Billy Strayhorn Centennial: 5 Deep Cuts

Portrait of Billy Strayhorn

William Gottlieb Collection (c. 1946)

Billy Strayhorn's centennial is coming up in November! We're getting the celebration started early with Allan Harris Quartet with Eric Reed's Tribute (10/1-4). And to ready ourselves for the music of one of America's greatest composers, we've dug deep into Strayhorn's discography to bring you five deep cuts you must hear.

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Most Strayhorn fans are well aware of "The Star-Crossed Lovers" off Such Sweet Thunder (a suite very personal to Strayhorn, an avid reader of William Shakespeare). However, this Johnny Hodges feature was actually recorded a few years earlier on Hodges' Creamy under the title "Pretty Little Girl."

Late in his career, Strayhorn gravitated toward classical composition. "Suite for Horn and Piano" might be the most beautiful thing Strayhorn ever wrote. Although classical in form, it is unmistakably Strayhorn in its dense harmony and ponderous, gorgeous melody.

While "Lush Life" is without a doubt his most famous composition, this lesser-known recording features Strayhorn himself on piano and voice. It's far from perfect. His voice cracks, and is out of tune at times. But this matter-of-fact, conversational rendition captures the essence of the song more than any other recording.

Strayhorn wrote "Upper Manhattan Medical Group" for the medical staff (in particular Duke Ellington's personal physician, Dr. Arthur Logan, a dear friend) who took care of him after his cancer diagnosis in 1964. Ellington & His Orchestra recorded "U.M.M.G" on ...And His Mother Called Him Bill (1967) shortly after Strayhorn's death.

Strayhorn was especially talented at writing ballads. "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing" stands as one of his most beautiful ballads, in particular a 1961 recording done in Paris, featuring the Paris String Quartet and Strayhorn himself on piano (originally released on The Peaceful Side in 1963).

Old & New: Top 5 Billie Holiday Tributes

Billie Holiday & dog "Mister" (William Gottlieb Collection)

In honor of Billie Holiday's centennial year, and the tremendous influence the legendary singer has had on artists of every generation, we've pulled together five tributes (old and new) to Lady Day.

Although "Strange Fruit" isn't a Holiday original (penned by Abel Meeropol as a poem in 1937), Lady Day made it famous. (Legend tells that Holiday would close out sets with the song. Waiters would stop all service, the room would be in darkness except for a spotlight on Holiday, and there would be no encore.) Nina Simone, who acknowledges Holiday as one of her biggest inspirations, gives one of the most stirring renditions of "Strange Fruit" you'll hear.

In a recent interview with VH1, rising vocalist José James called Billie Holiday his "musical mother." James captures a beautiful mood on Yesterday I Had the Blues: The Music of Billie Holiday (2015), his third release on Blue Note Records. Even better, James brings this project to San Francisco on Saturday, September 20th.

Pianist Mal Waldron accompanied Billie Holiday regularly from April 1957 until her death in July, 1959. Although Waldron recorded Left Alone in 1959, he was reluctant to release it immediately, given a large outpouring of "bandwagon" tributes recorded and released immediately after Holiday's passing. In addition to a beautiful collaboration with Jackie McLean on "Left Alone," the album features an enlightening "Mal Waldron Interview: The Way He Remembers Billy Holiday."

Cassandra Wilson lends her rich, dusky sound and interpretive gift to a selection of Billie Holiday classics on Coming Forth By Day (2015) to celebrate the singer's centennial. Wilson's final song, "Last Song for Lester Young" is intended to fill a void left by the events surrounding the funeral of Holiday's long time companion, Lester Young. After hearing of Lester’s passing while touring in Europe, Billie immediately flew home to the States to attend his funeral. She wanted to sing a song for him as a final farewell. Unfortunately, Lester’s family, for whatever reason, denied Billie the opportunity to sing. Like José James, Wilson brings her centennial tribute to San Francisco in May, 2016.

Abbey Lincoln reflects on Lady Day in a rare interview conducted around the time she released Abbey Sings Billie, Vol. 1 & 2 (1987). An avid civil rights advocate throughout the 1960s, Lincoln cites Holiday as one of her biggest influencers. Referencing "Strange Fruit," Lincoln praises Holiday for having "the courage to defend herself. When they were lynching men and women in the south, she sang about it. None of the other women or men sang about it: that's why Billie is different from the rest of them."

SFJAZZ celebrates the centennial of Billie Holiday with José James and Cassandra Wilson in the 2015-16 Season.

5 Things In The Jazz World This Week

• Jazz legend Sonny Rollins blows out his birthday candles for the 85th time. In his own words: "85 is no jive."
• 28-year-old pianist Jon Batiste gave an epic, star-studded performance of Sly & The Family Stone's classic “Everyday People” for his debut as music director of The Late Show w/ Stephen Colbert.
• The New York Times jazz journalist Nate Chinen gave rave reviews for vocalist Lizz Wright's "new sensual register" on her new album Freedom & Surrender.
• Popular French radio station France Radio broadcasts SFJAZZ's 2015-16 Season Opening Week, featuring Jacky Terrasson, Randall Kline, SFJAZZ Collective & more!
• On her centennial year, Billie Holiday will be the first artist to perform (via hologram!) at the Apollo Theater.