Lady Sings the Blues

by Billie Holiday

Overview

Taken from a pair of sessions taped during 1955-1956, Lady Sings the Blues finds Holiday in top form and backed by the sympathetic likes of tenor saxophonist Paul Quinichette, trumpeters Charlie Shavers and Harry Edison, pianist Wynton Kelly, and guitarists Kenny Burrell and Barney Kessel. And while these autumnal sides bear some of the frayed vocal moments often heard on Holiday's '50s Verve sides, the majority here still ranks with her best material. This is especially true of the cuts from the June 1956 date, which produced unparalleled versions of "No Good Man," "Some Other Spring," and "Lady Sings the Blues." See why many fans prefer the "worn out" Holiday heard here to the more chipper singer featured on those classic Columbia records from the '30s. ~ Stephen Cook

Product Details

Release Date:	09/18/2007
Label:	Universal / Verve
UPC:	0602517396883
Rank:	94698

Tracks

1. Lady Sings the Blues
2. Trav'lin Light
3. I Must Have That Man
4. Some Other Spring
5. Strange Fruit
6. No Good Man
7. God Bless the Child
8. Good Morning Heartache
9. Love Me or Leave Me
10. Too Marvelous for Words
11. Willow Weep for Me
12. I Thought About You

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Billie Holiday   Primary Artist,Vocals
Aaron Bell   Guitar (Bass),Bass
Willie "The Lion" Smith   Sax (Alto)
Kenny Burrell   Guest Artist,Guitar
Red Callender   Guitar (Bass),Bass
Wynton Kelly   Guest Artist,Piano
Leonard Browne   Drums
Tony Scott   Guest Artist,Clarinet
Charlie Shavers   Guest Artist,Trumpet
Cozy Cole   Drums
Leonard Gaskin   Bass
Lenny McBrowne   Drums
Willie Smith   Sax (Alto)
Billy Taylor   Piano
Budd Johnson   Sax (Tenor)
Anthony Sciacca   Clarinet
Harry "Sweets" Edison   Trumpet
Chico Hamilton   Drums
Barney Kessel   Guitar
Tony Scott's Orchestra   Orchestra
Leonard Brown   Drums
Harry Edison   Trumpet
Paul Quinichette   Sax (Tenor)
Billy Bauer   Guitar
Bobby Tucker   Piano

Technical Credits

Harry Weinger   Reissue Producer,Reissue Supervisor
Kevin Reeves   Reissue Mastering
Isham Jones   Composer
Irene Higginbotham   Composer
Arthur Herzog, Jr.   Composer
Irving Berlin   Composer
Duke Ellington   Composer
Tony Scott   Arranger
Fred Norman   Arranger
Fats Waller   Composer
Eddie Beal   Composer
Walter Donaldson   Composer
Johnny Mercer   Composer
Leroy Lovett   Arranger
Lewis Allan   Composer
James Oliver   Composer
Sammy Gallop   Composer
James Van Heusen   Composer
Marty Symes   Composer
Richard A. Whiting   Composer
Ralph Rainger   Composer
Matt Dennis   Composer
Dan Fisher   Composer
Herbie Nichols   Composer
Trummy Young   Composer
Cameron Mizell   Reissue Production Coordination
Jimmy McHugh   Composer
Norman Granz   Supervisor,Session Supervisor
Harry Brooks   Composer
Gus Kahn   Composer
Dorothy Fields   Composer
Ervin Drake   Composer
Tom Adair   Composer
Gordon Jenkins   Composer
Ann Ronell   Composer
Herman Leonard   Cover Photo
Dorothy Parker   Composer
Hollis King   Reissue Art Director
Isabelle Wong   Reissue Design
Jim Mundy   Composer
Joe Greene   Composer
Irene Kitchings   Composer
Richard Whiting   Composer
Andy Razaf   Composer
Bob Russell   Composer
Bobby Tucker   Duet
Jimmy Mundy   Composer
Billie Holiday   Composer