Billy Strayhorn composed Take the "A" Train in 1939, and it was first recorded by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra on February 15, 1941, in Hollywood for Victor Records. The tune arose from a crisis: when a dispute between ASCAP and radio networks barred all ASCAP-licensed music from the airwaves beginning January 1, 1941, Ellington lost access to virtually his entire repertoire. He turned to Strayhorn, then three years into his tenure with the orchestra, to write new material at speed. Strayhorn delivered not only this piece but also Chelsea Bridge, Rain Check, and several others during the same prolific stretch. The melody draws on the chord changes of Jimmy McHugh's Exactly Like You from 1930, though Strayhorn's arrangement disguised the source so effectively that the connection is rarely noticed. Strayhorn described the lyrics as subway directions, guiding riders on the new A express line to Sugar Hill, the upscale Harlem neighborhood where Ellington lived. On manuscripts, Ellington and Strayhorn sometimes labeled the piece La Tram. The original recording features Ray Nance's muted trumpet solo, widely regarded as a model of melodic construction in improvisation. By August 1941, the Delta Rhythm Boys had set lyrics to Nance's solo lines and filmed a Soundie, producing one of the earliest known examples of vocalese and the first captured on film. The Ellington orchestra adopted it as its signature, opening broadcasts, dances, and concerts with it for over thirty years. Willis Conover later used it as the theme for his Voice of America jazz program, extending its reach worldwide.
