122:
147:. The melody is over relatively complex chord changes, compared with many jazz standards, with chromatic movement and modulations that evoke a dreamlike state and the dissolute spirit characteristic of the "lush life." The song's verse is 32 bars long, and its chorus is 24 bars. Unlike most other jazz standards with a verse and a chorus, "Lush Life" is never performed without the verse because it is completely integral to the composition. Jazz critic
154:
During a 1949 interview, Strayhorn spoke of the song’s genesis: “’Lush Life’ wasn’t the first tune of mine Duke heard. In fact, he didn’t hear it until just a little while ago. I wrote it in 1936 while I was clerking at the
Pennfield drugstore on the corner of Washington and Penn in Pittsburgh ….I
155:
was writing a song a day then, and I’ve forgotten many of them myself ….One night I remembered it and played it for Duke ….I called it 'Life is Lonely,’ but when anyone wanted me to play it they’d ask for ‘that thing about lush life’.”
131:
The lyric describes the author's weariness of the night life after a failed romance, wasting time with "jazz and cocktails" at "come-what-may places" and in the company of girls with "sad and sullen gray faces/with
235:
635:
228:
album but never finished a complete version. The unfinished takes of
Sinatra singing ‘Lush Life’ were eventually officially released on the 60th anniversary rerelease of the album.
382:(1989) – 13 interpretations of the song; from the liner notes: "An homage to Billy Strayhorn's 'Lush Life', an obsession, fullfilled (sic) by Tony Scott"
620:
625:
610:
121:
223:
532:
446:
136:
traces". Strayhorn was a teenager when he wrote most of the song, which was to become his signature composition (along with "
199:
186:
294:
600:
207:, recorded in 1963. Strayhorn recorded it in 1961 with wordless vocals by the Paris Blue Notes for his album
630:
605:
615:
400:
289:
17:
137:
494:
427:
371:
557:
185:
recorded it twice. The first was a 14-minute version recorded in 1958 as the title track of
585:
458:
326:
262:
109:
from 1933 to 1936. It was performed publicly for the first time by
Strayhorn and vocalist
8:
342:
279:
528:
465:
337:
190:
311:
269:
166:
125:
106:
89:
407:
364:
257:
231:
204:
594:
479:
453:
219:
182:
174:
158:
102:
431:
395:
331:
321:
178:
170:
144:
385:
211:
194:
162:
113:
with the Duke
Ellington Orchestra at Carnegie Hall on November 13, 1948.
72:
165:
recorded it four times. In the 1950s, it was recorded by jazz vocalists
469:
441:
247:
83:
489:
349:
301:
216:
Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of
Coltrane and Hartman
148:
110:
236:
Grammy Award for Best
Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s)
417:
359:
547:”New Hit, ‘Lush Life,’ is Not New.” Down Beat, 12 August 1949, 2.
34:
636:
Grammy Award for Best
Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals
527:. New York City: Oxford University Press. p. 249.
151:calls this standard "an art song, not a pop tune."
222:attempted to record a version of it for his 1958
592:
161:recorded "Lush Life" in 1949, while trumpeter
525:The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire
518:
516:
514:
512:
509:
120:
593:
586:The song's entry at jazzstandards.com
522:
621:Songs with music by Billy Strayhorn
143:The song was written in the key of
13:
14:
647:
626:Jazz compositions in D-flat major
579:
436:Harry Allen Plays Ellington Songs
390:Things Ain't What They Used to Be
241:
214:recorded a version for his album
611:Nancy Wilson (jazz singer) songs
200:John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman
550:
541:
1:
502:
116:
7:
10:
652:
484:Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life
422:Tina May – Never Let Me Go
401:Unforgettable... with Love
15:
316:El Jazz y Donna Hightower
81:
71:
56:
48:
40:
33:
28:
368:(1983, recorded in 1973)
128:
124:
601:1930s jazz standards
459:The Dana Owens Album
263:No Cover, No Minimum
105:that was written by
16:For other uses, see
631:LGBTQ-related songs
606:Nat King Cole songs
523:Gioia, Ted (2012).
343:Girl at Her Volcano
284:Where Love Has Gone
234:'s version won the
197:. The other was on
52:1949 by Tempo Music
616:Carmen McRae songs
447:The Life of a Song
380:Lush Life Volume 2
209:The Peaceful Side.
138:Take the 'A' Train
129:
534:978-0-19-993739-4
466:Roberta Gambarini
95:
94:
643:
573:
572:
570:
568:
554:
548:
545:
539:
538:
520:
338:Rickie Lee Jones
274:A World of Piano
203:, with vocalist
86:
67:
65:
26:
25:
651:
650:
646:
645:
644:
642:
641:
640:
591:
590:
582:
577:
576:
566:
564:
556:
555:
551:
546:
542:
535:
521:
510:
505:
312:Donna Hightower
270:Phineas Newborn
252:Strictly Powell
244:
225:Only the Lonely
193:with trumpeter
167:Ella Fitzgerald
126:Billy Strayhorn
119:
107:Billy Strayhorn
90:Billy Strayhorn
82:
63:
61:
24:
21:
12:
11:
5:
649:
639:
638:
633:
628:
623:
618:
613:
608:
603:
589:
588:
581:
580:External links
578:
575:
574:
558:"allmusic.com"
549:
540:
533:
507:
506:
504:
501:
500:
499:
495:Cheek to Cheek
487:
477:
463:
451:
439:
425:
415:
408:Eileen Farrell
405:
393:
383:
369:
365:Virtuoso No. 4
357:
347:
335:
319:
309:
306:Captain Marvel
299:
287:
277:
267:
258:Billy Eckstine
255:
243:
242:Other versions
240:
232:Linda Ronstadt
205:Johnny Hartman
118:
115:
93:
92:
87:
79:
78:
75:
69:
68:
58:
54:
53:
50:
46:
45:
42:
38:
37:
31:
30:
22:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
648:
637:
634:
632:
629:
627:
624:
622:
619:
617:
614:
612:
609:
607:
604:
602:
599:
598:
596:
587:
584:
583:
563:
559:
553:
544:
536:
530:
526:
519:
517:
515:
513:
508:
497:
496:
491:
488:
485:
481:
480:Dianne Reeves
478:
475:
474:You Are There
471:
467:
464:
461:
460:
455:
454:Queen Latifah
452:
449:
448:
443:
440:
437:
433:
429:
426:
423:
419:
416:
413:
409:
406:
403:
402:
397:
394:
391:
387:
384:
381:
377:
373:
370:
367:
366:
361:
358:
355:
351:
348:
345:
344:
339:
336:
333:
329:
328:
323:
320:
317:
313:
310:
307:
303:
300:
298:
296:
291:
288:
285:
281:
278:
275:
271:
268:
265:
264:
259:
256:
253:
249:
246:
245:
239:
237:
233:
229:
227:
226:
221:
220:Frank Sinatra
217:
213:
210:
206:
202:
201:
196:
192:
188:
184:
183:John Coltrane
180:
176:
175:Sarah Vaughan
172:
168:
164:
160:
159:Nat King Cole
156:
152:
150:
146:
141:
139:
135:
127:
123:
114:
112:
108:
104:
103:jazz standard
100:
91:
88:
85:
84:Songwriter(s)
80:
76:
74:
70:
59:
55:
51:
47:
43:
39:
36:
32:
27:
19:
565:. Retrieved
562:allmusic.com
561:
552:
543:
524:
493:
483:
473:
457:
445:
435:
432:Bill Charlap
421:
411:
399:
396:Natalie Cole
389:
379:
375:
363:
353:
341:
332:Quincy Jones
330:produced by
327:Donna Summer
325:
322:Donna Summer
315:
305:
293:
290:Nancy Wilson
283:
273:
261:
251:
230:
224:
215:
208:
198:
179:Chris Connor
171:Carmen McRae
157:
153:
145:D-flat major
142:
133:
130:
98:
96:
428:Harry Allen
386:McCoy Tyner
212:Kurt Elling
195:Donald Byrd
163:Harry James
29:"Lush Life"
595:Categories
503:References
470:Hank Jones
442:Geri Allen
372:Tony Scott
280:Jack Jones
248:Bud Powell
117:Background
490:Lady Gaga
430:with the
412:It's Over
376:Lush Life
354:New Weave
350:Rare Silk
302:Stan Getz
295:Lush Life
149:Ted Gioia
134:distingué
111:Kay Davis
99:Lush Life
49:Published
44:1933–1936
23:1948 song
18:Lush Life
418:Tina May
360:Joe Pass
238:(1986).
191:Prestige
187:an album
57:Released
567:June 1,
434:Trio –
101:" is a
62: (
41:Written
531:
498:(2014)
486:(2007)
476:(2005)
462:(2004)
450:(2004)
438:(1999)
424:(1992)
414:(1991)
404:(1991)
392:(1989)
356:(1983)
346:(1983)
334:(1982)
318:(1975)
308:(1972)
297:(1967)
286:(1964)
276:(1961)
266:(1960)
254:(1956)
177:, and
468:with
73:Genre
569:2020
529:ISBN
378:and
189:for
140:").
77:Jazz
64:1948
60:1948
35:Song
282:–
597::
560:.
511:^
492:–
482:–
472:–
456:–
444:–
420:–
410:–
398:–
388:–
374:–
362:–
352:–
340:–
324:–
314:–
304:–
292:–
272:–
260:–
250:–
218:.
181:.
173:,
169:,
571:.
537:.
97:"
66:)
20:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
.jpg)