Billy Strayhorn's Contributions To Music

Billy Strayhorn was an incredibly gifted musician, as well as a talented arranger and composer, who was best known for his work while in the band Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. His love for music stemmed from his mother, a classically trained pianist, and from playing hymns on his grandmother’s piano at a young age. Strayhorn preferred to work in the shadows, content to arrange and compose music for the band as his employer wanted. Through working with Ellington, Strayhorn blossomed as an aspiring musician and composer and was able to live a discreet life as an openly as a gay man (Ethier). Through his brilliantly crafted and refreshingly original arrangements, Strayhorn was able set the standard for jazz compositions and influence future composers and arrangers through his …show more content…
First, Strayhorn’s songbook was filled with compositions that had uncommon harmonic and melodic sophistication, and was available to future singers that had the skill to be able to correctly decipher his genius. Second, his instrumental compositions, filled with orchestrations that showcased the swing-feel of jazz, were important contributions to Ellington’s overall larger portfolio of works that influenced later composers and arrangers. Last but not least, Strayhorn worked on many collaborations with Ellington, including geographical suites, dances and portraits, and parodies and homages that helped to shape the orchestra’s sound and further its legacy (Giddins 257). He was also able to contribute to many theatrical productions, like Brown and Beige and Beggar’s Holiday, by composing song and many long-form suites (Billy). In addition, he created a re-interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, considered groundbreaking and innovative at the time. Through his many accomplishments, he was able to build a solid legacy that transcended his association with