180g virgin vinyl - gatefold edition.
The live recordings included here are among the very best from Billie Holiday's final years. Part of the motivation behind the 1956 Carnegie Hall concert was to promote Billie's autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues. The music was attuned entirely to Billie's character part, reinforced by readings from her book by Gilbert Millstein. Although recorded in 1956, the LP was only issued in 1961, almost two years after Billie's passing on July 17, 1959, at the age of 44.
Billie Holiday, vocals
Roy Eldridge, trumpet
Coleman Hawkins, tenor sax
Carl Drinkard, piano
Tony Scott, clarinet (piano on Lady Sings the Blues only)
Carson Smith, bass
Chico Hamilton, drums
Gilbert Millstein, readings from the book Lady Sings the Blues
Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, November 10, 1956.
