Billie's Blues

Billie Holiday | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B000005H65
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #36,991 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #81 in Music > Blues > Vocal Blues
  • #95 in Music > Indie Music > Jazz > Vocal Jazz

Editorial Reviews

This recording from 1942 documents the beginnings of her solo career, showcasing her talents on no less than 18 classic standards. Billy Holiday had already achieved fame from her performances and recordings with Count Basie, Teddy Wilson, and Artie Shaw. This album affirms that, as a solo artist, she was a force to be reckoned with! --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rare Tunes Make This Worthwhile, December 19, 2000

By 

Peter (East of Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Billie's Blues (Audio CD)

Originally I would have only rated this CD 3 stars, maybe even less, but the inclusion of several rare recordings elevates this to 4-star status. 9 tracks are live and taken from her Euro tour in early '54. While Billie sounds sublime, she is overwhelmed at times by an over-active bass during the concert. Unless you're a hyper-bass freak, this really becomes annoying. Billie is not well served by loud piano playing either. She obviously needs someone with the deft touch of a Teddy Wilson or Oscar Peterson. It is, however, the inclusion of 4 blues tunes recorded in '51 and her famous, long-associated tunes of "Detour Ahead" and "Travelin' Light" that make this a collector's dream. The latter mentioned track is for me the highlight of the entire CD, showing the grace and mesmerizing spell Billie can put you under. The blues songs put her in a more rough-hewn light but she handles them well. If Blue Note had only done a better job remastering the live tracks, this would have been unequivocally a collector's item, but it's worth getting for Billie Die-Hards.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Live European Recording is a Gem, May 8, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Arcata, CA, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Billie's Blues (Audio CD)

Recorded near the end of her life and career, "Billie's Blues" captures the essence of Lady Day's troubled existence and, of course, artistic joy. Lady's voice has that drug-and-alcohol-induced rasp that crept in as the years wore on, but her phrasing and emotion are still astounding. The piece de resistance of the album for me is "Trav'lin' Light," recorded in the mid-forties, showing off Billie's range and mid-career sweetness at its best.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Billie for the Interested, February 12, 2004

By 

Hulki Okan Tabak (Istanbul Turkey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Billie's Blues (Audio CD)

Travelling back in time to focus on a outstanding musician that you like is very different from following a current one as you have a host of albums to dig into alongside another vast collection of best ofs. Billie Holiday is splendid voice and this in an interesting album for those who want to chronicle through her times as a singer. However, I reckon that there are compilations that better serve to introduce Billie more thoroughly. This one is ineed a gem for the avid listener, but not satisfactory for the casualy interested.