Portrait of Silk Thread
Though Billy Strayhorn is best known as Duke Ellington's tireless  collaborator, his contributions to the jazz cannon make him one of the most important  composer/arrangers of the century--with or without the Duke. Take the A-Train, the  song most associated with Ellington is, in fact, a Strayhorn composition. During his 28- year relationship with Ellington, Strayhorn wrote an average of one piece per week--an  astounding output especially considering the painstaking detail and highly crafted nuance  for which Strayhorn is known. OnPortrait of a Silk Thread, the Dutch Jazz Orchestra  led by Jerry Van Rooijen unearths pieces, which, unlike "Lush Life," or "Passion  Flower," never made it into the Ellington band's songbook. While the treatment here is  certainly reverent, it also underscores the highly stylized grace and almost withering  beauty of these richly lyrical compositions. Strayhorn could compose with a masterful,  sense of wonder and ornamentation. Just as importantly, he could make those gilded  creations dance.--S. Duda