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We are thrilled to announce our grand return to the Coolidge Auditorium. Please join us from June 8-10, 2023 to pay tribute to the American jazz composer, bandleader, pianist and arranger, Billy Strayhorn with a fantastic festival, “Salute to Strayhorn."
The Library’s salute to Billy Strayhorn celebrates the music and legacy of an original American voice, presenting two remarkable concerts, a lecture by the composer’s biographer David Hajdu, a symposium and screenings of two landmark movies with scores representing his work in the realm of film. Our festival is a unique offering curated from the riches of the Billy Strayhorn Collection: nearly 8,000 documents, including manuscripts, sketches, photos, and papers. Expert Strayhorn scholars will examine the composer’s career, from his earliest years in Pittsburgh through his 28-year collaboration with Duke Ellington.
Presented through the generous support of the Revada Foundation of the Logan Family.
Bill Charlap Trio with Jon Faddis, Trumpet
Thursday, June 8, 2023, 8:00 pm
Thomas Jefferson Building - Coolidge Auditorium
10 First Street SE. Washington DC 20003
Register Here
Bill Charlap and his Trio appear with two terrific partners for a charming, close-focus encounter with Strayhorn’s unforgettable songs—and some scintillating piano solos. Trumpeter Jon Faddis is an artist known for “…making the practically impossible seem effortless” (Time Out New York). Joining them is rising star Samara Joy, newly signed to Verve Records and a recent headliner for the Jazz Society of Lincoln Center. It’s a sizzling collaboration, one appropriate to honor what jazz scholar Larry Appelbaum called “the creative work of a musical architect of the highest order…one who added greatly to the brilliance and beauty of 20th-century music.”
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Anatomy of a Murder
Friday, June 9, 2023, 6:00 pm
James Madison Building - Pickford Theater
101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540
Register Here
Otto Preminger’s epic courtroom drama featuring a stellar cast led by James Stewart, Lee Remick, George C. Scott and Ben Gazarra was nominated for seven Academy Awards. The music of Strayhorn and Ellington plays an important role in the film, which was one of the first blockbusters to highlight jazz and African American composers.
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Paris Blues
Saturday, June 10, 2023, 2:00 pm
James Madison Building - Pickford Theater
101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540
Register Here
Paris Blues is a classic love story about American expatriate jazz musicians in Paris, with memorable performances by figures including Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Sidney Poitier and Louis Armstrong. Billy Strayhorn’s significant contributions to Paris Blues went uncredited, with an Oscar nomination going instead to Duke Ellington for Best Music and Scoring.
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Strayhorn Symposium: Known and Unknown
Saturday, June 10, 2023, 4:00 pm
Thomas Jefferson Building - Kluge Center LJ 119
10 First Street SE. Washington DC 20003
Register Here
Join us to hear experts on Strayhorn and his legacy celebrate this important figure and his collection at the Library of Congress with a lecture and panel discussion..
Keynote Lecture: David Hajdu, author of Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn
4pm
Panel Discussion: Strayhorn: Known and Unknown
5pm
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Big Band Evening with Russell Malone, Guitar
Saturday, June 10, 2023, 8:00 pm
Thomas Jefferson Building - Coolidge Auditorium
10 First Street SE. Washington DC 20003
Register Here
Saxophonist and conductor Loren Schoenberg, Senior Scholar at The National Jazz Museum in Harlem, has delved into the Library’s archives to design a standout big band evening bringing to life both great Strayhorn classics and a few rediscovered gems. You’ll hear lesser-known Strayhorn masterpieces like “Overture To A Jam Session,” “Orson,” and “Boll Weevil Ballet,” along with the classics: “Take the A Train,” “Satin Doll,” “Lost In Meditation,” “Chelsea Bridge,” and others. Russell Malone will share his new interpretations of Strayhorn’s music, in a very rare chance to hear electric guitar merged with the magical Strayhorn arrangements.
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Looking for additional events?
You can check out last season’s Season-At-A-Glance here for access to existing content. You can also check out these special hubs that offer additional exciting material for you to view and read:
Throwback Thursday
(Re)Hearing Beethoven
The Boccaccio Project
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