Lush Life (English)

The composing genius behind such sensitive and inspired pieces as "Take the 'A' Train," "Chelsea Bridge," and the song that gives David Hajdu's meticulously detailed biography its title, "Lush Life," Billy Strayhorn was, for much of his professional career, invisible to the public. Duke Ellington hired him in 1938, after a backstage audition in Strayhorn's native Pittsburgh, and their artistic and personal relationship continued until Strayhorn's death from cancer in 1967. Ellington's agreement with Strayhorn that the bandleader would essentially finance his life in exchange for Strayhorn's relinquishing composer credits on the many pieces he wrote for the band was an unusual one. But it suited Strayhorn's purposes; black, and openly gay in a time when to be the former could provoke open prejudice and the latter much worse, he craved privacy, if not total anonymity. Hajdu's insightful investigation of the reclusive artist's life and music explores Strayhorn's symbiotic relationship with Ellington and his pursuit of the sophisticated, elegant life first visualized in "Lush Life," astonishingly written when its composer was around 18. LUSH LIFE is the first and may long remain the best biography of this little known but vital contributor to the Ellington legacy. minimize