“It's always a great lyric, but the more you perform, the more you live, and the more experience you have — the more meaning it takes on.”
Singer-Pianist Billy Stritch has been performing professionally for over 40 years. His talent as an accompanist has taken him all over the world — especially during his 25 years playing with Liza Minnelli, ducking from paparazzi, staying with celebrities like Frank Sinatra, and learning how to cope when the power goes off right before your show at the Hollywood Bowl.
But Billy is also a talented entertainer in his own right, and his latest venture of weekly live streams has been documented in his album Billy’s Place. Every Thursday night at 8 pm he invites the public into his “virtual speakeasy” for an hour of music and cocktails — as long as you make it yourself. The album Billy’s Place brings us 12 of his most beloved tunes, recorded in Nashville for Club44 Records.
Listen to the full interview to hear more from Billy Stritch about what makes a great accompanist, how to memorize hundreds of tunes, and his adventures playing around the world. Billy is also celebrating the album release with a run of concerts at Birdland August 5-7, so you can see him live instead of just through a webcam! Link to tickets below.
Resources
Birdland tickets are available at www.BirdlandJazz.com. You can also continue watching his live stream concerts Thursday night at 8:00 pm EST on his Facebook page. Learn more about Billy Stritch on his website, www.billystritch.com.
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