Quite a delightful and at times poignant drama by trumpet player and dramatist Ian Smith on Radio 4 this afternoon (available on BBC iplayer for 7 days) in which a lady reporter for Time Magazine interviews Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn during the course of the latter's last recording session.
Clarke Peters gives a convincing performance as the urbane, sophisticated Ellington fending questions from Ashleigh Naddad as interviewer Elaine Robillard. Don Gillet as Strayhorn also gives a realistic performance as a man philosophically viewing the cancer that is killing him even changing the title of his final piece to Blood Count.
Robillard tries to get Ellington to admit he stole some of Strayhorn's music but neither of the two men give direct answers and the listener is left with the impression that both needed each other.
Musical snatches can be heard including a complete version of Ellington's monologue - Pretty and the Wolf.
Worth checking the iplayer link.
Musicians: Ian Smith (tpt); Alan Barnes (reeds); Dave Newton (pno); Andy Cleyndert (bs); Matt Holm (dms).
Lance.
3 comments :
Sorry I missed this. Sounds just up my street.
Liz....you can listen again via the BBC website
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0400mh7
And thanks, Lance - glad you enjoyed it. Maybe see you at the next Gateshead Festival.
Ian
brilliant, thoroughly enjoyable and with a wonderful spiritual thread, thank you Ian and the fantastic cast.
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