Strayhorn And Ellington: An Analysis

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Strayhorn and Ellington, together wrote some of the most creative pieces in the history of jazz, with works so famous they even took the opportunity to perform globally. One of the most famous quotes from Ellington was: “Billy Strayhorn was always the most unselfish, the most patient, and the most imperturbable, no matter how dark the day… He was my listener, my most dependable appraiser, and as a critic he would be the most clinical, but his background - both classical and modern - was an accessory to his own good taste and understanding… Billy Strayhorn was my right arm, my left arm, all the eyes in the back of my head, my brain waves in his head, and his in mine” (Ellington 156). As any jazz musician would do, Strayhorn valued creativity