The 26 tunes with Billie Holiday on this 77 min, CD span the years 19401949. There are eleven different sessions on the CD both live and studio ranging from a duo number with piano to octets and full orchestra. Included on the CD are Billie Holiday’s last official recordings with tenor saxophonist Lester Young and pianist Teddy Wilson. The repertoire consists mostly of Billie Holiday ballad and blues standards.
Accompanying Billie Holiday on this CD are many other masters of jazz, including Roy Eldridge, Red Norvo, Don Byas, Benny Carter, Barney Bigard, Coleman Hawkins, Jimmy Hamilton, Hot Lips Page and Art Tatum. 9 Fantastic live sessions include the Esquire All American Poll Winners Concert from 1944, an Apollo Theatre concert from 1945, and eight tunes from the Just Jazz Concert in Los Angeles with the Red Norvo Septet in 1949. Billie Holiday sings wonderfully throughout: check out her blues renditions of “St. Louis Blues” and “Loveless Love”.
Billie Holiday and her orchestra, and with Benny Carter and his All Star Orchestra / Eddie Heywood and his orchestra / Teddy Wilson and his orchestra / The All Star Jam Band / The Apollo House Band / Archie Blyer / Red Norvo and his orchestra / Percy Faith Orchestra.