Lezione Concerto: Duke Ellington e Billy Strayhorn

The partnership between Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, one of the most fruitful in the history of music (it began in the late 1930s and ended in 1967 with Strayhorn’s death), led to the production of unforgettable pieces such as Take the A train, Caravan, Mood Indigo and In a sentimental mood. Often written and arranged for Ellington’s orchestra, these works have become standards played by many musicians in various formations. In this quartet lesson-concert we will try to retrace all the milestones, evoking that characteristic sound (which is in fact defined as ‘Ellingtonian’) by performing compositions by these two jazz masters rearranged for the occasion.