 It was the end of 1938 and Ellington Band was playing at the Stanley Theater in Pittsburgh. Strayhorn wanted to meet the maestro and managed to get an introduction backstage. Ellington was getting his hair conked and his eyes were closed and Strayhorn sat down and played Sophisticated Lady, just as Ellington had played it in the prior set. Then he said, now this is how I would do it. And he enriched the harmonies and changed it.