Duke Ellington, Lotus Blossom (Trio) (Strayhorn)

And His Mother Called Him Bill (1967)

Personnel: Duke Ellington (piano); Russell Procope, Jimmy Hamilton (alto saxophone, clarinet); Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone); Paul Gonsalves (tenor saxophone); Harry Carney (baritone saxophone); Cat Anderson, Mercer Ellington, Herbie Jones, Cootie Williams (trumpet); Clark Terry (flugelhorn); John Sanders, Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper, Chuck Connors (trombone); Aaron Bell, Jeff Castleman (bass); Steve Little, Sam Woodyard (drums).

I am completely captivated by the Strayhorn/Ellington narrative and by the 1967 CD And His Mother Called Him Bill. Every story has a beginning and a middle, and as many of us eventually figure out , there are no real endings. This CD is a living legacy of that reality. My appreciation for this body of work is inseparable from the love story it expresses.

Can you imagine being fortunate enough to meet someone in your lifetime that you connect with on a creative and soul level so profound that it is not a threat to, nor rivalled by any other kind of intimacy? From all that I have read by historians and biographers, and all myths aside, this is the essence of the relationship Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn shared and nurtured for 30 years. A bond beyond gender or sexuality, and even deeper than friendship. Yet, most of their famous compositions were collaborated on while apart and from completely different approaches, one being self taught liking contrast and discord, the other classically trained loving harmony and melody.

Strayhorn recalled the first time he watched the Duke in action: Something inside me changed when I saw Ellington on stage, like I hadn't been living until then. And later Ellington described Strayhorn as my right arm, my left arm, all the eyes in the back of my head, my brainwaves in his head, and his in mine. When Billy Strayhorn died in 1967 after a two year struggle with esophagus cancer, Ellington was so devastated that he did not get out of bed for weeks, and three months later he called his band into the studio to record this tribute album.

Hence, my inspiration to share. These are my first You Tube uploads, audio only and not perfect, but just lay back, close your eyes and drift.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• jazz

[Vascopim]

Billy Strayhorn had just died. Duke & his men go into the studio to record some of Billy's forgotten scores. The session is over. The band is packing. Duke goes back to the piano, starts to play "Lotus Blossom" all by himself. Harry Carney unpacks his bariton and joins the Duke for the 2nd chorus. The mikes were on, someone looks on and hits the REC buttton. The tapes roll. This is how this was recorded.

[battle2n]

my funeral song__________________________­__

[alexispasquier]

This is my favorite Strayhorn composition!

[arias4me]

I think this is one of the most beautiful melodies I have ever heard. Billy Strayhorn was a musical genius. The combination of Strayhorn and Ellington is magic.

[chaseyl1]

SO Pretty.

[jcracker]

god i love this song

[DYNODRUM]

@prunellapussywuggumS-Why Because,They[polittishins] have NO Rythym ,nor Perfect Pitch , or a half step behind or in front of reality or care for LIFE itself.

[ronjatwo]

just saw Wynton Marsalis and lincoln center jazz orchestra do a strayhorn night. They played this song, pretty faithful to the original version. Everyone was very touched. @vascopin Thanks for the story. They closed with "Take the 'A' Train," the great Jose James on vocals. Peace.

[iampsalmbody]

Spring forth & live up in Love!

[M4lign]

@Vascopim yep.. strayhorn had said that he liked hearing duke play this song the most. i almost teared up the first time i heard it, while a friend was telling me the story :)

[Vagrarian]

On her CD "The Tender Trap," Janis Siegel does a version of this with lyrics, called "All Roads Lead Back to You." According to her, they were never recorded until then.

[TaterGumfries]

There's bass in the background.