(Queen Elizabeth Hall, part of London Jazz Festival, essay in photos by William Ellis)
First you need some great songs, and they don't come greater than "Take the "A" Train"....
And a few instruments might help
And a man with a concept who's researched Strayhorn: Alex Webb
And a bandleader - Frank Griffith - to take care of the music, and his nonet (Jimmy Hastings, Mick Foster, Henry Lowther, Robbie Robson, Adrian Fry, Tim Lapthorn, Simon Woolf and Paul Clarvis)
And a singer, Alexander Stewart
And a diva, China Moses. Yes please.
And sometimes a little bit of company is nice too
And Sirena Riley to present the show - professionally
And the singers can get a little sassy
And quite friendly too....
But in the end, Strayhorn's songs speak for themselves, and make a great evening
