A 2021 performance of Billy Strayhorn's Lush Life by the LA Jazz Connection, featuring Danny Janklow on Electronic Wind Instrument. Taken at 68 BPM in B with a ballad feel, this interpretation of Strayhorn's masterpiece uses the 26-bar AA' form. Janklow's use of the EWI rather than his primary alto saxophone gives this performance a distinctive electronic timbre that contrasts with the song's sophisticated mid-century harmonic language. Lush Life is widely considered one of the greatest compositions in American popular music, its complex harmonies and poetically world-weary lyrics reflecting Strayhorn's unique artistic vision. Strayhorn reportedly wrote the piece as a teenager, though it was not recorded until later. The song has been definitively interpreted by vocalists from Nat King Cole to John Coltrane's instrumental version, and any reading engages with this rich recorded history. The EWI's timbral flexibility allows Janklow to explore the melody and harmony with a different sonic palette, bringing a modern electronic dimension to one of jazz's most revered compositions.
