up in rural iowa just outside of cedar falls. Aug 17, 2017 the national to perform new album in full on live stream. Tonight the national will perform their new album sleep well beast live in its entirety and theres an option to livestream the concert for free via npr music. The composer was remarkable not only for his harmonically rich collaborations with duke ellington, but for living as an openly gay black man in.
Nov 29, 2015 100 years of billy strayhorn, emotional architect of song the composer and arranger spent the bulk of his career in service to the duke ellington orchestra. This guide includes resources on billy strayhorn, sound recordings by strayhorn and others, including duke ellington, and the african. Pages in category compositions by billy strayhorn the following 2 pages are in this category, out of 2 total. The duke summed up strayhorn s talents with typical ellington eloquence. New york celebrates billy strayhorns centennial with special. Something to live for is a 1939 jazz composition by billy strayhorn. The song my little brown book was written by billy strayhorn and was first released by duke ellington and his famous orchestra in 1944. Score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. The mta will unearth an eraappropriate subway train to run on the a line for the occasion. Prweb december 08, 2017 recent release the up of the down beat. The band is rolling out sleep well beast at philadelphias union transfer, streaming live on npr music. Their september show in philadelphia will be broadcast on npr music. Latest news on billy strayhorn birdland jazz club has adjusted their schedule for march mar, 2020 duke ellington performance series continues with such sweet thunder mar 11, 2020. November 3, 2016 the composer was remarkable not only for his harmonically rich collaborations with duke ellington, but for.
Indeed, something to live for allows us to see the characteristic features of strayhorns compositions and arrangements, his musical fingerprints, and to analyze and evaluate his music on its own terms. While other sites are constantly tweaking, testing new designs, finding new ways to gather data, craigslist is remarkable for its stability. This acclaimed book by lynn abbott is available at. Npr books debuts the book concierge publishers weekly.
It was covered by erika jp, noah preminger, buddy montgomery, lara iacovini featuring steve swallow and other artists. New york celebrates billy strayhorns centennial with. Documentary filmmaker robert levis latest work focuses on the life and times of jazz composer billy strayhorn. Fantastic rhythm that included the future standard my little brown book. Sep 05, 2017 the national perform their new album in full. Set up in 2001 as jazz appreciation month jam, it was established to promote jazz both as an historic and. Nprs book concierge is your guide to 2017s best reads. Jazz pianist composed some of duke ellingtons most enduring standards while aiding the bands lush sound. Born on november 29, 1915, in dayton, ohio, billy strayhorn was the fourth of nine children. Sep 05, 2017 tonight the national will perform their new album sleep well beast live in its entirety and theres an option to livestream the concert for free via npr music. They lived in homewood, one of the citys eastern neighborhoods. Hes perhaps best known for his innovative work with charlie parkers legendary 1947 quintet, and he played with a number of other legends including stan getz, coleman hawkins, and sonny stitt. Terry boers joined sports station wscr the score in chicago back in 1992. Billy strayhorn successfully married melody, words and harmony, equating the fitting with happiness.
Lush life tells the story of this pioneering african. Npr best books of 20, fresh air 2018, npr s best of books of 2015, npr s best books of 2016, fresh air 2017, npr best ya fiction 2012 no. Billy strayhorn 191567 was one of the greatest composers in the history of american music, the creator of. Dec 08, 2015 nprs book concierge our guide to 2015s great reads.
The national to perform new album in full on live stream. She began her career in public radio at woi radio in ames, iowa when she was a student at iowa state university and has been. Craigslist is a bit of an anomaly on the rapidly changing internet. Lush life, a selfportrait in song songwriting genius billy strayhorn is the subject of a new documentary, as well as a fine companion cd. Strayhorn was a soda jerk and drugstore delivery boy by day, a musician by night, and a composer all the time. From 1938, until his death in 1967, composerarrangerpianist billy strayhorn was so entwined with duke ellington that musicologists are still trying to figure out where the former ends and the latter begins. This piano jazz remembers one of the great innovators of the bebop stylepianist duke jordan 1922 2006. Working behind the scenes gender, sexuality, and collaboration in the vocal arrangements of billy strayhorn lisa barg i n mid january 1956 billy strayhorn. Nprs brings you news about books and authors along with our picks for great reads. Take the a train was written by a kid who lived in pittsburgh named billy strayhorn. The composer billy strayhorn spent almost all of his adult life in the. Npr music to livestream the national performing new album. Also top stories from business, politics, health, science, technology, music, arts and culture.
Nprs book concierge our guide to 2015s great reads. The book also makes clear that strayhorn s contribution to the band was much larger, and more original, than has been previously acknowledged. Indeed, something to live for allows us to see the characteristic features of strayhorn s compositions and arrangements, his musical fingerprints, and to analyze and evaluate his music on its own terms. Billy strayhorn, duke ellingtons gay composer as the world celebrates ellingtons birthday, we look back on his openly gay pianist, composer, and friend billy strayhorn. The band members concurred, because they knew the genius of ellington and strayhorn kept the band everpopular, and thereby secured their jobs. Welcome to the billy strayhorn resource guide complied by the college of dupage library. Bob perkins tells the story of billy strayhorn, composer.
Npr books has produced the book concierge, an online site and mobile app that gives readers an unusual tool to sort through more than 200 recommended titles from 20. Drawing on that enthusiasm, npr again this year features the book concierge app, with staff recommendations of 250 titles, complete with filters to focus. An extravagantly gifted composer, arranger, and pianist some considered him a genius billy strayhorn toiled throughout most of his maturity in the gaudy shadow of his employer, collaborator, and friend, duke ellington. Jazz women to watch, listen to and admire april 12, 2017 by dee dee mcneil april is a month dedicated to the celebration of jazz. The song was based on a poem strayhorn had written as a teenager. Billy strayhorn 1 composer, arranger, pianist wrote take the a train 2 united with ellington 3 lived by four freedoms 4 selected compositions 5 selected discography 6 sources 7 billy strayhorn 8 spent his entire career writing music, but his name is unknown to many of those wh. Only in the last decade has strayhorns profile been lifted to a level approaching that of ellington, where diligent searching of the strayhorn archives mainly by david. Angie brown is a freelance writer living in birmingham, alabama. A biography of billy strayhorn and over 8 million other books are available for amazon kindle. William thomas billy strayhorn 19151967 was born in ohio, but his family moved to pittsburgh in 1920.