Customer Reviews

Lush Life

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Anyone who loves the music of Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington must have this album. It features the music of Strayhorn as played by the Ellington orchestra (a rare and excellent recording of Passion Flower featuring Johnny Hodges), Strayhorn the singer!(Lush Life), small group recordings featuring Strayhorn on piano in familiar songs rearranged for the small group. The real value of this album, however, is the insight it gives to the listener of the true genius of Strayhorn. Hearing him on piano in the small group sessions is incredible. His playing of Day Dream is beyond description. Also, hearing a compilation of his songs featuring the vocals of Ozzie Bailey with Strayhorn on piano (Your Love has Faded, Something to Live For, and my favorite Multicolored Blue) gives insight into the pain that Strayhorn must have experienced during his life. Truly, I listen to this album daily, always finding somthing new and wishing I could have seen Strayhorn perform in person.

Hearing Billy sing and accompany himself on Lush Life alone is worth the price of admission. So charming and really just the genuine article, he stands out in almost startling relief against the dreary present. The five tracks featuring Ozzie Bailey on vocals with Billy's sparkling and sophisticated accompaniment are unusual, and my favorites on this record. Do be aware that the quality of this CD is very uneven, obviously thrown together to make a buck from found material that was probably never meant to be released. Some of the tracks are horrendous bootleg quality, others are better. I adore it anyway. I play it all the time, just to hear one of our great American musical aristocrats performing his own material.

I've been waiting to hear this recording for years...to date I've only heard Mr. Strayhorn's rendition of "Lush Life" and was completely blown away by it, this is definitely a must have.

Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous. Not sure what else to say. If you are a Billy Strayhorn fan you will absolutely love this. Cannot imagine complaining about the recording quality given the context.