City Newspaper Archives - 12/2007
Billie Holiday "Lady Day: The Master Takes and Singles"
Legacy
Published by Ron Netsky on Dec 11, 2007
Fans of Madeleine Peyroux, here's your chance to discover the real thing. "Lady Day," a new four-disc set, contains 80 of the finest tracks ever recorded by the greatest jazz singer of all time, Billie Holiday. During these sessions, held between1933 and 1944, she mined the American songbook, embracing classic after classic. "Body And Soul," "A Fine Romance," "God Bless The Child," "Summertime," "Easy Living," "I Cover The Waterfront," "Let's Do It" - the list goes on and on. Each one is exquisitely sung by Holiday who, rather than relying on vocal gymnastics, simply injects the perfect degree of emotion into every note. But her voice is not the only thing that makes this collection great. Her sidemen are all masters, including Lester Young, Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson, Ben Webster, Artie Shaw, Cootie Williams, Johnny Hodges, Jo Jones, and Cozy Cole. Every arrangement and understated solo is a gem.
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