Strayhorn - between 1934 and the 1960's
from Hear Me Talkin' To Ya: The Classic Story of Jazz as Told by the Men Who Made It, pages 237-238:
In 1934, in Pittsburgh, I heard and saw the Ellington band perform for my first time. Nothing before or since has affected my life so much. In 1939, I became his protege, enabling me to be closer and see more.
His first, last and only formal instruction for me was embodied in one word: Observe. I did just that and came to know one of the most fascinating and original minds in American music.
Ellington plays the piano, but his real instrument is his band. Each member of his band is to him a distinctive tone color and set of emotions, which he mixes with others equally distinctive to … more >>
cite as
Nat Hentoff and Nat Shapiro, Hear Me Talkin' To Ya: The Classic Story of Jazz as Told by the Men Who Made It (London, 1992), p. 237-238. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1435248185184 accessed: 30 October, 2024
Listeners
Listening to
hide composersJazz band music | performed by Duke Ellington & His Orchestra |
Experience Information
Date/Time | between 1934 and the 1960's |
Medium | live |
Listening Environment | in the company of others, in private, indoors, in public, solitary |
Notes
Billy Strayhorn worked with Ellington for thirty years.
Originally submitted by 5011Henning on Thu, 25 Jun 2015 17:03:05 +0100
Approved on Tue, 30 Aug 2016 16:47:44 +0100