Chelsea Bridge
Billy Strayhorn
| PROFILE | |
| Composer | Billy Strayhorn |
| Year Written | 1941 |
| About Chelsea Bridge | |
| “Chelsea Bridge” was actually inspired by a painting of the Battersea Bridge, either the one by J.M.W. Turner or James MacNeill Whistler that Strayhorn saw on a trip to London. No matter the inspiration, the result is an evocative melody with a rich harmonic structure. The Duke Ellington Orchestra recorded the song in 1941, with Strayhorn on piano. In the 1950s, when tenor sax player Ben Webster joined The Duke Ellington Orchestra, he was a featured soloist for several recordings of the song. | |
Session / Album Information
1999
“Chelsea Bridge” was recorded in May 1999 and released that same year on the album Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool. It was arranged by Jorge Calandrelli. This song is a instrumental.
This recording released on:
- 1998: Columbia CD: CK 63668 — Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool
- 2011: Disc #65 in The Tony Bennett Complete Collection (88697874602-JK63) Bennett Sings Ellington: Hot & Cool