Billy Stritch: Music With Style!

All Photos:  Alan Mercer  Lighting:  Eric V.

An award-winning composer, arranger, vocalist, and jazz pianist of extraordinary range and sophistication, Billy Stritch breathes new life into the Great American Songbook, all the while bringing an easy sense of humor and showmanship to his performances.

Pianist and singer Billy Stritch was born and raised in Sugar Land, Texas, but now calls New York City his home.  Billy has performed all over the United States and internationally in such famed venues as 'Rainbow and Stars,' 'The Russian Tea Room,' 'The Palais de Congres' in Paris, 'The Municipale' in Rio de Janeiro, 'The Russiya' in Moscow, 'NHK Hall' in Tokyo and 'The Royal Albert Hall' in London.

Billy and Sandy Knox wrote the 1994 Grammy Award winning country song, 'Does He Love You?,' recorded by Reba McEntire and Linda Davis, which has sold over four million copies nationwide. The song was also named one of the Top Ten Country Songs of 1994 by the readers of Music City News. The song also appears on Patti LaBelle's album, 'Flame.' Other recording appearances include The Benny Carter Songbook and music from The Life by Cy Coleman. Billy's first solo album 'Billy Stritch' received critical acclaim.

Billy served as musical supervisor and vocal arranger for 'Liza Live from Radio City Music Hall,' and writes arrangements for Liza Minnelli and Charles Aznavour's joint concert appearances worldwide. He acted as associate producer, pianist and arranger for Minnelli's 'Gently,' which earned two 1996 Grammy nominations.

In 2001, a new door opened in the professional life of Billy Stritch. He was cast in the role of Oscar, the piano-playing crooner in the Broadway revival of “42nd Street” which starred Christine Ebersole. Their show-stopping number together, "I Only Have Eyes For You", led to television spots on 'The Rosie O’Donnell Show' and 'CBS This Morning.'

Other television appearances include 'Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall,' 'The Today Show,' 'The Charlie Rose Show' and 'The Oprah Winfrey Show.'

I have seen Billy perform up close and personal a few times now and I can say he is magnificent in a way that you have to experience first hand.  I met with Billy and Jim Caruso the last time they were in Los Angeles with their show 'Cast Party' at the Magic Castle for some fun and casual shots.   

AM:  It's so wonderful to have you and Jim coming here routinely with 'Cast Party' at the Magic Castle!  How did that happen?

BS:  Actually Jim got in touch with the people at the Magic Castle about a year ago.  This is the sixth time we've come out.  It's so great to have a routine and come out here regularly, not only to do the Magic Castle but to hang out with friends and see people I don't normally see.  It's like a free trip so it works out great! 

AM:  Yes you get in town, have some fun and get out!

BS:  We have such a good time at the shows. 

AM:  Those shows are something else!!!  You guys are all so great!  Aren't you from Texas?

BS:  Yes, from Sugarland, Texas. 

AM:  I lived in Dallas for a long time.

BS:  Jim grew up in Pittsburg but lived in Dallas too.  That's where we met.

AM:  How does one get from Sugarland, Texas to the jet-set world of New York Cabaret?

BS:  Oh I've been doing it for so long now.  I've been working in nightclubs for thirty years. 

AM:  You must have been a child.

BS:  I started when I was seventeen.  Houston in the 80's was a boom time.  There were lots of places to work.  I worked with a vocal group called 'Montgomery, Plant & Stritch' for almost eight years.  We worked all over Houston.  There were so many different venues. 

AM:  Did you only work in Houston?

BS:  We also worked in New York and around the world too, but when the group broke up in 1990 I changed my home base to New York.  Up until then I'd been based out of Houston, but twenty years ago I started working the clubs in New York.  I'd already played for lots of people and had seen so many clubs open and close.  It's a great life.  Most of my work is not in New York at this time.  It's all over!

AM:  What's the secret to your success?

BS:  I think one of the things I'm in tune with is accompanying other singers.  Being a singer myself I really know how to intuitively follow and not lead the singer.  I'm a good collaborator and a good accompanist, a good friend and confidant, all the things that make a really successful partnership. 

AM:  One of the most famous partnerships is with Liza Minnelli!  How did you meet?

BS:  We celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the night we met in New York City, just the other day!  

AM:  Did she see you perform somewhere?

BS:  It was right after I'd broken up with the group.  I was trying to figure out what the next move was going to be.  I was putting together some solo shows at a club called 'Eighty-Eight' but before that I was working in a piano bar named 'Bobo's' that was owned by a mutual friend of ours.  That's where she first heard me.

AM:  She must have not only been impressed with your skills.

BS:  We hit it off that night. It was like we kind of knew each other.  She was so easy to be with and get to know.  She was really interested in my opinions and musicality.  At that time she was putting together her show at Radio City Music Hall.  She brought me on board as part of the creative team.  She totally embraced me from the night we met.  She put me to work and we've been working together and being close friends ever since. 

AM:  Working with Liza has brought you other opportunities to work with other people hasn't it?

BS:  Oh yes I work with Christine Ebersole and I work with Linda Lavin who just released a CD we worked on.  I work with Marilyn Maye, who is a terrific jazz singer.  I've actually worked with Marilyn longer than anybody.  I first worked with Marilyn thirty years ago.  She was working a lot in Houston at that point and I was living there.  I met her when I was nineteen and we've worked together off and on all these years.  She's terrific!  I split my time between a bunch of different singers and work on my own shows. 

AM:  How do you find time to do your own thing?

BS:  I just pray that everything works into the calendar.  I really do have to make time to do my own things because between all the obligations I have with other people, my thing kind of gets pushed aside sometimes.  I have three shows in Ft. Lauderdale and in May I go to Indianapolis to play for three nights.  I do my best to keep my own stuff in there so I don't get pigeon-holed as only an accompanist.  My ego needs that.

AM:  Well more than your ego.  You have some CD's to promote and you have to do your own shows!

BS:  Yeah I'm lucky I can do all those things. 

AM:  Well you're so multi-talented.  Is there anything you haven't done that you want to do?

BS:  Yes I would love at some point, to write for the theater, to find the right story with the right collaborators and create a theater piece.

AM:  Haven't you been on Broadway?

BS:  I have.  I performed in the revival of '42nd Street' in 2001.  I was the on stage pianist and I had a few lines. 

AM:  Did you enjoy that?

BS:  I enjoyed it very much.  What I really enjoyed was the camaraderie with the cast and all the friendships that I made.  I enjoyed the steadiness of it.  It allowed me to be in New York for a year and a half without having to travel.  I enjoyed all the things that went with that weekly paycheck like insurance.  That stability was really nice. I never got tired of the music.  It's a wonderful show.  There is a great catalog of songs in the score.  I would go into the Theatre some nights and be dragging and not want to be there and I would get into my dressing room and hear the orchestra play the overture and I would immediately get picked up.  The show would fly by.  I would welcome the chance to do that again if it was the right situation.   

AM: I bet you'll have that opportunity again.

BS:  I hope so.  What's great about Cast Party, especially out here in LA when we only come out here every three months, we get some celebs in here and I get the chance to play for a lot of people that I normally wouldn't cross paths with.  I love playing for our dear Sally Kellerman.  Carol Channing came the last time.  I've met a lot of wonderful people and I've had the chance to share the stage with them in a small way.  That keeps everything fresh and interesting.  It's not bland, it's going to be fun every night for different reasons.

 To learn more about Billy Stritch check out the web site http://www.billystritch.com/