Something to Live For: A Billy Strayhorn Songbook
1998 studio album by John Hicks
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Something to Live For: A Billy Strayhorn Songbook is an album by the pianist John Hicks, recorded in 1997 and released on the HighNote label.[1] The album contains ten compositions by Billy Strayhorn, along with two by Hicks.
| Something to Live For: A Billy Strayhorn Songbook | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 20, 1998 | |||
| Recorded | June 17, 1997 | |||
| Studio | Audiomation Studio (Pittsburgh, PA) | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 65:57 | |||
| Labels | HighNote HCD 7019 | |||
| Producer | Cecil Brooks III | |||
| John Hicks chronology | ||||
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Reception
AllMusic wrote that Hicks "shows his softer side here, tackling the lush romanticism of Strayhorn's timeless compositions with an appropriately light touch and sense of nuance".[2] JazzTimes called it "a fine stroll through familiar Strayhorn terrain that pays substantial dividends".[3]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [4] |
Track listing
All compositions by Billy Strayhorn except as indicated
- "Something to Live For" (Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn) - 5:44
- "Day Dream" (Ellington, Strayhorn John La Touche) - 6:40
- "Medley: Lotus/Blossom" - 4:08
- "Blood Count" - 6:59
- "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing" - 3:07
- "Chelsea Bridge" - 6:10
- "Lush Life" - 6:05
- "U.M.M.G. (Upper Manhattan Medical Group)" - 5:30
- "Minor Blues" (John Hicks) - 4:33
- "Passion Flower" - 6:42
- "Satin Doll" (Ellington, Strayhorn, Johnny Mercer) - 5:23
- "Summary" (Hicks) - 4:56
Personnel
Production
- Cecil Brooks III - producer
- Dino DeStefano - engineer