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Lush Life: A PBS Special by Director Robert Levi
| I've been a fan of jazz music for as long as I can remember and as such, I have idolized certain iconic jazz figures; not the least of which is Edward Kennedy Ellington - the Duke. How could I not revere the leader of one of the hardest swinging big bands of all times and the composer of the classic "Take the 'A' Train"? Well, imagine my surprise when I discovered that Billy Strayhorn, not Duke Ellington, composed A Train and many other classic works heretofore credited to the Duke. Some credit Strayhorn with having written as much as forty percent of the Ellington Orchestra's material from 1939 through 1967.  Lush Life; a riveting documentary by filmmaker Robert Levi, depicting the life and career of Billy 'Swee'Pea' Strayhorn, revealed this and many other fascinating details about this unsung hero of the Harlem Renaissance.Levi, who first produced the documentary, "Ellington: Reminiscing in Tempo" said: "I realized how I, too, had been focused on the legend of Duke Ellington and had taken Billy Strayhorn's contributions during their 29-year collaboration for granted." "I wanted to set the record straight"; he added. This PBS special, scheduled to air in most cities on February 6, tells a compelling story of a man who dared to overcome poverty, racism, homophobia, and the burdens of musical genius by his collaborations with one of the giants of the twentieth century. Director Levi wants "viewers to experience one of the most significant collaborations in the history of the arts..." Through performances by featured artists like songstress Dianne Reeves, tenor man, Joe Lavano, and singer/composer Elvis Costello; countless on camera interviews by many of Strayhorn's and Ellington's family members and contemporaries, including Quincy Jones, Billy Taylor and Clark Terry; and an amazing collection of still photographs and vintage footage, I believe I got it. The experience Levi had in mind is inescapable. The collaboration between Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn was more than a partnership. Strayhorn was an extension of Ellington's muse as though he could hear what Ellington was hearing in his own head.  I am fortunate enough to own a copy of the documentary, so I was able to repeat the 'experience' at least a dozen times. What began to happen as I watched the piece a second time and then a third and so on, was that I began to have ah-ha moments; moments of, this reminds me of this and sounds a bit like that. One such ah-ha moment occurred while listening to accounts of the discrimination Strayhorn faced because of his expressed sexuality. His name was repeatedly omitted from credits or press releases for fear of backlash by a homophobic public. It prompted me to revisit the stories of James Baldwin and Bayard Rustin. It's interesting to note that, each of these outstanding Black men were openly homosexual; predating any Gay Rights movement. Activist, Bayard Rustin, who is credited with organizing the 1963 "March on Washington", where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his historic, "I Have a Dream" speech, is little known because it is believed his sexuality always drew negative attention to the movement. Brilliant author, James Baldwin who dealt openly with, among other things, the subject of homosexuality in his autobiographical "Go tell it on the Mountain" found his sexuality controversial. Oddly enough, the story also reminded me of one of my favorite fictional stories - the Phantom of the Opera. The theme of the Phantom saga is centered on plagiarism. The composer's original opera is 'stolen' by an unscrupulous publisher out to take credit and profit from the unknown composer's labor. Some of the interviewees believe that the relationship between Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn benefited the latter significantly enough to warrant Ellington's taking liberties with credit given and payment dispersed. I find the fact that Billy Strayhorn never received a royalty on "Take the A Train", known to be his original composition, unimaginable and unconscionable. The result for this viewer is discovering a new pivotal character in the Ellington era while revisiting a more complex Ellington. I have a new jazz hero in Billy 'Swee' Pea' Strayhorn; a brilliant composer, master arranger, poignant lyricist and virtuoso pianist. He wrote the words and music to the classic Lush Life at the age of sixteen - an amazing feat by any standard. Lush Life remains a classic and one of the most difficult songs in the jazz catalogue. Frank Sinatra attempted to record Lush Life but found it too difficult. He remained a Strayhorn fan, even to the point of trying, unsuccessfully, to 'steal' him away from Ellington. Strayhorn's personal story is also a classic. He was born in poverty in 1915 in Dayton, Ohio. The fourth of ten children, when he was eight years old his mother moved the family to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to join his father who had gotten a job there as a gas-maker and wire puller. The Strayhorn's lived in a two bedroom shack with no electricity. Billy was always small and somewhat frail and it was, at one point, not certain if he would survive severe childhood illnesses. In spite of adversity, Billy's mother, Lillian, armed with only a mother's vision for her child encouraged Billy to learn to play piano. In 1936 his father enrolled him in the Pittsburgh Musical Institute. The rest, as the saying goes, is history. As long as people like Robert Levi are willing to dedicate their resources to setting the record straight, the truth about the Billy Strayhorn's of history will be uncovered. Check out the PBS special, Lush Life. Visit www.PBS.org and enter Billy Strayhorn. Discover for yourself how this icon quietly influenced a generation with his passion for great music and his genius spirit. Article also published in Dallas Weekly |
