INCLUDES 1 BONUS TRACK
"Lady Sings the Blues" is the name of the Billie Holiday album presented here, as well as the record’s title track. It was even used as the title of the singer’s autobiography, which she presented shortly before the making of this amazing LP. The album placed Lady Day in the company of celebrated jazz stars, such as Charlie Shavers, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Paul Quinichette, Wynton Kelly, Barney Kessel, and Kenny Burrell, and received a five-star rating in Down Beat. “Lady Sings the Blues, I understand, was a rather stormy session in its first eight tracks”, wrote Nat Hentoff, “but to a listener who wasn’t there, it comes through as a characteristic, satisfyingly troubling, indelible Billie monologue. Tempos are generally slow with some walking-medium. No other singer now in jazz gets so fully into the bloodstream as Billie still does. Billie still has the best vocal game in town when she’s playing for keeps.”
PERSONNEL:
BILLIE HOLIDAY, vocals, plus:
ON SIDE A & B1-B2:
Charlie Shavers (tp), Tony Scott (cl, arr), Paul Quinichette (ts),
Wynton Kelly (p), Kenny Burrell (g), Aaron Bell (b), Lennie McBrowne (d).
New York, June 6-7, 1956.
ON TRACKS B3-B7:
Harry “Sweets” Edison (tp), Willie Smith (as), Bobby Tucker (p),
Barney Kessel (g), Red Callender (b), Chico Hamilton (d).
“I Thought About You” is a Billie Holiday-Bobby Tucker duet.
Los Angeles, September 3, 1954.
“Stormy Blues” was originally issued in 1955 on the single Clef 89141.
All original sessions produced by Norman Granz.
