Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington’s creative alter-ego, continues to connect with old audiences and find new ones. His music is for everyone, but it is no surprise
that Strayhorn’s story and songs move the gay community, in which he has become a symbol and icon. The Gay Mens Chorus of Los Angeles paid tribute to Strayhorn last year near the fortieth anniversary of his death on May 31, 1967. Video of that ninety-minute production is now streaming in full on the internet. The chorus sings Strayhorn’s music with the swing and nuance it deserves.
Alan Broadbaent wrote the choral arrangements and the big band charts, led the band and played piano on some pieces. The rhythm section is Broadbent’s trio with bassist Putter Smith and drummer Clayton Cameron. Saxophonists Gary Foster and Bob Sheppard and trumpeter Steve Hofsteter are among the band members. The guest vocalist, enthusiastically received by the audience, is Tierney Sutton. Among the highlights, despite the distractions of strange pseudo-Fosse choreography, is the trio’s exploration of Strayhorn’s “Upper Manhattan Medical Group.” Jazz listeners will also appreciate Broadbent’s piano accompaniment and arrangement of “Lush Life” for Billy Porter, who narrates the evening and is an effective singer of Strayhorn’s songs. Click here to go to the Gay Mens Chorus of Los Angeles site, then click on the May 5, 2007 video at the bottom of the screen. Once it is running, double click on the picture to make it full screen. Do this when you have a spare hour and a half to enjoy it.
Here is a rare and much shorter video of Strayhorn performing his most famous composition with the Duke Ellington Orchestra.
For part of a documentary about Strayhorn, and Ellington’s reaction to his death, go here. If you wish to fully explore Strayhorn’s life and career, read Lush Life, the biography by David Hajdu. Not long after Strayhorn died, Ellington and his band recorded this heartfelt tribute. The CD of Strayhorn compositions is one of the best albums of Ellington’s later career.
I was pleased to see that you picked up the Gay Mens Chorus ‘Strayhorn’ clip and gave it such full coverage in your blog. What I haven’t seen in the last few days is any acknowledgement in the ‘jazz press’ of Alan Broadbent’s award of the ‘New Zealand Order of Merit’ from the Queen – part of her recent Birthday Honours list.
see this article for some background:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4568932a27542.html
I don’t know fully how the ‘Order of merit’ works in New Zealand, but I found this explanation of the UK version:
This special award from the Queen is for people who have shown exceptional merit in learning, the arts, science, literature or the public services. It is restricted to 24 British members (in the U.K.) and entitles those who have been awarded it to use the letters OM after their names.
A recent appointee in the UK was TV producer/performer Sir David Attenborough …
For a masterly examination of Strayhorn’s music (including reproductions of excerpts from the autograph scores), read Walter van de Leur’s book *Something To Live For: The Music of Billy Strayhorn* (Oxford University Press.
http://www.amazon.com/Something-Live-Music-Billy-Strayhorn/dp/0195124480