On April 7 and 8, 2009, Allan Harris brought a swinging quintet to Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola to commemorate the music of Billy Strayhorn. In the band were: Allan Harris, vocals; Miles Okazaki, guitar; Don Braden, tenor sax and flute; Dan Kaufman, piano; Paul Beaudry, bass and Ulysses Owens, drums.  Strayhorn, in addition to being Ellington’s big band arranger for many years, was a prolific composer. His biography was written by David Hajdu in the fascinating and thorough book, Lush Life, and he happened to be in the audience the night I went to Dizzy’s! Harris sang a number of Strayhorn originals, some more well-known than others, and told anecdotes about each one of them, making for a very interesting show.

They started with a very relaxed number, “Just A-Sittin’ and A-Rockin’” which showed off Allan’s silky smooth voice. By the second chorus, he was belting it, and Miles played some down-home blues on guitar. Dan followed it up with two-fisted chords on piano, and Don filled expertly on tenor.  “Day Dream” was one of the first songs Strayhorn wrote for the Ellington Orchestra, and Allan sang the verse, which has a beautiful melody in its own right, quite different from the refrain. Dan accompanied Allan sensitively on the piano, allowing Allan to mold his expressive voice into a multitude of emotions.  One of the most haunting pieces of Strayhorn’s is “A Flower is a Lovesome Thing.” Miles started playing his guitar softly, segueing into a Latin feel, and Allan, going with the flow, made it easy for the audience to understand every word, with his precise diction and perfect timing.

The band also did a few crowd pleasers, like “Satin Doll” and “Take the ‘A’ Train,” but the ballads, which mostly featured Braden on flute, were my favorites. First, “Something to Live For,” which Allen said was Ella Fitzgerald’s favorite tune, opened with just piano and was softly executed so that one could concentrate on the lyrics. Second, “Chelsea Bridge” contained refreshing new and hip lyrics that were penned by a friend of Allan’s from Washington, D.C.  And, last but not least, Allan sang the most famous tune of Billy Strayhorn’s, the enigmatic “Lush Life.”  Allan interpreted it a little faster than usual, while keeping it introspective, singing some beautiful high notes in falsetto during the ending phrase, “and those whose lives are lonely, too.” Altogether, Allan Harris’ “Music of Billy Strayhorn” was a very satisfying show.