Lady Day: The Best Of Billie Holiday CD

Recorded between 1935 and 1942. Includes liner notes by Gary Giddins.

Digitally remastered by Mark Wilder & Seth Foster (Sony Music Studios, New York, New York).

One of the top three female jazz singers in history, Billie Holiday (along with Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan) changed not only the course of jazz but the very shape of pop culture. On this 2001 Columbia two-CD collection, we hear Holiday in her early years. These indelible recordings, backed by legends in their own right, Teddy Wilson (piano), Roy Eldridge (trumpet), Benny Goodman (clarinet) and others, highlight the passionate singing of the great Lady Day.

Holiday was known for her elegant phrasing, warm (often heart-rending) tone, and her coarse, witty parlance. This combination of musical and personal attributes was her charm and, indeed, few of her contemporaries could compete with such magnetism. In the entire history of jazz, arguably no one sang such standards as "You Go to My Head," "The Very Thought of You," and "God Bless the Child" with the same radiance as Holiday; these sessions are testament to this. Compiled from performances recorded between 1933 and 1944, this CD represents the golden years of Holiday's career.

Compilation producers: Michael Brooks, Michael Cuscana.

Personnel: Billie Holiday (vocals); Danny Barker , Dave Barbour, Dick McDonough, Eddie Durham, Freddie Green, Gene Fields, John Collins, Lawrence Lucie, John Trueheart, Allan Reuss, Bernard Addison, Al Casey, Jimmy McLin, Carmen Mastren (guitar); Edgar Sampson, Hymie Schertzer (clarinet, alto saxophone); Ernie Powell, Babe Russin (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Harry Carney (clarinet, baritone saxophone); Edmond Hall, Irving Fazola, Jimmy Hamilton, Artie Shaw, Vido Musso, Benny Goodman, Buster Bailey (clarinet); Tab Smith (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Benny Carter (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Earle Warren, Eddie Barefield, Jack Washington, Carl Frye, Johnny Hodges, Leslie Johnakins (alto saxophone); Chu Berry, Lester Boone, Stanley Payne, Kenneth Hollon, Lester Young, Ben Webster (tenor saxophone); Emmett Berry, Irving "Mouse" Randolph, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Hot Lips Page, Jonah Jones, Roy Eldridge, Shad Collins, Buck Clayton, Bunny Berigan, Charlie Shavers (trumpet); Benny Morton (trombone); Claude Thornhill, Clyde Hart, Ken Kersey, Eddie Heywood, Jimmy Sherman, Joe Bushkin, Joe Sullivan, Margaret Johnson, Sonny White, Teddy Wilson, Billy Kyle (piano); Cozy Cole, Hal West, Eddie Dougherty, Gene Krupa, Alphonse Steele, J.C. Heard, Jo Jones , Kenny Clarke (drums).

Personnel includes: Billie Holiday (vocals); Tab Smith (soprano & alto saxophones); Benny Carter (alto & tenor saxophones); Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone); Lester Young (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Ben Webster, Chu Berry (tenor saxophone); Harry Carney (baritone saxophone, clarinet); Buck Clayton, Roy Eldridge, Charlie Shavers, Bunny Berigan, Hot Lips Page (trumpet); Benny Morton (trombone); Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Edmond Hall, Buster Bailey, Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet); Teddy Wilson, Claude Thornhill, Billy Kyle, Joe Sullivan, Joe Bushkin, Eddie Heywood (piano); Freddie Green, Lawrence Lucie, Carmen Mastren, Dave Barbour (guitar); Walter Page, Milt Hinton, John Kirby (bass); Jo Jones, Gene Krupa, Cozy Cole, Kenny Clarke. J.C. Heard (drums);

Producers include: John Hammond, Bernie Hanighen.

2cds