Clark Terry on "Boo-Dah"

Earlier today I picked up a Billy Strayhorn tribute record by Fred Hersch called Passion Flower (1996), which, aside from being excellent, I've realized is one of many Strayhorn tribute records I've checked out over the past few years. Others include Joe Henderson's Lush Life (1991), the PBS Documentary all-star companion compilation Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life (2007), and the original Strayhorn tribute, Duke's ...And His Mother Called Him Bill (1967), which I snatched up last month from Prex. 

Clark Terry in 2002. Photo by Michael Worner.

The first track of that record is a medium swing tune called "Boo-Dah," which featured a flugelhorn solo that demanded my attention from the first note. It's only a chorus long, but a memorable example of making the most of a brief big-band feature to get up, say what you want to say, and sit down. I was particularly drawn to the blues and swing inflections throughout the solo, which I haven't heard much lately at the shows and sessions I've been checking out over break. It wasn't until after I transcribed this solo that I learned the mystery musician was Clark Terry, who turned 92 just last month. So swinging, and not someone that I've checked out enough, clearly. But, I can see why, aside from shifting trends in music, fewer and fewer musicians play with this kind of old-school unironic and ebullient swagger: because it's difficult to do convincingly. In any case, here's the transcription:

And the original recording, replete with picture of gate (?) and foliage: