| Cue for Saxophone | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1959 | |||
| Recorded | April 14, 1959 in New York City | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 39:54 | |||
| Label | FelstedFAJ 7008 | |||
| Producer | Stanley Dance | |||
| Billy Strayhorn chronology | ||||
| ||||
Cue for Saxophone is an album by pianist and composerBilly Strayhorn's Septet comprising members of theDuke Ellington Orchestra recorded in 1959 and originally released on theFelsted label in 1959, then reissued byVocalion in 1962.[1][2]
Strayhorn biographerDavid Hajdu has written thatCue for Saxophone was conceived by producerStanley Dance as aJohnny Hodges small-group jazz album, much like the Hodges LPs that were being released byVerve Records at the time. It was released under Strayhorn's name (and Hodges was only listed under the pseudonym "Cue Porter") because Hodges was contractually prohibited from releasing albums on other record labels:"Since Hodges was under contract with Norman Granz to record exclusively for Verve Records, Dance found himself prohibited from releasing the album under Hodge's name. As an out, he titled itCue for Saxophone, a hint at the featured player's identity, and issued the record in the name of Billy Strayhorn's Septet. 'Billy didn't care,' said Dance. Indeed, as [drummer Oliver] Jackson explained, Strayhorn seemed to exert a minimum of creative effort on the project. 'He showed up late, and he didn't have anything planned....He knocked off whatever arrangements we used off the top of his head. He didn't seem to give much of a damn, and the thing had his name on it....I said, 'Hey Strays, isn't this something, man? All those things you did for Duke, and all the people think Duke did 'em? And here there's finally a record with your own name on it, and it's really Rabs!'" For the same reason, a 1958 recording of the Duke Ellington Orchestra live at the Blue Note club in Chicago was originally released on Roulette Records under Strayhorn's name asBilly Strayhorn Live!!!"[3]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [4] |
TheAllmusic review by Scott Yanow stated: "Composer/arranger/pianist Billy Strayhorn led surprisingly few sessions throughout his career, and this was only his second full-length album. Actually, the main star is altoist Johnny Hodges (who goes here under the pseudonym of "Cue Porter"), while Strayhorn (who plays piano on the seven songs) only co-wrote two basic tunes... The results are a fine mainstream session".[4]
