Brian Landrus Plays Ellington & Strayhorn features Landrus on a full spectrum of instruments: baritone and bass saxophones, bass and contra alto clarinets, piccolo, and C, alto and bass flutes.

With Grammy-winning engineer and producer John Kilgore, Brian Landrus layers his multi-hued voices into a rich and distinctive orchestral sound that harkens to the lush timbres of the classic Ellington Orchestra while displaying an evocative sonic hue all his own.

That tonality is given a brilliant foundation by the stellar rhythm section that Landrus has assembled for the occasion: guitarist Dave Stryker, bassist Jay Anderson, and drummer Billy Hart.

A mix of familiar classics and more obscure Ellingtonia, Brian Landrus Plays Ellington & Strayhorn is not just a testament to the immortality of these brilliant writers but also to Landrus’ orchestrational vision. The album is a celebration of two of America’s greatest composers, viewed through a fascinating and evocative sonic perspective.

1. Agra
2. Chelsea Bridge
3. A Flower is a Lovesome Thing
4. Day Dream
5. Praise God
6. Prelude To A Kiss
7. Come Sunday
8. The Telecasters
9. Lotus Blossom
10. Lush Life
11. Isfahan
12. Star Crossed Lovers
13. Warm Valley
14. Sophisticated Lady

The album opens on the atmospherically-charged Agra and the languishing beauty found within Chelsea Bridge and then we get the beautiful balladry of A Flower is a Lovesome Thing, the low slung, late night soiree that is Day Dream, the all-embracing Praise God, and then comes the preciseness of guitar that drives the lush Prelude To A Kiss and the ornate Come Sunday.

Along next is the dutifully-grooved The Telecasters and the diligently-hued Lotus Blossom, and they are in turn backed neatly by the low slung Lush Life, the slow dance of Isfahan, the recording rounding out on the delicately-imbibed Star Crossed Lovers, the veritably cinematic Warm Valley, coming to a close on the emboldened Sophisticated Lady.

Brian Landrus Biography