Billie Holiday Billy Remembers Billie CD

Personnel: Billie Holiday (vocals); Bob Bain, Jimmy McLin (guitar); David Friscina, Joseph Quadri (violin); Maurice Perlmutter (viola); Kurt Reher (cello); Dick Eckles (flute); Lem Davis, Bill Stegmeyer (alto saxophone); Kenneth Hollon, Armand Camgras, Hank Ross (tenor saxophone); Stan Webb (baritone saxophone); Doc Cheatham, Joe Guy (trumpet); Vic Dickenson (trombone); Eddie Heywood, Sonny White, Charles La Vere (piano); John Simmons , Lou Butterman (bass instrument); Eddie Dougherty, Nick Fatool, Big Sid Catlett (drums); Gordon Jenkins Singers (background vocals).
Liner Note Authors: Ashley Kahn; Billy Crystal.
Arrangers: Eddie Heywood; Gordon Jenkins.
At first glance, a CD of Billie Holiday tracks handpicked by comedian/actor Billy Crystal may seem an odd bird. However, given that Crystal's uncle, record producer Milt Gabler, produced most of the cuts included here, it actually makes more sense than many similarly themed albums with tracks picked by musicians. Thanks to the family connection, Crystal grew up surrounded by famous jazz musicians and developed a lifelong passion for the music -- especially the singing of Billie Holiday. Included here such iconic Holiday tracks as "Fine and Mellow," "God Bless the Child" and the landmark anti-lynching lament "Strange Fruit." These are the cuts that helped cement Holiday's persona as a soulful and brilliant vocalist with an utterly unique style. While there are other acceptable Billie Holiday compilations available, the personalized aspect of Billy Remembers Billie makes it a superb introduction to Holiday's singular oeuvre. ~ Matt Collar
This Verve sampler has actor/comedian Billy Crystal selecting his favorite tracks by the great Billie Holiday, an unlikely association if ever there was one. However, the connection is not merely arbitrary. Milt Gabler, a producer who helped craft some of Lady Day's most memorable releases in the 1940s, was Crystal's uncle. Consequently, Crystal's first-hand familiarity with Holiday's Gabler-produced recordings inform this fine compilation. (Only one of the 15 tracks here, "God Bless the Child," was not produced by Gabler).
Strange degrees of separation aside, BILLY REMEMBERS BILLIE is an outstanding compilation that brings together some of the finest performances Holiday ever put to tape. Included here are definitive versions of "Embraceable You," "Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)," and the monumental "Strange Fruit," a highly controversial song exposing racist crimes (Gabler bravely recorded it when no one else would). The mid-'40s were arguably Holiday's peak; her voice had deepened and grown more textured than in her brighter early work, but was not yet as worn as it would become on later releases. In fact, these intimate sessions, in which Holiday's sweet, aching voice is urged on by a small combo, are essentially perfect.