Billy Strayhorn

3. Docherty believes that a cultural event is something that allows people to see the potential of freedom. A cultural event can take many forms. Some examples are: books, poetry and art forms such as painting, music, dance, and sculpture. This idea relates to play of imagination which occurs when people imagine the world different from the way it is now. Many artists have created images that could be considered cultural events. Some examples of these artists are Shepard Fairey and the…

November 23, 2015 Billy Strayhorn “The extent to which Billy Strayhorn gained recognition during his years with us was never commensurate with his contribution” said Leonard Feather, the British-born jazz musician. Indeed, though contributing enormous brilliant jazz pieces to the swing era, Billy Strayhorn, compared to his collaborator Duke Ellington, was relatively unknown to public. Instead, living most of his professional life as the protégé of Duke Ellington, Strayhorn passed away in…

Living a life faced with adversity it is truly remarkable the lasting impact Billy Strayhorn was capable of having on the development of jazz. He is acknowledged for being an exceptional pianist, composer, arranger and possessing one of the greatest compositional voices in the 20th century. He was truly an under appreciated revolutionary force decades ahead of his time, even while being the first closeted then out black gay man in a particularly homophobic environment of an all black male jazz…

The Gala featured music played by some pretty heavy hitters from the Big Band Era including band leader Johnny Vana as their conductor, and Vocalist Bill A. Jones. Bill sang some classic hits from the era and the band played a variety of music from the big band era for about three hours. The set list included: Chicago – Frank Sinatra (V) composed by Fred Fisher New York, New York – Frank Sinatra (V) composed by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb It’s Been a Long, Long Time – Bing Crosby…

Billy Strayhorn joined the ensemble in 1939, not as a performer, but instead helping Duke Ellington with the writing of the music. Ben Webster and Jimmy Blanton also joined the ensemble as bassist and saxophonist. These additions greatly improved the sound and…

The 1940’s were a decade of great change in America. In 1941 the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor; the first ever attack on U.S. soil, in 1944 American troops landed in Nazi-occupied Europe, and in 1945 the microwave oven was introduced to America. There was another great change taking place, but in the world of jazz music -- a new sound was developing that would alter the genre forever, pioneered by such people as Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Thelonious Monk. As 1940 was coming to a close, a…

Jazz music was one of the most popular music genres in the 1920s and 1930s. It started in New Orleans and over the years, stretched out throughout the whole United States. Its popularity brought many people together, even through the years of racial discrimination and the Great Depression. What made jazz continuously popular was the way it progressed. Throughout the years, jazz musicians have created many new styles, new arrangements, and put this genre of music on the map. Over the years, there…