Customer Reviews

Billie's Blues

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

One of the most rewarding versions of Billie's art in her later years I have heard so far. Yes, her voice is already damaged, but her impecable sense of rhythm and interpretion shines here as brightly as ever; I believe she is at her best on the faster tunes.

This is not the best Billie you'll find on the market, but it is still top class jazz, with a lot of variety, partly due to different accompanying groups - after first set with hard driving (although at times a bit pompous) trio of Drinkard,Mitchell and Leighton, Billie succesfully jams with a group starring Buddy De Franco (cl) and Red Norvo (vb) (extended versions of "Billie's blues" and "Lover come back to me").
Then there are 4 good soongs with the band led by the guitar player Tiny Grimes and one gem with Paul Whiteman's orchestra ("Trav'lin' light")...

These are mostly classical tunes, in very good to great performances, although larger audiences might not appreciate the technology that captured Billie live...

My disk seemed flawed with dead spots, but after listening and reading the printed material I came to realize that this is all that was left of these recordings. I gave it 3 because it reflects on the way it was with Billie, and not the sugar coated versions we are more accustom to be presented. Billie could be quite difficult to work with, according to material printed.

I have several Ella Fitzgerald albums, and wanted to add some Billie Holiday to my collection. While Billie's (rather worn-down) voice works with the slower songs on the album, I cringe listening to the faster, swinging songs that I was used to hearing Ella sing (case in point - Them There Eyes). Perhaps an earlier Billie Holiday album would be better for a first collection item.