#duke-ellington

#duke-ellington

Even if you're just a casual jazz fan, you probably recognize "Take the A Train," Duke Ellington's swinging theme song. Or you've heard the melancholy ballad "Lush Life" sung by Nat King Cole, by Linda Ronstadt during her Great American Songbook era, or by Lady Gaga on the album she recorded with Tony Bennett. Both of those - and many other tunes - were written by a gay man, musician, composer, and arranger Billy Strayhorn.

This music for me still feels so vital, he said. It unlocks a lot of keys. Earlier this month, Moran took some time at the Apollo Theater where he would perform a spellbinding Ellington-themed solo concert the following night and reflected on what he called the knotty nature of Ellington's works, highlighting the way they lean into emotional complexity.