Something to Live For

Something to Live For investigates and analyses the entire oeuvre of Billy Strayhorn,m who, for over 30 years, was the musical collaborator of Duke Ellington. Nearlly seventy music examples, drawn directly from his original autograph scores, provide insight into the development of Strayhorn's own musical language and style. The author has found hitherto unknown works that permit a closer examination of the composer's development. The author addresses the question of the perceived interchangeability of Strayhorn's and Ellington's styles and argues for each having a unique style. With this work, Strayhorn is detached from Ellington's shadow and readers are given pointers to the most salient features to distinguish their works.