Billy Strayhorn: Read All About Him

Cityfolk's weeklong celebration of jazz composer Billy Strayhorn is just two months away.

The Cityfolk website now has a place devoted to his legacy and the events taking place between April 11-18. In addition to learning about the concerts which frame the celebration, you can also find information on radio programs taking place prior to April 11 and a number of links which provide additional information on some of the free presentations taking place that week.

David Hajdu, who comes to Dayton for a talk session with Detroit Free Press (and former Dayton Daily News) music writer Mark Stryker on April 15, has graciously provided a centerpiece essay on Strayhorn's life and music. The author of the acclaimed Strayhorn biography Lush Life, Hajdu teaches journalism at Columbia University, is the chief music critic for The New Republic and has contributed to The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker and the Village Voice.

Learn more at www.cityfolk.org/celebratingstrayhorn

Here, enjoy Billy Strayhorn on piano with Duke Ellington and his Orchestra playing Strayhorn's composition "Take the A Train."