Billie Holiday Complete Decca Recordings CD

Personnel includes: Billy Holiday (vocals), Lester Young (tenor saxophone), Billy Butterfield, Buck Clayton (trumpets), Tiny Grimes (guitar), Bob Haggart, George Duvivier (bass), Sid Catlett, Kenny Clarke, Denzil Best, Shadow Wilson (drums).
Includes a 40-page booklet containing rare photos, detailed track annotations and liner notes by Andy McKaie and Steven Lasker.
Billie Holiday is heard at her absolute best on this attractive two-CD set. During her period on Decca, Lady Day was accompanied by strings (for the first time), large studio orchestras, and even background vocalists, so jazz solos from her sidemen are few. But her voice was at its strongest during the 1940s (even with her personal problems) and to hear all 50 of her Decca performances (including alternate takes and even some studio chatter) is a real joy. Among the high points of this essential set are her original versions of "Lover Man" (Holiday's biggest selling record), "Don't Explain," "Good Morning Heartache," "'Tain't Nobody's Business if I Do," "Now or Never," "Crazy He Calls Me," and remakes of "Them There Eyes" and "God Bless the Child." ~ Scott Yanow
Billie Holiday is at the peak of her vocal powers on these sessions taken from 1944-1950. Though she had cut some historic, memorable tracks and toured nationally with the likes of Count Basie, Lester Young, Buck Clayton and Artie Shaw, her Decca crossover material gave her the pop backing she craved. According to "Toots" Camarata, the arranger and conductor on her first Decca date, when she walked in and saw the string ensemble she was so overwhelmed she turned right around and walked out.
The delectations here are plenty and definitiveness abounds. "Don't Explain" is her own lyric written with Arthur Herzog Jr. with whom she also penned the indelible touchstone, "God Bless The Child." Louis Armstrong sneaks in the "F" word in a sexy duet, "My Sweet Hunk 'O Trash." The cool narrator on "Baby I Don't Cry Over You," "Now Or Never" and "Baby Get Lost" sounds street-wise, tough and self-reliant while the resigned submission of "My Man" and "No More" ring only too true to life. Throughout, Lady Day's matter of fact delivery is at once bracing and disarming.Q (7/92, p.107) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...a luxurious set, with much information, and several takes of some songs, as revealing in the case of an artist of her subtlety as with anybody in jazz..."
Down Beat (2/92, p.32) - 4 Stars - Very Good - "...her singing had gotten harsher, more time-ravaged, but hadn't lost its expressive grace...Sound is generally good..."
New York Times (Publisher) (12/15/91) - "...a full-fledged star singer...the postwar recordings found Holiday reaching even deeper levels of emotions...the sound...is brighter..."