Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn
by David Hajdu
published
June 28th 1996
(first published 1998)
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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binding
Hardcover, 305 pages
literary awards
1996 National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist
isbn
0374194386
(isbn13: 9780374194383)
description
The myth has always been that Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington shared an identical approach to music. In Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn,...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 68)
Read in September, 2008
recommends it for:
Anyone who appreciates greatness of soul
This book chronicles what has to be the most unique and intricate collaboration in the history of music: that of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. An analogy would be if Salieri had embraced Mozart upon his arrival in Vienna, and paid all his bills and gambling debts, while Mozart wrote music for Salieri and pushed Salieri's musical acumen far beyond what it would have been, all while staying resolutley out of the Court limelight and pursuing his Masonic interests. My mind just boggled coming...more
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Read in March, 2006
This well written biography is about Billy Strayhorn, a composer and arranger for Duke Ellington. Joining Ellington's band around 1940, Strayhorn wrote some very memorable jazz pieces including "Lush Life" and "U.M.M.G." He was also an openly gay jazzman which is extremely rare even today.
Hajdu brings to life the story of Strayhorn's upbringing in Pittsburgh and struggles with alcohol. It recounts his worldly travels and youthful ambitions to write classical music and cre...more
Hajdu brings to life the story of Strayhorn's upbringing in Pittsburgh and struggles with alcohol. It recounts his worldly travels and youthful ambitions to write classical music and cre...more
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Read in June, 2000
recommends it for:
music lovers.
I found this book on a random act of book browsing. I was a long time fan of the song "Lush Life", but I had no idea who originally wrote it. Finding out that Billy Strayhorn was seventeen when he wrote "Lush Life" (not to mention already openly gay) was enough for me to carry on. Strayhorn was Duke Ellington's side kick who never saw the limelight of fame, but had a large round of respect for his abilities.
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having finally finished it, i continue to find the book appallingly written. but i had a bit of a crush on billy strayhorn by the end of it, and was unbelievably sad to leave his world. which, i suppose, is the point of a good biography.
i think we would have been tremendous drinking buddies.
i think we would have been tremendous drinking buddies.
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Read in January, 2005
Strayhorn is one of my favorite composers and this was a very well written biography. I enjoy learning more about the musicians and artists that I love, it adds layers to their art and it's interesting to discover the similarities and differences between them and me.
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Read in March, 2006
It is a thoroughly researched but not very well written biography but Billy Strayhorn himself was a fascinating figure in the history of jazz music so it was certainly worth the read.
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Read in July, 2008
This is one of the best biographies I have ever read, and is definitely my favorite book by David Hajdu. Made me cry.
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A fine biography of the man who made Duke Ellington sound so good.
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