“I made two records of only versions of Lush Life! Eventually there will be seven records, yeah.” - Tony Scott

Rank 36 Words and Music Billy Strayhorn   In 1933 a teenage Billy Strayhorn started work on “Lush Life.” He would fine-tune his composition over the next few years and in 1938, at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh, Strayhorn played the piano and sang for Duke Ellington. Ellington’s son, Mercer, would later recall that “Lush Life” and “Something to Live For” were responsible for Ellington hiring Strayhorn in early 1939. It would mark the beginning of their legendary collaboration.     More on Billy Strayhorn   In 1939 “Lush Life” could boast lyrics but no title. Strayhorn frequently played the song at parties but it was a pet project and was not intended for publication. On November 13, 1948, however, Billy Strayhorn (piano) with vocalist Kay Davis performed “Lush Life” in the last of seven Ellington Carnegie Hall concerts. The difficult-to-find Duke Ellington-Carnegie Hall, November 13, 1948, released in 1991 on Vintage Jazz Classics, contains the first documented performance of “Lush Life” with Billy Strayhorn on piano and Kay Davis singing. Recording by other artists began soon after that. An initial Nat “King” Cole B-side, rearranged in a Latin impressionistic style, infuriated Strayhorn. To make matters worse, Cole’s misreading of the lyrics irked the usually unflappable Strayhorn and resulted in an angry phone call. Strayhorn recorded “Lush Life” on piano without vocal (except for a wordless chorus behind him) in 1961 (The Peaceful Side, 1996 Capitol Records). He recorded solo piano and vocal in 1965 (Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn, 1992, Red Baron). Ellington himself never played “Lush Life.” Additional reading on Billy Strayhorn and the origin of “Lush Life” may be found in David Hajdu’s Strayhorn biography Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn. “Lush Life” was also the title for a 1993 made-for-TV film starring Jeff Goldblum, Forest Whitaker, and Kathy Baker.

More information on this tune... Will Friedwald Stardust Melodies Pantheon; 1st edition Hardcover: 416 pages (Friedwald devotes 23 pages to the song’s history, its composer/lyricist, performers, recordings, and analyses of the music and lyric. Eleven other great American songs also receive in-depth treatment in the book.) See the Reading and Research page for this tune for additional references. - Jeremy Wilson

This section suggests definitive or otherwise significant recordings that will help jazz students get acquainted with “Lush Life.” These recordings have been selected from the Jazz History and CD Recommendations sections.

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Chris Connor’s version of “Lush Life” (Sings Lullabys for Lovers) is noteworthy, as is John Coltrane’s extended exploration from 1958 (Lush Life), but the most significant version of the tune came from Coltrane’s collaboration with crooner Johnny Hartman. Coltrane and Hartman only teamed up for one recording session, but it resulted in a version of “Lush Life” (John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman) that is unrivaled in beauty and in influence on subsequent generations of musicians. Coltrane and his quartet are at their most lyrical, and Hartman sings Strayhorn’s melody with tenderness and assurance.

Noah Baerman - Jazz Pianist and Educator

For a teenager living in Pittsburgh, Strayhorn’s lyrics are remarkably worldly. Their jaded sophistication and inner rhyming sound a bit like Cole Porter though they are not considered derivative and are often praised by both critics and well-known lyricists.

The musical form of “Lush Life” is quite complex. The verse takes an A-A-B form, with the A sections containing seven bars and the B section containing fourteen. As with Hoagy Carmichael’s “Star Dust,” the verse has become an integral part of the composition. The thirty-two bar refrain usually plays just a little longer than the verse and has an A-B-A’-C format.

The years Strayhorn spent fine-tuning his composition are readily apparent. His meandering melody is intricately supported by ingenious chord progressions and, in combination with well-crafted lyrics, creates an unusual but enduring work of art. For fifteen years Strayhorn held this project close, not realizing, and perhaps not wishing, that “Lush Life” would become one of the top jazz standards of all time. -JW

Musical analysis of “Lush Life”
Original Key	Db major. Brief false key changes to Ab major and D in mm.30-33; otherwise, it does not stray far from the original tonic.
Form	A – A – B – C1 – C2 (C1 and C2 designate the refrain)
Tonality	Primarily major
Movement	Primarily stepwise, with a few intervals of a third and fourth. There is a fair amount of chromaticism mixed with repeated notes.
Comments     (assumed background)
The song is extremely sophisticated, both melodically and harmonically, particularly in the “C” sections, where Strayhorn uses variations on a single motif to build interest while maintaining structural consistency. Harmonic movement is often chromatic, creating chord substitutions for functional voice-leading chords and harmonic extensions in the melody, particularly in the “C” sections. Also noteworthy are the irregular phrases; none are eight measures long. The “A” sections consist of seven-measure phrases; “B” is fourteen, and the “C” sections are twelve measures each. Success in mastering this piece lies in learning Strayhorn’s melody thoroughly over the original harmonic progression. This is not one that can be “faked” easily.
K. J. McElrath - Musicologist for JazzStandards.com

Two early recorded examples of Strayhorn’s composition provide a very interesting contrast in jazz performance. Both are from 1953 and feature trumpet players.

The first is by swing-era trumpeter Harry James, who, following his departure from the powerhouse Benny Goodman Orchestra, formed his own big band which he led up until his death in 1983. James plays the tune with his typical fat tone and heavy vibrato, hewing close to the melody.

The second version, by the West Coast, cool jazz group featuring Russ Freeman (piano) and Chet Baker (trumpet), is the total opposite of James’ big band performance. Baker, like James, sticks closely to the melody, but his style is lighter and almost vibratoless, and Freeman provides the perfect foil for his clean style.

Chris Tyle - Jazz Musician and Historian

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Harry James At the Hollywood Palladium/Trumpet After Midnight Collectables Catalog: 6892 Chet Baker Songs for Lovers Blue Note Records 57158

“Lush Life” was included in these films:

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• Dead Again (1991, Kenneth Branagh)
• Living Out Loud (1998, Queen Latifah)
• Sidewalks of New York (2001, Chet Baker)

This section shows the jazz standards written by the same writing team.

Billy Strayhorn
Year	Rank	Title
1941	23	“Take the "A" Train”
1949	36	“Lush Life”
1941	221	“Chelsea Bridge”
1944	398	“A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing”
1944	411	“Passion Flower”
1942	412	“Raincheck”
1956	558	“Upper Manhattan Medical Group (UMMG)”
1967	808	“Blood Count”
1944	834	“Johnny Come Lately”
1947	886	“Lotus Blossom”

Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn
Year	Rank	Title
1939	439	“Something to Live For”
1950	567	“Love You Madly”
1964	718	“Isfahan”
1944	829	“Star Crossed Lovers”

Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer and Billy Strayhorn
Year	Rank	Title
1953	45	“Satin Doll”

Duke Ellington, John Latouche and Billy Strayhorn
Year	Rank	Title
1941	237	“Day Dream”

Duke Ellington, Lee Gaines and Billy Strayhorn
Year	Rank	Title
1941	461	“Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin'”

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