Reading Guide
|
Lush
Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn
by David Hajdu
|
 |
While Joe Henderson, Wynton Marsalis
and others can be credited for helping throw a brighter light
on Strayhorn’s musical contributions, it was the arrival of
Lush Life that revealed the composer/pianist’s life
in detail for the first time. Deeply researched (over 500
interviews were done with family, friends, musicians and associates)
Hajdu’s book is a fascinating read on any level, and
one of the finest bios in the literature of jazz. |
| |
Something
to Live For: The Music of Billy Strayhorn
by Walter van de Leur
|
 |
A logical companion to Hajdu’s biography, van de Leur deconstructs Strayhorn’s creative process and describes the massive (ongoing) task of sorting out the printed scores of Strayhorn and Ellington and how the process is clarifying the legacies of both men. |
| |
The
Duke Ellington Reader
by Mark Tucker
|
 |
A who's who of jazz criticism including Gunther Schuller, Whitney Balliett, Martin Williams, Gary Giddins, Stanley Crouch, Albert Murray, Nat Hentoff, Stanley Dance and others weigh in on the world of Ellingtonia. An important anthology and a valuable window on how large Ellington looms over American music including material relating directly to Strayhorn’s art. |
| |
Beyond
Category: The Life And Genius Of Duke Ellington
by John Edward Hasse
|
 |
For anyone investigating the vast
legacy of Duke Ellington, this is the best place to start.
Hasse is the Curator of American Music at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History,
which now possesses the Ellington archives. His biography provides a straightforward
overview of Ellington’s career, steering clear of controversy
and concentrating on the music. |
