Lush Life: Journey Through The Real Book

A jazz piano lesson to help you learn Billy Strayhorn’s jazz standard “Lush Life.”
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Understanding the tune 0:12
Who was Billy Strayhorn? 0:38
How Strayhorn worked under the Ellington “umbrella” 1:27
Strayhorn’s musical style 1:47
Strayhorn’s most personal composition 2:20
Strayhorn’s original harmonies 3:03
A few aspects of Duke Ellington’s style 7:13
Unusual introductions to Ellington and Strayhorn tunes 7:51
To improvise or not to improvise? (that is the question) 9:17
An Ellington-like intro 10:11
The Verse 10:30
Rolling the ascending chords 10:42
A descending chromatic bass fill 10:45
A Chopin-like LH figuration 10:48
Evoking the intro again 10:53
Taking the melody up an octave 10:57
D13(#11) 11:13
Rapidly-changing textures 11:16
Using Billy Strayhorn’s original chords 11:24
Doubling the melody with the left hand 11:31
Using the F harmonic minor scale over C7 11:41
Duke Ellington-style 11:37
A melodically-active left hand part 11:45
More Ellingtonia! 11:50
Chromatic inner-voice motion 11:56
The whole tone scale 12:00
A reflective ending to the verse section 12:03
An Ellington-like diminished voicing 12:07
The song’s chorus 12:11
Adding an upper melodic line 12:15
A slightly fuller pianistic texture 12:24
More in tempo, embellishing the melody 12:30
Tatum/Strayhorn 12:42
Fuller voicings on the bridge 12:49
LH arpeggios for the last ‘A’ section 13:08
Building up to a high point 13:15
More tenderly 13:23
A simpler texture 13:45
Strayhorn’s original harmonies 13:53
Bell-like voicings for the ending 14:08
Open 5ths in the left hand for a full, resonant sound 14:18
The show must go on! (despite a ringing phone) 14:25
Learning “Lush Life” yourself 14:39
Good luck with your jazz piano playing! 15:29
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Thanks for joining me on this musical adventure, and please LIKE, COMMENT and SHARE this video with your musical friends.
If you'd like to start my full video course, you'll find it here: keyboardimprov...
For Zoom and Skype lessons, please email me at [e-mail].
Enjoy the journey, and "let the music flow!"
Ron

[@benvonhunerbein1865]

I really appreciate your deliberate approach to all of these tunes. Learning the history makes me feel part of this musical legacy

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Yes, that's exactly it, and you've said it better that I could have. After all, we ARE part of the musical legacy, because we are continuing the musical tradition.

[@bills48321]

I love this tune. The words are so well painted by the melody and chords. The emotions really come across distinctly. I listened to the first recording of it sung by Kay Davis and Billy Strayhorn accompneying, then Billy Strayhorn singing and playing, and then Duke Ellington accompneying Ella Fitzgerald. The contrary motion of the melody and bassline at the end really underscores the last line in the lyric. Thanks for your wonderful interpretation of it Ron.

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Those are all great performances! This was THE song of a certain generation of jazz musicians and their circle. I remember being asked to play it by people who had met Ellington and Strayhorn.

[@briane.buckner3613]

Beautiful playing!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks - much appreciated!

[@song4night]

Beautiful playing, Ron. Appreciate your knowledge around the song.

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks! It's one of the greatest songs ever composed.

[@AFSoar01]

Wow - how beautiful. Thanks for the song and thanks for the history!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks John - it's one of my favorites!

[@smichener1]

Thanks for inspiring us Ron! Beautiful.

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks ! This is the song that inspires me too.

[@mattf9076]

outstanding!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks Matt!

[@WillisWills]

I only know two songs, Happy Birthday and Lush Life.

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

You picked 2 great ones!

[@agbowes1129]

Great tune, beautifully played!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks Andrew!!!

[@dwdei8815]

This is a really fine tutorial. I'm glad you explained why "Improvise or not?" is a valid question here - it always felt a bit "Here we go again" and I couldn't see why. Because it is a journey and it reaches its natural close when it does.
The other correction I've made is 1st bar 3rd line the B flat to an A natural (in the D7). I noticed you keep it in as is (approx 10:50 in this video), but it gives a nasty little nip of sharpness in my ear. Which would be fine if it was part of the "thing" of the whole piece - I could listen to Prokofiev doing it for hours - but here it jars.

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks, and excellent points all around!

[@TheOrdener]

Beautiful! Thank you.
One of the saddest songs ever.

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks Mike! Yes, very melancholy.

[@eddiebonner5623]

!!!!!

[@rondrotoskeyboardimprov9453]

Thanks (I think!!!!!) lol