| Something to Live For: A Billy Strayhorn Songbook | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 20, 1998 | |||
| Recorded | June 17, 1997 | |||
| Studio | Audiomation Studio (Pittsburgh, PA) | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 65:57 | |||
| Label | HighNote HCD 7019 | |||
| Producer | Cecil Brooks III | |||
| John Hicks chronology | ||||
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Something to Live For: A Billy Strayhorn Songbook is an album by the pianist John Hicks, recorded in 1997 and released on the HighNote label. [1] The album contains ten compositions by Billy Strayhorn, along with two by Hicks.
AllMusic wrote that Hicks "shows his softer side here, tackling the lush romanticism of Strayhorn's timeless compositions with an appropriately light touch and sense of nuance". [2] JazzTimes called it "a fine stroll through familiar Strayhorn terrain that pays substantial dividends". [3]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [4] |
All compositions by Billy Strayhorn except as indicated
William Thomas Strayhorn was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger, who collaborated with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington for nearly three decades. His compositions include "Take the 'A' Train", "Chelsea Bridge", "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing", and "Lush Life".
Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn is an album by the jazz saxophonist Joe Henderson. Composed of songs written by Billy Strayhorn, the album was a critical and commercial success, leading to the first of three Grammy Awards Henderson would receive while under contract with Verve Records. The album had sold nearly 90,000 copies at the time of Henderson's death in 2001 and has been re-released by Verve, Polygram, and in hybrid SACD format by Universal. Musicians on the album are trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, pianist Stephen Scott, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Gregory Hutchinson.
Evidence is the fourth album by Steve Lacy and was released on the New Jazz label in 1962. It features performances of four tunes written by Thelonious Monk and two from Duke Ellington by Lacy, Don Cherry, Carl Brown and Billy Higgins.
The Ellington Suites is an album by the American pianist, composer, and bandleader Duke Ellington. It collects three suites recorded in 1959, 1971, and 1972, and was released on the Pablo label in 1976. The album won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance by a Big Band in 1976. Ellington and Billy Strayhorn wrote "The Queen's Suite" for Queen Elizabeth II who was presented with a single pressing of the recording, which was not commercially issued during Ellington's lifetime.
Masterpieces by Ellington is the first LP album by American pianist, composer, and bandleader Duke Ellington, recorded for the Columbia label in 1950. It was one of the earliest 12-inch LPs to take advantage of the extended time available and consisted of four tracks, three of them "concert arrangements" of Ellington standards and one, "The Tattooed Bride," a recent tone poem.
This Here Is Bobby Timmons is an album by American jazz pianist Bobby Timmons recorded in 1960 and released on the Riverside label. It was his first album as sole leader; the earlier Jenkins, Jordan and Timmons (1957) was a co-led date with saxophonists John Jenkins and Clifford Jordan.
"Isfahan" is a jazz piece credited to Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington and released on Ellington's 1967 album The Far East Suite; Isfahan is a city in Iran. It features long-time Ellington soloist Johnny Hodges on alto saxophone. It was originally called Elf when Strayhorn composed it, months before the 1963 Ellington orchestra world tour during which the group traveled to Iran.
Something to Live For: The Music of Billy Strayhorn is an album by Art Farmer recorded in New York in 1987 and originally released on the Contemporary label.
One Flight Down is an album by pianist Cedar Walton which was recorded in 2006 and released on the Highnote label.
Nightwind: An Erroll Garner Songbook is an album by the pianist John Hicks, recorded in 1997 and released on the HighNote label. The album contains 10 compositions by Erroll Garner along with a tribute by Hicks.
Impressions of Mary Lou is an album by pianist John Hicks which was recorded in 1998 and released on the HighNote label. The album features eight compositions by Mary Lou Williams along with five by Hicks.
Music in the Key of Clark is an album by pianist John Hicks which was recorded in 2001 and released on the HighNote label. The album features seven compositions by Sonny Clark, one by Lou Donaldson which Clark recorded, and five by Hicks.
Fatha's Day: An Earl Hines Songbook is an album by pianist John Hicks which was recorded in 2003 and released on the HighNote label. The album features seven compositions written or recorded by Earl Hines and five by Hicks.
The Peaceful Side is an album by pianist and composer Billy Strayhorn recorded in Paris in 1961 and originally released on United Artists Jazz in 1963, then reissued by Solid State in 1968 as The Peaceful Side of Billy Strayhorn.
Memories of Duke is an album by trumpeter Clark Terry performing compositions by, or associated with, Duke Ellington which was released on the Pablo Today label in 1980.
The Tommy Flanagan Tokyo Recital is an album by jazz pianist Tommy Flanagan. It is a trio album, recorded in 1975, with bassist Keter Betts and drummer Bobby Durham.
Exhale, is the final album by saxophonist Arthur Blythe which was recorded in 2002 and released on the Savant label the following year.
Blythe Byte is an album by the saxophonist Arthur Blythe, recorded in 2001 and released on the Savant label.
The Bassist: Homage to Diversity is an album by bassist Richard Davis with pianist John Hicks released on the Palmetto label in 2001.
In Good Company is an album by pianist George Cables that was recorded in 2015 and released on the HighNote label.
