Step into the Divaville Lounge on Sunday, November 29 as we honor composer Billy Strayhorn! Strayhorn worked for decades with Duke Ellington, and during their collaboration wrote some of Ellington's most iconic works, like "Take the 'A' Train," "Satin Doll," "Lush Life" and "Chelsea Bridge." Strayhorn developed his love of music right here in Hillsborough North Carolina, where he spent much of his childhood.
Often called an "invisible genius," Billy Strayhorn never sought the limelight and spent most of his career in Ellington's shadow. Ellington described Strayhorn as "my right arm, my left arm, all the eyes in the back of my head, my brain waves in his head, and his in mine." Tune in and learn more about this immensely talented composer and arranger.
Step into the Divaville Lounge on Sunday, November 22 as we celebrate the 110th birthday of Hoagy Carmichael! One of the more jazz-oriented composers in the 1930s, Carmichael wrote hundreds of of songs including classics like "Stardust," "Georgia On My Mind" and "Up the Lazy River." Sometimes called the first singer-songwriter, Carmichael was a talented pianist and singer. We will hear his greatest songs performed by Carmichael himself and by Divaville Lounge Favorites. We'll also hear rare early recordings, and clips from Carmichael's Hollywood acting career. Tune in for an afternoon of "Stardust Melodies"!